Did Big Brown lose the race because of lack of steroids?

Question

Do you realize the Belmont Stakes was the first race Big Brown stopped taking steroids, and thats the race he lost. Is that a coincedence? Can you say Barry Bonds of horse racing?

Answer 1

Yes.

But due to his trainers constant BS I was rooting for this horse to loose and not make history. Well he made history...as the first horse to win the first two and then come in dead last at the Belmont. His trainers eating crow now! What don't want to give an interview NOW Dutrow?

Answer 2

The Steroid Big Brown had taken in the past is legal in racing. More to the fact steroids  will actually slow the speed of an equine athlete because of the mass muscle that steroids create. Although his aggression & drive might have been compromised by not being injected this last time.

Not to mention a jockey that litterly run him into the hind end of another horse and got him trapped in the pack.

Answer 3

I personally don't think horses should be given steriods. A horse should either be fast enough to win or not. Horses don't have to choice to take them. I also think whips shouldn't be used and that the horses should display natural ability.That might have been the reason or he was having a bad day.

=)=)

Answer 4

Thats what I was thinking alll along... I can understand that he was taking steroids or whatever but why would you ever change that drastic before the race where you could win the biggest title in horse racing?

Answer 5

Big Brown did not lose because of Steroids, but who knows it could have been a slight factor.   After watching and wagering on Horse Racing for 30 years anything is always possible.   The true fact of the matter was that it was a combination of Big Brown stumbling out of the starting gate and then getting kicked by Anak Nakal starting in the far turn coming to home.   He may not have won but he most likely would have come a little harder at the end and not given up.  

The one lesson about Horse Racing is that horses need to have a clean trip from the gate until the end or they get irritated and will not win most of the time.   That is what happened to Big Brown.    

His works were great and were on par to his most recent performances up to 2 days before the Belmont.   That cannot be explained by Steroids.    Heat could have been a problem but we will never know.  

To put it in Perspective, Big Brown beat Da'Tara in The Florida Derby this year by 23 1/2 lengths.     As they

say in Horse Racing, anything goes.

Answer 6

On the back stretch, the second place horse deliberately held Big Brown on the outside, and then spread his position from the rail.  The race was already lost for Big Brown by the third turn.  In my opinion, Kent Desormeaux mistakenly failed to cut inside early.

Answer 7

Probably.

Of course Barry Bonds took steriods too. The sad reality is that steriod is what makes sport exciting. And thats the dam truth!

Answer 8

I expected that would be a factor coupled with the fact that this was his third big race in 5 weeks.

I expected a surprise but I wasn't expecting a longshot such as Da' Tara to take Big Brown down. I did suspect that Big Brown is weakened some and I was sure this one would not be a walk in the park for him like the Preakness was. But I expected Denis of Cork would begin to close sooner and that he would be the leading challenge in the final stretch.

Big Brown has had a special year and he has certainly proven to be a special horse but I just had an ominous feeling of less fortune for him at Belmont. This was his third grueling race in five weeks and that proved once more why the Triple Crown is so difficult to attain. And he did not run this one on steroids. I expected that would also be a factor affecting his stamina. It does appear his hooves were not a factor in the upset though. It's just that 3 grueling races in five weeks tired him some, and as history has shown, greater horses than Big Brown met the same fate at Belmont trying to attain that final Triple Crown jewel.

Answer 9

FACT: he hasn't taken steroids since April 15. he was tested after the Kentucky derby for 250 drugs and was tested negative.

Big Brown is a stallion and stallions have a mind of their own . He didn't want to race today and like a three year old child he had a temper tantrum . His obstinacy manifested itself in the barn , the training track and the race itself .

1. Legal Streoids that he hadn't been taken since April 15. The drug tests after the ken derby proved he hadn't had any in his system they tested for over 250 drugs. can't say that not taking steroids factored into this loss.

2. Cracked front hoof. no horse races on a cracked hoof. so much stress and weigh on it. its like having a bone cracked in your foot then running a marathon. he had special shoes even before the cracked hoof. They were NOT going to give  up on the dream of winning the triple crown by not racing. They would rather take their chances.

3. heat. tones of it super hot.

4. different track. horse are used to specific tracks. some are deeper and some aren't.

5. it was a longer race

6. 3 races in a month come on..

7. no one went after the front runner big brown had to stay close to have a shot.

8. another that bet on him had to be shot come on low odds.. anything can happen in a horse races come on.. i've seen 75/1 horses win races.

9. Big Brown is a stallion and stallions have a mind of their own . He didn't want to race today and like a three year old child he had a temper tantrum . His obstinacy manifested itself in the barn , the training track and the race itself .

Answer 10

Well Kent the man who owns and races him says that he did not want to hurt Big Brown because he could not get arownd why bust Big Brown when he knows that they will lose because they could not get to the front and could not get arownd and i did realize that about the steroids and i dont think that held him back.

And also realize that he was in 1 so you do see that he was on the fence and if you want to win in 1 then you have to go in hard.

And at the begening of the race he triped so that made it inpossible to go in strong.

Hope  this makes sence and it helps.

Answer 11

The horse has a cracked hoove and that is dangerous. I don't care what they say, he needs to heal before he runs again. I hope they keep him off steroids forever and just let him be.

Answer 12

I think the steroids were a big part of it, yes.  The horse, physically, didn't look as good today as he has before his other races.  It might be something else, but I've been saying for a while that the horses shouldn't be allowed to run on steroids and we should see what the horses can do on their own ability.  If Big Brown ran the derby without steroids, Eight Belles would have won.

There's a lot of other excuses for the horse today... the quarter crack, the 3 races in 5 weeks, the son of Boundary trying to get 12 furlongs (I said in an answer here before the Derby that he couldn't win at that distance).  I think the steroids are a huge factor.

Answer 13

Is was likely a combination of lack of steroids and the cracked hoof. It proves that brown is just an average athlete when he is not taking performance drugs. Its a huge farce. Its even more stupid, that the trainer guarenteed a victory. That was a huge mistake.The jerk should have predicted a last place finish, at least he would have been correct.  Remember, all the horses have 4-legs and have a chance to win. All the hype that was built up for this horse was a waste.

Answer 14

I believe it was definitely the lack of steroids that was part of why Brown lost the race. Many people failed to realise that he also had not been really challenged or tested, with having few races up to this point. The combination of no steroids, heat, longer distance than usual, all combine to cause his downfall. The only redeeming factor was that the jockey took care of him by pulling him up.

Answer 15

Stanozolol is one of the best steroids on the market.I works in human and animal sports.Taking this horse off was a big mistake.I just would have never changed anything if I was the trainer and I would never have taken him off this stuff.Its just too potent

Answer 16

to me Big Brown did not look right from the very start of the race.   something was clearly bothering him.  people are convieniently leaving this part of the race out.  him acting that way the first furlong tells me that the horse was in some kind of discomfort.  the distance, please that race was over at a mile and a quarter, and we all saw big brown could run that no problem. its not like he got caught from behind or anything.  as far as the roids , i think that is no explanation on why big brown came out the gate the way he did.  he was bucking his head wildly.  i honestly have no idea what happened but if i had to guess it was either that patch or the heat. or kents ride, which i thought was terrible.  the steriod thing thats bogus.

Answer 17

I agree with that.  Big Brown had been taking the steroid Winstrol.  This is the same steroid that Ben Johnson was

taking when he was stripped of his Olympic gold in the 100 meters, and the same steroid that Roger Clemens is

accused of taking.

This steroid is "legal" for horses in 28 of the 38 states

having racing laws.  It's kind of sad what the racing industry

has become.  But the huge money is the reason why.

Horse racing probably has more steroid usage then all

of our human professional sports combined.

Answer 18

He probably was free of dope because of the possibility of thorough testing - due to his stardom.

Most of the top trainers have had "slaps on the hands" for drug violations.

I do think he lost because he wasn't high on something.

And I do think it is disgraceful that these beautiful animals are subjected to the greed and egos of the humans who own and handle them.

Answer 19

I do not think it was a coincidence.  I actualy placed my first horse bet ever this year and it was on Da'Tara to win.  Boy am I smiling.

Big Brown had a couple of things going against him.  First was the steroids.  If you have ever taken steroids for medical treatment you would know that you are weaker and the heat makes you more tired.  This horse had been on them for a while so it was worse for him.

Second, the heat was pretty high and this was a large horse. This worked with the first cause to bring down the Brown.  Da'Tara on the other hand looked more like a greyhound racing a rottweiller.  Any heavy person will tell you that the heat is worse on them compared to a skinny person.

Third, his own trainer jinxed him.  You don't tell everyone that the race is a non-issue.  If you as the trainer have that attitude then you are not fully preparing yourself for the race.  Da'Tara had posted times even with Brown in his career, he was just as fast.

Fourth was the distance.  It was just too long for Brown and he lost from the gate.

Way to run Da'Tara!!!

Answer 20

Sad to say but probably yes.  The trainer didn't give him the shot to prove he didn't need it.  Well he needed it.