133rd Preakness Stakes

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133rd Preakness Stakes

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uploaded by mr.zoltanblack

May 13/08

For the average tv troller on Saturday afternoon the Triple Crown means absolutely noting, but to horse-racing’s elite the triple crown is the single most cherished jewel for any horse-mans mantle. This is a product of a 30 year Triple Crown drought that has sucked the life and fans right out of horse-racing.

On Saturday afternoon, Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown will launch his bid at becoming the winner of the first two legs of the Triple Crown in the Preakness Stakes. The race will be run over a different course, at a different distance, with a fresh cast of characters. Big Brown will only take on one of the nineteen horses he faced on the first Saturday in May, Gaygo, a sprinter who was around forty horse lengths behind Big Brown just two weeks ago at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. The rest of the 13 horse field, a ragtag bunch of Derby rejects will be highly unlikely to keep pace with Big "Bad" Brown.

I am suspiciously sure that Big Brown will walk away from the Preakness with an opportunity to capture the Triple Crown at Belmont racetrack in Ozone, NY on June 7, 2008. My suspicions steam from an ever growing urgency to acquire fan fare. Particularly the type of fan fare that tags along with any horse that trots onto the Belmont racetrack, five weeks removed from a Kentucky Derby romp, three weeks removed from a Preakness triumph and just one and a half miles away from becoming the king of modern day horse-racing.

Fan Fare....And racing needs it, fan fare is at an all-time low and recent events such as the "Eight Belles collapse 08" and "Barbaro’s Preakness breakdown 06" have only served as a volatile taser shot to the gut, further removing horse-racings already dwindling fan fare.

So it’ll be 3/5 on the favourite Big Brown by time Saturday afternoon rolls around (you heard it hear first, but please don’t rush to the mutual window on my account). The payout or return on Big Brown’s win will be entirely accurate, based on the amount of risk involved, zip, zero, zilch. However I must urge that sustaining ones self well making wagers of this magnitude, coupled with extremely poultry returns will lead anyone to the poor house and likely to the nut house as well.

Surrounded by owners, trainers and a gaggle of hangers-on, Big Brown headed toward the track with an heir of invincibility, stopping his forward progress to sample the air, observe the crowd and check out the competition. The rest of the 13 horse field made their way to the track with significantly less fan fare, most accompanied by just one or two, well Big Brown travelled five deep on every side.

Big Brown’s Jockey Kent Desormeaux wasn’t drawing the same type of attention and his nerves were clearly racked. Desormeaux a 22-year veteran jockey was seen shortly before mounting Big Brown coming from the mysterious underground Jockeys room with twelve other pint-sized piolets. The significance of this shot will become forever tied to my memories of Big Brown. Kent Desormeaux, 22 years in the business, 3-time Kentucky derby winner and 3-time eclipse award winner for most outstanding Jockey in North America emerged from the tunnel sans-whip.

Broadcast analysts were quick to pick-up on Desormeaux’s short comings pondering the question of "is this a sign of things to come?"

At the time the comment appeared to be typical overanalyses caused by the delirium of eight hours of over-hype coverage and probably was. Following the race however, the sun would shine on these comments in a completely different manner.

Kent Desormeaux lead Big Brown to victory in the second leg of North-Americas horse-racing triple crown with ease, Big Brown burst, rocket like from the starting gate and jockey Desormeaux, game plan in mind commenced a strangle hold on Big Brown that would last right until the horses entered the stretch run in front of a mass of human rabidity.

Like something out of a story book Desormeaux released his strangle hold on the colt named for the united parcel service and Big Brown responded bursting to the lead at the top of the stretch.

Immediately Big Brown took a single horse length lead before rapidly increasing his advantage to five, six or even seven lengths before Kent Desormeaux decided to take a peak back at the competition. With all the skill of a twenty-two-year pro Desormeaux stood up, looked between his legs and under his right arm revealing the insurmountable advantage he and Big Brown now held over the rest of the field.

Desormeaux quickly reeled in the recently released strangle hold he held over Big Brown attempting to close the colt down just prior to the finish line. "He just kept kicking his legs up and striding for the wire" said Desormeaux after capturing his second Preakness win by 5 &1/2 lengths, never once going to his whip.

For Big Brown the next stop will be The Belmont Stakes on June 7 where he will attempt to become the first horse in thirty years to capture the elusive triple crown. History, Breeding, Scheduling and a host of other factors may not be on Big Browns side but just remember this is horse-racing and stranger things have always happened.

The line on Big Brown winning the Belmont is currently (-275)

The Belmont Stake is a gruelling mile and a half of broken dreams, seldom ever conquer by the same horse that won The Preakness.

Take Big Brown to lose the Belmont (+200), I really can’t believe that anyone one would be spun tight enough to give away free money, but then again what do I know.

Zoltan Black