Nostalgic Horse

Match races have been used since horse racing began to test who truly had the best and fleetest animal. Sadly, the last nationally publicized match race ended in tragedy and horse racing has not attempted it since. Should Ruffian’s racetrack horror be the reason that today’s racing no longer utilizes match races? Were they ever really a good idea to begin with?

Seabiscuit’s famed match with Triple Crown champ War Admiral was the epitome in its day of what was so great about match races and horse racing in general. Another rags to riches match race involved Alsab when he defeated Triple Crown champ Whirlaway by a nose in their match race in 1942. Though Alsab and Seabiscuit prevailed, history still regards those they defeated in a higher regard, so what do match races prove exactly? Nashua beat Swaps in a match race, but Swaps was not 100% that day and even Nashua’s jockey said years later, that he doubted his horse would ever have defeated a healthy Swaps.

The 1975 Great Match Race was a terrible idea, and it illustrated the beast in the ring nowadays is a much more fragile being. Horses in the good old days could run two or three times a month, run for years, and start more than ten times. By the time the 70s rolled around, horses raced once a month, for two years, maybe three and barely made more than twenty starts in their entire career. Breakdowns were rare on the national stage until the late sixties. Ruffian changed all that and still people who witnessed that race get a little queasy thinking about another match race.

A good horse race involves many horses, and jockeys must use strategy and every ounce of luck in order to get their horse home in front. Some horses are speed horses and generally these horses fair better in match races. Some horses creep up during the middle stages of a race, and some like to come from way back of the pack. On any given day any of these styles can prove victorious, if it is not in a match race. Match races often take a horse’s natural style away from them for there is only one way to win them.

Today’s horse, being fragile, but always highly competitive will literally run themselves into the ground to win. Ruffian continued to run for 150 feet on three legs, erasing any chance she had of surviving the initial injury.

The sport does not need to replay that race with Big Brown and Curlin. Both horses are good for the sport and have many loyal fans. If the Clark Handicap were to draw a full field and both horses showed up, great, but a match race has disaster written all over it. The sport gave up match races a long time ago, and with horses as fragile as Big Brown and his sire and grandsire before him, it is an avenue best not revisited.

by: Elizabeth Rancani

History is full of races that are spectacular to watch. Everyone wishes they were at Belmont in June of 1973 to watch that famous red horse win by an astonishing 31 lengths. Few dispute that was the greatest performance ever witnessed.

History is also full of races where a nose decided the winner. Two fabulous animals hooked eyeball to eyeball refusing to yield. That is the true measure of a champion. A horse that doesn’t want to lose, and refuses, though wearing to be passed in the stretch. The 1978 Jockey Club witnessed a great duel between Exceller and Seattle Slew. It was Exceller’s moment, but Slew proved he was every bit the champ when he came back after leading and refused to give up. Sunday Silence and Easy Goer hooked up in the Preakness Stakes, and Sunday Silence refused to be passed by the two year old champ. Only a photo could tell which horse would wear the black eyed susans. Then Real Quiet hung tough and was denied his Triple Crown by the narrowest of margins. Personal Ensign nipped Champion filly Winning Colors in a Breeders Cup Distaff for the ages. It is often the close calls that show the heart of a champion, more so than the dazzling displays of brilliance.

This past weekend was spectacular in terms of racing. Go Between battled Well Armed and prevailed, two older horses, proving that they should not to be ignored on Breeders Cup Day. The always tough Ginger Punch would not be defeated and got her snout to the wire first in the Personal Ensign. The Travers seemed devoid of stars when Big Brown passed, but Colonel John proved that he was worth the hype in the Spring. Mambo in Seattle is also a star on the rise. The Breeders Cup will not be a cakewalk for Big Brown if Go Between, Well Armed, Colonel John and Mambo in Seattle have anything to say about it. They run well on synthetics, and are now battle tested.

Seabiscuit was battle tested, and while War Admiral looked clearly superior on paper, it was the battle tested Seabiscuit that prevailed when they met. Dodging Curlin may be the best thing for Big Brown. Curlin is battle tested. He won the Preakness after looking Street Sense in the eye, and lost the Belmont by a head to the well- rested filly with a five pound weight advantage.

Big Brown may have all he can handle with the aforementioned four. It will be a Classic to remember, and the Distaff side will be tough as well. Ginger Punch may have let Zenyatta by her the first time they met, but she is no rollover. If she goes to the Distaff, she will make the trip count. Last year’s thriller may be nothing compared to this year’s. Synthetics make for close finishes anyway, but this year may take that to another level. A blanket finish bringing the game to challenge the brilliant.

The possibility of Curlin and Big Brown meeting on any track seems unlikely at the moment, and really it is nobody’s fault. The connections of Big Brown have always said they intended to run in the Breeders Cup Classic. The connections of Curlin have never said the Classic was on their radar. Neither is changing their minds at this point in the game. No one is ducking anyone.

If anything is to blame it is the fragility of the thoroughbred, particularly Big Brown. After watching a very tired Brownie struggle home in the Haskell, one can certainly understand why the Woodward is a bad fit. He needs time before another race, and while four weeks in the past would have been plenty of time (many horses would have had two races in that span), it is not enough for Big Brown. If he were to run in the Jockey Club, that only gives him four weeks for the Classic, and that is his owners ultimate goal, Curlin or no Curlin. They should not have to change their plans because of any pressure from racing fans.

The fact that Big Brown does need so much time between races, is exactly what should keep him from being a champion for the ages. He can’t help it that he has sore feet, anymore than IEAH or Dutrow can. He cannot help it that the Triple Crown took its toll on him, and eight weeks later he barely beat an allowance horse in the Haskell. The Triple Crown took a lot out of Curlin last year also. He ran a dull third in the Haskell. Of course, he actually competed in the Belmont.

As for champions being decided at the Breeders Cup, there are plenty of incidents in the past that prove that doesn’t necessarily matter. Anyone remember Mineshaft? Curlin does not need to run in the Classic, or against Big Brown, for that matter, to repeat Horse of the Year. It is more about Big Brown having to defeat Curlin to take the title. To not have a match up will do nothing to Curlin’s value or reputation. Curlin has already proven himself. He can travel to a variety of tracks, even across the ocean, and soundly defeat the world’s best.

Curlin and Big Brown can both run on turf and dirt. While some might point out that Big Brown is undefeated on turf, Curlin finished a game second in his first attempt against Grade I winners. Anyone remember who Big Brown beat on turf?

What makes IEAH so sure that Big Brown is going to handle a brand new surface at Santa Anita? What if he doesn’t? Should some synthetic specialist (Colonel John) take away Big Brown’s three year old title? Champions have been crowned at the Breeders Cup many times, but they should not fall there simply because they are not adept at handling a brand new surface, especially since both Big Brown and Curlin have handled many tracks and two different surfaces.

If Dutrow is so supremely confident in Big Brown, put him in the Gold Cup, and skip the Classic. He already earned three year old honors, and has everything to gain from running against Curlin. Big Brown and Curlin are both proven runners on dirt, so it would be a better indicator of who really is a better horse. Whoever wins the Classic, the surface can always be the excuse. Not so, with the Gold Cup.

If that doesn’t happen, the connections should not be the bad guys. They were very clear from the beginning. We will have to let history decide who was the faster animal, and at this point, all signs point to Curlin. Big Brown will be retired at the end of this year, and to many, he still will have had much to prove.

So now we have Rick Dutrow once again saying how Big Brown is the better horse than reining king Curlin. What a surprise and how uncharacteristic of him! That is what we have come to expect from this trainer, and in a way it is good for the sport. It gives the media something to talk about, and like him or hate him, Dutrow doesn’t really care.

He boasts that Curlin did not win the Kentucky Derby, Big Brown did. Curlin lost to a girl, Big Brown didn’t. Curlin lost the Haskell, Big Brown didn’t. If Big Brown is so fabulous, let’s see it. We surely did not see it in the Haskell.

Excuses can certainly be made for Big Brown in the Haskell, and he did still win. He just wasn’t dazzling, and that could prove to be that he needed a race, and was off a long layoff. It could also mean that Big Brown off Winstrol, is not the same animal he was on Winstrol. Or, maybe Coal Play is getting good. Certainly other late blooming three year olds came around in the past at this time of the year; horses that were not even mentioned during the Triple Crown races. Java Gold, Tiznow and Wajima come to mind.

Unfortunately, we will never know how great Big Brown is unless he faces Curlin. He, unlike Curlin is the one with something still to prove. Curlin faced a consistent, brilliant, sound crop of three year olds. Certainly last year’s group would have given a world of trouble to the likes of Pyro, Denis of Cork, Cool Coal Man and Recapturetheglory. And dare I say, Rags to Riches would have humbled the tragic Eight Belles. Curlin did not lose to just any girl, he lost to one of the best fillies of this decade, maybe even the past 25 years. Big Brown thus far has beat up on other three year olds, and weak ones at best.

Curlin has never been worse than third, proved the best of the three year old boys last year, defeated older horses and took a trip around the world, where he proved a world beater.

His connections have stated the Woodward is his next stop. It would be an ideal race for Big Brown. It is thirty days after the Haskell and he could still run one more time and set himself up for the Classic. Of course, if Curlin trounces Big Brown in the Woodward, and skips the Classic, it doesn’t really matter who wins the Classic. The Woodward will decide year end honors. If one were really confident in their horse, the Woodward would be the way to go. Is there a point to Big Brown beating up some glorified claimers at Philadelphia Park? Or running against another weak field at some specially made for him turf race? If he wins one of those races and the Breeders Cup Classic, he still may not win Horse of the Year, and rightfully so.

The Breeders Cup Classic will be run on an untested surface, and no championship honors should be decided there. The big boys may decide to stay East, and really it should be their entire body of races, not just what happens Breeders Cup day. Maybe that will be the good to come out of suffering two Breeders Cups at Santa Anita. Maybe voting will get back to the good old days when the other 364 days of the year counted come voting day.

Either way, Big Brown has more to lose by not meeting Curlin right now. If he beats up on some allowance horses, and then wins the Classic, great. But if Curlin wins the Woodward, and maybe even the Breeders Cup Turf (a good spot for him, and a feat not yet accomplished) or another race overseas, the three year old is going to have a tough time unseating him. It does bring back memories of War Admiral and Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit had to face War Admiral in order to win the respect of the voters, because all Seabiscuit had beaten were ‘lowly horses from the West.’ Same thing with Big Brown. All he has beaten, again, is a weak crop of three year olds.

Speaking of the Breeders Cup, how about Zenyatta making a go of the Classic? She certainly deserves mention with the likes of Big Brown and Curlin, and could be a real threat to spoil Big Brown’s Breeders Cup party. It would be, perhaps the best poetic justice to have him lose to the super filly. Jess Jackson would have to laugh at that one, as would thousands of horse racing fans.

So Curlin’s first race on grass was not the blow out victory we have come to expect from Curlin, he is still several lengths better than the best dirt horses, in any country. That counts for something. He faced two Breeders Cup turf winners, but currently neither one of them would hold much hope against Europe’s best turf runners. That has to translate to certain doom overseas on turf for Curlin.

So what! He is still the best horse America has seen in quite sometime, and even at this stage in the game he has earned a spot in the Hall of Fame. In America, turf racing isn’t our thing. The races that draw the most publicity in this country are not run on turf, ever. The last time a turf horse won Horse of the Year was 1993 when Kotashaan won both honors, but really his competition in the dirt department that year was the deceased Preakness winner Prairie Bayou who died at the Belmont Stakes and Bertrando, a horse who won two Grade I races all year.

America does not respect, worship or flock to our turf horses, even though they are the guys that stick around and race. It is sad, but true.

Now Stonestreet is asking the fans what we think should be Curlin’s next start. Most say they feel he should stick to turf. Why? He is a proven dirt horse that has beaten everything thrown at him so far. Isn’t it better for him to win some big races on that surface, rather than face a pounding over in France? What will that prove?

While we are on the subject who on earth voted that he should be retired? Is it the boys at IEAH? Is it Rick Dutrow? Is it Big Brown? They are the only guys on the planet who can want Curlin retired at this point.

Everyone is always complaining that our stars are retired too early. Here is one back at four. American racing needs Curlin, and they need him winning big races in this country. If he can only win on dirt, that should be good enough for us. Many champions and Hall of Famers were only winners on dirt. Do we think any less of horses like Affirmed, Spectacular Bid or Citation because they were not turf winners?

Put him in the Woodward and then maybe the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Maybe he can face Big Brown in one of those races and humble his connections, if the Belmont did not already take care of that. Big Brown has to face him in order to have any shot at Horse of the Year, unless, of course, Curlin stays on turf and tanks in his next two starts. If Curlin loses his next two turf starts, and Big Brown romps in his last few starts, he has a real shot at Horse of the Year, without ever having to face Curlin, and this is coming from one of Brownie’s biggest critics. To clear the air, the reason it is hard for me to fall in love with that particular horse, has nothing to do with his connections, and everything to do with the fact that he will be gone soon. How can you get behind a horse you will see a total of eight or nine times? I feel like I hardly had a chance to know him, and soon he will be off to the breeding shed.

If Curlin skips the Breeders Cup this year, so be it. It will probably prove a worthless race anyway. Sadly, we have two years to endure a Breeders Cup that may not decide any year end honors because of their quirky track surface. Whatever genius decided that one needs to be relieved of his post pronto. It is hard enough to generate interest in fall racing without having its biggest day devoid of all its biggest stars.

If Curlin were to win the Arc, at this point a seemingly impossible feat for this long striding animal, he would be a horse for the ages. If he wins a few more dirt starts, he will still be arguably the best horse this decade, and a breath of fresh air in this day in age, where horses retire early or lose their form at some point in their careers. To have a horse race into the double digits in Grade I company for two years, run in every Triple Crown race and keep running after the Belmont Stakes, and never finish out of the money, is something we may not see again for a very long time. Enjoy it be it turf or dirt!

The year was 1973, and for horse racing it can be summed up in one word: Secretariat. He had swept the first Triple Crown in 25 years, the longest span at that point. He had put on the greatest show America had ever seen in the Belmont Stakes,and arguably set a track record in every one of the Triple Crown races.

He was a freak, a super horse, a champion. He went on to win the Invitational by nine lengths, and then surprisingly proved that any horse can be defeated on any given day. He lost to Onion in the Whitney Handiap.

He came back to defeat older stablemate Riva Ridge in the Marlboro but then lost the Woodward by a stunning 4 1/2 lengths.

No one will doubt Secretariat’s greatness, but he was not perfect. He could be beaten. Still in 1973 he was in a class by himself and there was not a lot left for him to prove. He could continue beating the same competition on days he was at his very best, or he could cross over to turf and try and prove that he was a superior animal on any surface.

On October 8th his owners wanted to prove just that. He was entered in the Grade I Man o’ War. Sound familiar? It sure does, although back in 1973, before the days of the Breeders Cup it was held in the fall. Secretariat broke running and led all the way around the mile and a half race winning easily by five widening lengths. He set a track record and almost ran the same time over the turf as he did for his Belmont Stakes.

Secretariat started one more time twenty days later on another turf course. He won the Canadian International by 61/2 length. He had nothing left to prove and was far too valuable as a sire to keep on the racetrack. Still it is interesting to think of what he would have done as a four year old, and the fights he would have had with a maturing Forego.

Today we have a four year old that brings back memories of Big Red, and has since the first time he set foot on the racetrack. Curlin did not run as a two year old, so the lack of seasoning may have been too much for him to overcome Derby day. Curlin, is a horse, that like Big Red, can be beaten, but it doesn’t happen too often and when it does you can count on him to round out your trifectas. He has never finished out of the money, and has gotten better with age.

Last year at three, he rolled off three wins before finishing third in a traffic field Derby. He fought it out down the stretch and took the Preakness. He missed the Belmont by his head to the super filly, and then ran a dull third in the Haskell. He has not lost since and has run all over the place.

He is physically imposing, almost as much as the king. They have the same white blaze, and they both have/had beautiful chestnut coats. Secretariat had a redder hue, giving him the nickname Big Red. They both can make defeating top horses look easy. Maybe they can both run on any surface. We will find out in another thrilling Man o’ War this weekend, a race named after another dazzling, unforgettable chestnut.

Forget about those other owners of Curlin- you know, the ones that are tied up in the courts, and turning the story of Curlin into a sour one for some.

Jess Jackson owns 80% of Curlin and is a class act. He has recently stated that his horses will race steroid free, or his trainers will risk losing their jobs. Curlin ran last year on anabolic steroids, as his trainer is certainly not above drugging his horses. This entire year Curlin is free of the drug and looking better than ever (due largely in part to Dubai’s strict anti- drug rules).

IEAH also has stepped up to the plate to speak out against steroid use. Of course, a few months back when their brown monster was wiping the floor with the three year old division, they did not mind steroid use.

But, better late than never, I suppose. We will now get to see the real Big Brown in the Haskell, just as we have been seeing the real Curlin this year.

It is time for more owners to get on board the new anti-drug movement. Now if racing can begin to hold owners as accountable as trainers, and maybe even shelve drug-positive horses for a few months racing may, indeed, right itself.

Thoroughbred racing as a whole can shoulder the blame for drug use. The fact that they have no governing body, and states vary in what is legal or not, has led to most states turning a blind eye and legalizing practically everything you can think of. Back in the day lasix was not legal everywhere, and Alysheba was not able to race on it in the Belmont Stakes. He raced on it in the first two legs of the Triple Crown but did not fire Belmont day. Some trainers started to avoid certain states, and places like Belmont, were not going to risk not having the biggest stars on the biggest days. So, sadly they joined the anything goes club. Now almost every horse runs on lasix and it isn’t because they all have bleeding issues. It makes them faster, and everyone wants a piece of that.

Easy Goer could not race on bute in Kentucky in 1989, and he was not himself in his two starts there. Today bute is allowed there. A governing body across state lines would ensure that the same horse shows up in Kentucky, Pimlico and Belmont.

Drugging horses began when certain trainers started cleaning up a little more than other trainers. Hall of Famer, Max Hirsch was supposedly a pharmaceutical master, and many of his horses, coincidentally wound up sterile, maybe as a result. Owners, of course, wanted to go with the winning trainers, and would dump the good old boys who were eking out an honest living. A decent win percent used to be in the 15% range. Now it is double that. Trainers don’t stand a chance unless they level the playing field, and even the ones who don’t want to drug their horses, have to in order to pay their bills.

Heck, most owners don’t mind. The only ones who are suffering are the horses, and they won’t tell. Unless, of course they fall in front of millions of viewers on racing’s biggest day of the year. That will get Congress’ attention, and that could prove to be a very bad thing for a struggling sport. A sport that needs simulcasting more than horse racing, does not exist, and that is was Congress has the power to take away. If it suspends off track betting, there are simply not enough people at the track to ensure that tracks will stay open, perhaps another byproduct of seeing a horse drop to its nose after breaking both front ankles.

Make no mistake about it, Curlin is back, and looks to be very hard to beat for Horse of the Year. He didn’t miss a beat yesterday and easily pulled past the field. Turf star, Einstein got up for second on class alone. He ran very well, and obviously can run on anything, but still is no match for the monster. Maybe no one is this year.

Assumusen’s other charge, Pyro dominated his field as well, and is back to the Pyro we grew to love early on in the Triple Crown trail. My Pal Charlie (always consistent) finished second there with Visionaire getting up for third. Visionaire doesn’t like to lead them home, but never leave him off of an exotic ticket.

Hystericalady, Ginger Punch and Dreaming of Anna all won as well making the ladies division a very tough one to rate. There are so many tough, classy females out there this year and at the moment they are all chasing Zenyatta.

Unbridled Belle won her comeback stakes race yesterday also. She may once again come back to challenge the top girls later in the year.

The pick six was a handicapper’s nightmare yesterday, but for the fan, it was a dream. The favorites proved why they are favorites, and why some of them are deserving champions. To have them still racing (since most of them are four or five), is a nice change of pace. Last year the best older male was Lawyer Ron (a second string Triple Crown horse at best), and this year we still have the Horse of the Year around. We also have a Champion two year old filly from two years ago still in top form, and last year’s Older Mare Champion. It is almost too good to be true. Their connections deserve praise and many thanks for showing us again how good the Sport of Kings used to be, and still can be again.

The action doesn’t stop now that the Triple Crown is over, and the stage is set for an eventful weekend. Dreaming of Anna returns and figures to be hard to beat in the Mint Julip. Pyro, Visionaire, and Recapturetheglory are in a softer spot than they were six weeks ago, and are seeking a return to top form. Two Step Salsa will try his luck around two turns. Hystericalady is back. Ginger Punch, Champion older filly last year will run in the Phipps Handicap, and of course reigning king Curlin will show up in the Foster.

Now that there is no Triple Crown winner, the year is actually more interesting. Horse of the Year is back on the table, and they will all be chasing Curlin to earn that trophy. It is very hard for any horse to unseat a Crown winner for the top honors. In 1978 Seattle Slew soundly defeated Affirmed twice, and still lost year end honors to him. Voters feel very strongly that Triple Crown winners deserve Horse of the Year.

Turf star Einstein will tussle with Curlin on dirt, as will Grasshopper and Brass Hat. It should be a good race for the champ, and his return to US soil is long overdue.

Whether the favorites will prevail today or turn in a Big Brown performance is anyone’s guess, but for Big Brown to join the trophy hunt, he must come back to the track and make us forget his Belmont performance- or lack there of. He must also defeat Curlin, or Curlin has to fail miserably in his remaining starts this year, and Big Brown has to excel. For now my money is on Curlin retaining his form and having a decisive victory in the Stephen Foster.

The road to the Breeders Cup has begun, but the fact that it is on synthetic makes it somewhat less interesting. The last thing anyone wants is to see some synthetic specialist defeat the likes of Curlin. Curlin has proven that he can handle a variety of tracks, but a horse that runs and trains primarily on synthetics would have to hold an advantage over him. There is a reason Lava Man (while being one of the greatest claims in history) only wins out there. No category honors should be decided out there.

Speaking of voting categories, Ocean Colors, a filly out of Winning Colors won her first start in convincing fashion, and brought back memories of her mama in doing it. She looks like her, and is just as fast and lovely. Expect big things from her on the two year old filly scene.

by: Elizabeth Rancani

What seemed a foregone conclusion, turned out to be anything but once again in the Belmont Stakes. For the eleventh time in thirty years, a horse looked poised to take racing’s greatest honor, but there is a reason the Belmont is the Test of a Champion. It is a mile and a half and a lot can go wrong. It is a puzzlement what went wrong on Saturday.

Big Brown looked miles better on paper, but as stated often, the Belmont Stakes is not run on paper. He lunged out of the gate ready to go. He was so keyed up early in the race, that he almost ran right into Da’Tara. He ran third most of the way, until he was asked for some speed, and then nothing.

Kent Desormeaux knows his horse, and knew he had nothing more to give. Big Brown was eased and became the first Triple Crown hopeful to finish dead last, a wise decision since he was riding a fifty million dollar animal. To push him into a breakdown, would not do anyone any good, least of all the racing industry, still reeling from the death of Eight Belles.

Was it the quarter crack? Maybe, but Big Brown’s connections were not sending a lame horse into the Belmont. It would make little financial sense, and that is after all, what IEAH is all about.

Was it the steroid that for once in his career Big Brown was racing without? Maybe Winstrol made Big Brown lengths better than his opponents. It certainly works that way in humans.

Hopefully it is nothing more serious, and we will either see Big Brown come back to contest the Travers, or we will see him shipped off to the barn. Either way, his moment in the sun is over.

Big Brown’s loss is more proof that there are indeed, racing gods. A horse that may run six times in his whole career hardly bares mentioning in the same breathe as Affirmed. And, like Bud Delp before him, Dutrow should realize that there are no foregone conclusions in racing. Any horse can get beat on any given day. Thoroughbred racing also should not get a free pass on the death of Eight Belles. If Big Brown were to win the crown, the shock of her death would surely be replaced by jubilation. Thoroughbred racing does not deserve that, and without the hero it so desperately needs, it will have to make some changes to rectify the sport. One change is going to be the banning of all steroids, a ban that is long overdue, and is, in fact, on the way.

The humble Zito is a feel good story in itself, and it is nice to see him net a Classic win after his early Derby favorite, War Pass went out this year with an injury. Nick Zito deserves credit for even entering Da’ Tara. Zito obviously knows what he is doing, and spoils yet another Triple Crown, although today the feeling was quite different than when he spoiled media darling Smarty Jones’ Triple Crown.

Zito also deserves credit for choosing Julien Leparoux to ride Anak Nakal and for believing that Anak was a horse on the improve. Leparoux was bumped from Macho Again after finishing second in the Preakness in favor of Garret Gomez. Macho Again ran fifth, and Anak Nakal finished third. A little good kharma, indeed.

Denis of Cork ran another good race, and should have a very good year ahead of him. It will be interesting to see him hook up with Da’ Tara again, and maybe even Big Brown. Of course, Big Brown’s days of racing may be over, and if that is the case, later babe. It was fun while it lasted.