What do you think about Jess Jacksons challenge to Big Brown's connections?

Question

I am curious to see if BB's connections will take up the challenge.

Answer 1

I think that everything between Big Brown and Curlin is hilarious.  Dutrow starts shooting off his mouth about how Curlin's not very good and "shame on them" for not wanting to run in the Classic again.  When he was saying all of that, we already knew that Curlin was leaning towards not running in the Classic.  Dutrow was saying all of that when he thought that his horse would never have to race Curlin.  You can afford to talk smack if you'll never have to back it up.

Then the Big Brown group says 'oh, well Big Brown is undefeated on the grass and Curlin's not so lets go run on the grass before the Classic'... and why should they want to run on the grass?  Because they know Curlin's not going to!!  How could they evade Curlin any better?!?

I think Jess Jackson's challenge is great.  It's shoving everything that Dutrow said back at him.  You know Big Brown won't show up.  The Big Brown camp kinda has an excuse in that they only got a few weeks notice of the challenge... and after the rough Haskell race, Big Brown needs more of a break before his next start (and needs not to face a tough challenger like Curlin... obviously if they set a brand new race on the grass just for Big Brown, there's going to be very few challengers).

The Brown camp has already declined the invitation.  http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?id=3423...  I'm rather sickened at Ivarone's comment that "Jess Jackson should donate money to charity anyway, not just because Big Brown will race Curlin!"  They say that they should race in the Classic because it's the championship race where everyone comes and has a chance... I think the Brown camp is pushing the Classic because they think they have a better chance since it's a synthetic surface.  They say that the Classic determines the championship and Curlin has to show up.  Nevermind the fact that Curlin won the classic before, won the richest race in the world in Dubai against the top international horses... then came home to beat up on the best older horses in the US in the Stephen Foster.  If you ask me, the reason that the Brown camp is pushing the Classic on Curlin is that they know Brownie can't get Horse of the Year unless he beats Curlin in the Classic.  Curlin has nothing to prove by running anywhere... but the Brown camp is trying to make it out to look like Curlin is weak because he won't face Big Brown.  I'm not buying it.  If Brown's excuse is that they're not changing their plans just to run in the Woodward, why should they expect Curlin to change his plans just to run in the Classic?