Best Quote I’ve Heard in a While
Trainer Steve Asmussen on Curlin,
“I never knew one of him existed.”
Was Big Brown’s Haskell Curlin’s Man O’ War?
When Curlin finished a game second to Red Rocks in the Man O’ War Stakes (G1), it rasied more questions than it answered. Had Curlin run the field off their feet or finished up the track himself, the next steps would be crystal clear. A big win would have sent him to France for the Arc, and a big loss would have sent him back to the dirt where he is clearly the best horse in the world. But, what do you do with second? Granted, it was a game second and he ran it in race horse time, but still….
Big Brown, Brother Derek, and Misc.
I have had two very vivid dreams about the upcoming Haskell Stakes. They both involve Big Brown and neither one was very good. In one dream he was involved in a multiple horse spill at the top of the strech, and in the other he ran just like he did didn’t in the Belmont. Actually, I think he will run big and we will never fully understand his Belmont failure. We’ll find out on Sunday.
Speaking of Big Brown, I saw Kent Desormeaux at Churchill Downs as he was walking to the paddock for the race immediately following the Stephen Foster. I said, “Hey Kent! Thanks for the memories. Nice job!” I meant it, really. After he walked by, though, I was afraid that he might have thought I was being sarcastic. I hope not. I think Kent is a good guy.
I see the headlines around about the retirement of Brother Derek. I know he is a multiple stakes winner, but I have never been impressed by him. While watching a replay of the 2006 Kentucky Derby (Gr 1), I was reminded that immediately after showing Barbaro’s trainer Michael Matz, NBC showed Brother Derek’s trainer Dan Hendricks. Was Brother Derek really considered a big treat to win the Derby? I had written him off and apparently wiped him from my memory as well.
I also see that Jeremy Rose’s suspension has been reduced from 180 days to 90 days. Apparently the officials bought his story that he was trying to hit the filly on the shoulder and accidentally hit her in the eye. Have these people ever actually SEEN a horse? There is a lot of real estate on a horse between its shoulder and its eye. Oh, and he did it TWICE? Yeah, an accident.