Is Big Brown under-trained?

Question

There is a growing school of thought amongst racing fans that BB's works are too short and too infrequent. What do you think? Could "thoroughbred racing's dysfunctional family" (his connections) be under-developing his stamina?

Answer 1

Nah. Too inexperienced though? Yeah. The Belmont, I think, kind of threw him. He got jostled around and hadn't had that happen before because he'd only raced five times. I also still believe that his dysfunctional family's differences are causing tension, and that might have affected him if he picked up on it. I really wish they'd just get Dutrow out of there. As far as trainers, they could do better, and he really is the root of the dysfunction.

But I think it's too late in the game for that. He did well in the Haskell--if he'd had another furlong he would have blown them all away. It kills me the way people can turn a win into a loss. I'll be rooting for Brown at the Breeders Cup.

Answer 2

No way

Answer 3

I dont think he is under- trained. they got a dose of reality after the belmont. i thing he is a good horse not a great one compared to secratariet seattle slew and affirmed for example. his last race in the haskell he beat really nobody and had to go all out doing it. big brown wont win the breeders cup classic. curlin is a better horse.

Answer 4

Lately they've been getting him out every 6 days or so... he's been having a regular work tab.

Before the Belmont though, yes, he was absolutely undertrained.  I can understand their decision not to work him too hard before the Preakness since he just ran 10 furlongs and had to run again in 2 weeks.  However, after the horse came back from the Preakness full of energy, they could afford to start training him again... but they didn't.  They waited, then he developed his hoof crack and he couldn't even go trot or canter around the track for a few days.  Then when it was healed, they still didn't put him on any kind of a demanding work tab.  They just didn't have him ready for that race... they should have been working on stamina-building exercises for the horse to go 12 furlongs, but they just let him stand in his stall in the weeks before the Belmont.

I agree with another answerer about the fact that Big Brown's inexperience got him beat in the Belmont.  He got dirt in his face for the first time, he was stuck at the rail, and he threw a temper tantrum.  He wasted all his energy and by the time the stretch came, he was empty.  A classy experienced horse could have handled that... look at Curlin's Stephen Foster or the race that Ginger Punch just ran (i think it was the Go For Wand).

I don't think "the connections" have much to do with the work tab.  How and when the horse works is the trainer's domain.  The owners just pay the bills and show up to watch the horse run.  However, I think Ivarone's announcement of no steroids threw a big wrench into Dutrow's plan... all of his horses are always on steroids... he knows how to train a horse if it's got the extra impetus of the steroids.  I question if he can actually get a horse fit enough to win on its own talent.

Answer 5

I'd say no only because of the quarter crack concern. It's akin to a pitcher with a tendonitis in your pitching arm. You still make your starts every five days, however, you have to cut down your between starts training routine.