2008 Triple Crown Archive

Please understand that as time goes on some links might become inactive. We have no control over that.

They are listed in chronological order by day/date as they appeared in their various publications with the latest being at the top of the list.

Triple Crown history:
Winners...
Near-misses... Winners of 2-legs

Derby Trail map 1990-2007

Belmont:

Friday 6/13:

>>> Powell: A dozen factors "culminated in an undefeated horse being ignominiously eased to a trot with a quarter-mile to run."
>>> Finley: "The Kent bashers have lost their minds, and they should be institutionalized."
>>> Daley: Is there anyone left in America who hasn't criticized Kent Desormeaux's ride?
>>> Jock-blame: Often the typical reaction when a big fave goes down to defeat... Donna Brothers, "I always say that if you win, the horse gets 90 percent of the credit and the jockey gets 10 percent. If you lose, you can just flip those numbers."
Wilson: "Big Brown just wasn't good enough..."
>>> AUDIO: Venerable racing personality John Nerud commenting on Big Brown's defeat -- from 'At the Races' with Steve Byk earlier this week [interview approx halfway through Hour 1]... "This horse was very rank and that's because he hadn't been doing anything... He was very fresh. To run the Belmont you should have long gallops... so he can get the mile and a half."
>>> Plonk: Post-Belmont thoughts
>>> Transcript: Bloodhorse online post-Belmont chat with Steve Haskin

>>> Kent Desormeaux says starter on track rattled Big Brown... Starter, "I really don't want to talk about this."

Also mentioned in Dick Powell's Friday column and Steve Haskin's online chat:

Powell: Possible factor in the defeat was "the swerve to the outside that might have been caused by the starter standing six feet inside the rail on the track."
Haskin, "I saw a photo taken from the gate out, and he sure looked distracting to me."
>>> VIDEO: Starter

Powell: "What I couldn't get out of my mind was that a few years ago, Hall of Fame trainer D Wayne Lukas sat at the National Museum of Racing and said that half of the two-year-olds that he led over at Saratoga had no shot at winning since they melted down in the detention barn. Now, the [ESPN Belmont Stakes day] viewers were able to see what he was talking about first hand."
Haskin, "He got too wound up and it continued all the way to race day in the holding barn and on the track."
>>> VIDEO: Detention barn

>>> Today's funny: Big Brown's meltdown explained!
>>> Stewards, Desormeaux pow-wow on Wednesday... Stew, "He acted in the best interest of the horse."
>>> And Desormeaux also pow-wow'd with Dutrow, "We had a good conversation. We're back on the same page."
>>> Iavarone: "I don't understand why Kent took him up... I think a lot of people thought the worst, and they didn't need to."
>>> Haskin's Belmont Wrap: Why down on Brown?
>>> Triple Crown fizzle won't necessarily affect Brown's stud value
>>> Moss: It looks to me that after being yanked around by Kent Desormeaux in the early stages of the Belmont, Big Brown simply decided to say, "The hell with it."
>>> Scully: Dutrow's no team player. It's one thing to be a cocky winner and a gracious loser -- one can respect that

Wednesday 6/11:

>>> Big Brown's defeat: Gary Stevens on the contact with Anak Nakal, "It could have knocked the wind out of him."... And Steve Cauthen, "If that's what stopped him, he's a big (wimp)."
>>> Among trainers, Big Brown's jockey gets blame
>>> More and more people are agreeing that it was the ride
>>> Dutrow, Desormeaux pow-wow slated
VIDEO: Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo: Big Brown -- "This horse was awful!"
>>> NY Times:
Iavarone, "As far as I am concerned, there will be no changes [of jockey]."
Dutrow, "If it were up to me, I would seriously consider it. But Kent was never my pick to begin with. That was Mike Iavarone's move. My pick was always Edgar Prado. Edgar's my man."
Plus, Dutrow says the colt will get another dose of Winstrol on Sunday

>>> Anachronism? A dying sport?... Belmont Stakes result gets front page treatment from Hawaii to Maine, Texas to Wisconsin -- including major newspapers such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune and San Francisco Chronicle
>>> Beyer: "There is probably not a simple explanation for Big Brown's loss, but part of it surely involves the hoof injury and the way Dutrow trained his colt..."
>>> Trainer Billy Turner critical of Desormeaux's ride, and Big Brown's pre-Belmont training regimen
>>> Liebman: "Only the return of 'Sidewalks [of New York]' can end the curse surrounding the Triple Crown."

Tuesday 6/10:

>>> Continued observation of Big Brown yields no physical problems
>>> Haskin's Belmont recap: "The Belmont Stakes once again had rudely shut the door on immortality."
>>> Christine: Zito's Belmont win "reminded me of [DW] Lukas' modus operandi: Keep throwing horses at the opposition until one of them sticks."
>>> Q&A with Kent Desormeaux: "I was hoping for a nice, clean, pure break and I didn't get that."
>>> LA Times: Upsets happen... There doesn't have to be a dark reason for Big Brown's failure
>>> Former vet: Lack of steroids did not appear to be the reason Big Brown tanked the Belmont
>>> Big Brown arrives at AQU
>>> Layden: Some of the questions, and some possible answers...
>>> Matthews: Finger-pointing at Desormeaux, "This was all Dutrow's way of saying, 'Don't blame the trainer.'"
>>> Jerardi: Why Big Brown came up so small

>>> VIDEO: Blogger records staggeringly long bathroom lines at Belmont on Saturday in face of water snafu
>>> Meanwhile, this blogger found water situation disappointing, but overall NYRA staff was "helpful, polite, and cool-headed."

Pile-on!
>>> Hunnell/Ohio: My beef is with Rick Dutrow Jr, the big-mouthed trainer of Big Brown...
>>> Forde: How now does it feel to be the freshly humbled fool of thoroughbred racing?
>>> Bozich: "A bad ride couldn't beat your horse, Babe. At least that's what you told us all week. It was over. Done deal."
>>> Clay: What does the boastful Rick Dutrow have to say now?

>>> Hmmm: Big Brown deal -- $50mil... or $5mil?!? Moran writes: "A knowledgeable source in Lexington claims that Three Chimneys Farm, where Big Brown will stand at stud, purchased a 10 percent interest for $5 million, which may have technically established his total worth at $50 million but like all things IEAH, is not what it seems."
>>> Belmont TV ratings take significant jump... tops this year's Derby and Preakness
>>> List: Belmont Stakes draws more weekend TV viewers than NBA, NASCAR, or tennis
>>> UK: Three million watch Epsom Derby on TV... BBC rep, "We are very pleased."
>>> It's the 'Traveling Wilburys' of racehorse syndicates!... Lukas, Baffert, Zito team up to help manage a venture capital fund that plans to raise $75 million to buy racehorses
>>> DRF: Dutrow questions Desormeaux's ride, "I just feel like something's not right. I know it's not the combination that our stable has with the horse, me, [exercise rider] Michelle [Nevin], the groom. I know he went into this race unbelievable, so the rest Kent's got to answer."
>>> Gary Stevens blames Desormeaux for Belmont flop, "It's the first time I have wanted to have had my boots on since I retired."
>>> Owner Iavarone thinks it was the track -- might opt to head to Jersey for the Haskell, "I know we'd get favorable conditions on a track that is more to our liking."
>>> Layden: Recent history suggests that Big Brown will disappear as swiftly as he emerged... given the outcome of the Belmont, future racing would seem problematic and financially pointless
>>> Celizic: Horse racing once was a major sport, but now it's like gymnastics or table tennis or figure skating...
>>> The money-side of a missed Triple Crown: Companies that were lined up to license the 'Big Brown' name/image
>>> UPS gets marketing boost from Big Brown deal
>>> Crist: Step One -- Remove tin-foil hat...

Monday 6/9:

>>> Canadian comment: Maybe Big Brown's Triple Crown wasn't such a disaster after all... Maybe those who run the sport will finally stop running it into the ground
>>> Veitch comment: Medication, breeding and early retirement... "If this sport/industry takes a serious reformist look at these issues, it has a good future."
>>> Bortstein: Racing moves merrily on despite Big Brown's loss. In fact, racing might even be stronger as a result
>>> Veitch comment: Leave the Triple Crown series alone... "Racing leaders have to demand a bigger emphasis on stamina breeding and racing, as opposed to cheapening the accomplishments of past champions."
>>> NY Times: Before the race, Zito declined to say if his two horses in the Belmont would be on steroids. On Sunday, he also declined to say if his horses had received steroids
>>> Big Brown still set for Travers, "Unless something shows up, we're going to maintain his regular training schedule."
>>> Belmont water outage not a factor on track surface according to track super, "I called [racing secretary] PJ Campo and said, 'Get the water on and get it on now.' I said, 'If we have a choice -- dirty toilets or a fast track -- we'll take the fast track. We were ready to go over to the county to fill up [the trucks] at a fire plug, but we never had to do it."
>>> Fountaine: Big Brown spooked out of the gate?
>>> Kerrison: Desormeaux taking heat for Belmont ride
>>> Newsday: Desormeaux did horse racing a big favor
>>> Triple what?... Sportswriter describes mostly indifference to Belmont telecast in Ohio soccer stadium pressbox
>>> Massachusetts sportswriter on Triple Crown bid and flop: "Didn't care before, won't pretend to care now."
>>> From the "It's the same all over" Dept: Debate begins on whether English Derby winner will race as a 4YO
>>> Photo: Owner Iavarone hugs Big Brown after defeat
>>> Iavarone explains photo: "I love this horse... And I wanted him to know he can run dead last and he can run first and we would still love him. I just wanted him to know."
>>> Ontario comment: Dutrow "earned the Triple Crown for boorishness, boneheadedness and bombasticity."
>>> After stunning Belmont loss, no one's happy in Big Brown barn
>>> Ziegel: Plenty of blame to spread around in Big Brown's Belmont flop

Sunday 6/8:

>>> Belmont Stakes results: 38-1 Da'Tara upsets G1 $1mil race [video replay link included]
>>> Chart/payoffs
>>> 2008 Belmont Stakes Day attendance/handle numbers
>>> Iavarone on Sunday: "The track might have been too deep for him."
>>> Zito graphic: Big race victories

>>> NTRA prez: "The legacy of Big Brown will be a consensus in this sport that it's time to end the use of steroids, to ban its use in horse racing for good."
>>> Hawaii comment on ABC-TV coverage: "Can we at least see the horse that won get some attention? I feel like Da' Tara was robbed of his 15 minutes of fame because there was so much focus on Big Brown."
>>> ...NY Times' TV Sports columnist agrees: "Shaquille O'Neal got more face time than Big Brown's rivals."
>>> Jenkins: "It was no great tragedy that Big Brown's owner and trainer were disappointed in their quest... the people attached to the horse were irretrievably crummy."
>>> Seattle Slew owner, "When you start comparing [Big Brown] to Seattle Slew, that's like comparing a cherry to a watermelon."
>>> Belmont Stakes Day comment: "The day had just the right touch of theater of the bizarre and cross-cultural appeal to get non-horse people talking about horse racing."
>>> Matthews: The defeat of Big Brown reminds us of what drew us to the racetrack in the first place: the uncertainty and the seemingly limitless possibilities
>>> 'Jockey' Shaquille O'Neal on-track at Belmont on Saturday
>>> Former vet explains horse and hot weather
>>> And more from the frustratingly ignorant coverage of racing by 'mainstream' sports writers during the Triple Crown: "Maybe we'll learn that Big Brown, who raced in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (but not at Belmont Park) on a drug that kept his lungs from bleeding, couldn't breathe without it." [Note to writer: Big Brown ran on Lasix in the Belmont]
>>> Casino Drive possible for BC Classic
>>> Girls vs boys debate?... Filly takes G1 Queensland Derby [2400m/approx 1.5mi] in Australia on Saturday -- and, oh yeah, she won the Oaks seven days before!
>>> Desormeaux numb after defeat: "A little lost. Just feeling no emotion whatsoever. Blank."
>>> Desormeaux: "Any time I get beat by less than a length, I think there's absolutely something I could have done different, and that one (Real Quiet) just ate me up. This will never eat me up. I'll be quite proud knowing... I thought in this horse's best interest (to pull him up)."
>>> Desormeaux: "Life throws curves. Some of us hit it, and some of us will sulk around. We've continued to hit the curveball."
>>> NY Daily News' live blog from Belmont Stakes Day: 3:43 p.m.: We approached Dutrow before the race in his box near the finish line. "Would you please let me hang out by myself? Please?" he snapped. No problem, Rick. Geez
>>> Ziegel: Post-race, "now that we needed an explanation, something, the trainer who didn't duck a question in the weeks preceding the race had nothing to offer."
>>> Gleason: Now instead of answers, Dutrow had something else. He had his comeuppance
>>> Philly Inquirer: The loquacious Dutrow should feel about three inches tall today
>>> Wash Times: "Hey, UPS, what did Big Brown do for you yesterday?"
>>> Dwyre: One minute, racing had a star. The next, somewhere in the final turn of the $1-million Belmont Stakes, it had Roberto Duran... "No mas."
>>> Brunker: On the third floor of the grandstand, fans appeared disoriented, as if they had just awoken from a deep sleep. Some had tears in their eyes
>>> Desormeaux, "I was talking in the jockey room and I can't fathom what kind of freaks those 11 Triple Crown winners were."
>>> Dutrow stung by Big Brown's Belmont defeat, "So far I can't see a problem."
>>> Three Chimneys prez, "He's a great horse. It just wasn't his day today."
>>> Boling: It might take more study before deciding Big Brown lost because he got off the juice
>>> Evangeline Downs jock, "I thought that first turn messed him up, when they checked him like that."

Belmont Stakes photo galleries:
>>> NY Times
>>> Seattle Times
>>> USA Today
>>> NY Daily News/1
>>> NY Daily News/2

Other venues... Fans -- and reporters -- turn out across the country to take in the Triple Crown bid:
>>> Churchill Downs: Several U of Louisville students had bet $1 superfectas and had bet Big Brown to finish first and put every other horse in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th spots. The tickets cost $336 each
>>> Fans flock to Keeneland to see history, leave disappointed
>>> Golden Gate: "You just heard the whole place go, 'Ehhhh,' just a collective sigh."
>>> Pimlico: "Everyone's here to see a Triple Crown."
>>> NoCal simulcast facility: "We expected it would be a big crowd because Big Brown won the first two races."
>>> Calder: "Of course, you are disappointed to see [Big Brown] lose, but what can you do?"
>>> Estimated 2000 attend simulcast at Gulfstream
>>> Turf Paradise: "I'm disappointed Big Brown didn't win."
>>> Remington Park: 9YO fan disappointed, "I love animals, and Big Brown is so cool."
>>> Florida dog track: 3300 attend, "I'm a little disappointed. But now, I think, we'll get to see him race again"
>>> Extra bus needed to take upstate NY'ers to Belmont

Saturday 6/7:

>>> NY Post's 'Bettor's Guide' with comments and all pertinent stats for all entrants

>>> Odds: Belmont Stakes after Fri's wagering close... And Brooklyn/Belmont double will-pays

Selections:

>>> Merrow/equidaily.com: Tale of Ekati, Denis of Cork, Big Brown, Ready's Echo, Anak Nakal
>>> Brunker/MSNBC.com: I see Big Brown leading Casino Drive by two lengths, with Denis of Cork and Tale of Ekati fighting it out for third
>>> Telias/Sporting News: Casino Drive, Denis of Cork, Ready's Echo, Big Brown
>>> Cronley/ESPN.com: 1. Big Brown, 2. Tale of Ekati, 3. Casino Drive, 4. Icabad Crane
>>> Kling/Troy Record [NY]: 1) Big Brown, 2) Casino Drive, 3) Denis of Cork, 4) Icabad Crane
>>> Brownell/Post-Star [NY]: First: Big Brown, Second: Casino Drive, Third: Denis of Cork, Fourth: Ready's Echo
>>> O'Donnell/Chicago Sun-Times: Tale of Ekati, Big Brown, Anak Nakal, Denis of Cork
>>> Raimonto/Staten Island Advance: Big Brown, Casino Drive, Tale of Ekati, Guadalcanal
>>> Kaplan/Sun Herald [Miss]: My Belmont bet: exactas with Big Brown on top of Casino Drive and Denis Of Cork
>>> O'Halloran/Wash Times: 1. Big Brown, 2. Denis of Cork, 3. Macho Again
>>> NY Post: Staff selections
>>> Star-Ledger [NJ]: Staff selections
>>> Tilton/News Herald [Ohio]: WIN - Big Brown, PLACE - Denis of Cork, SHOW - Icabad Crane
>>> Crist/DRF: A six-horse $1 triple box using Macho Again, Denis of Cork, Tale of Ekati, Anak Nakal, Ready's Echo and Icabad Crane
>>> Donnelly/Philly Inquirer: Big Brown, Casino Drive, Tale of Ekati, Macho Again, Denis of Cork
>>> Pricci/Horseraceinsider.com: Most Probable Winner: Big Brown, Most Likely Upsetter: Casino Drive, Best Projected Money Finisher: Denis Of Cork, Best Value Play: Tale Of Ekati
>>> Eng/Las Vegas Review-Journal: The way I'll bet the Belmont will be to key Big Brown to win and Casino Drive for second, with Macho Again, Denis of Cork and Tale of Ekati for third and fourth in a superfecta. I'll also...
>>> Byk/Sirius satellite radio: Most Likely: #1 Big Brown 2-5, Best Value: #4 Denis of Cork 12-1, Next Best: #7 Tale of Ekati 20-1, Exotics Add: #10 Icabad Crane 20-1
>>> Powell/BRIS: My betting strategy will be Ready's Echo to win and place and...
>>> Rippey/Star-Ledger: Big Brown, Denis of Cork, Macho Again, Casino Drive
>>> USA Today: List of top picks of various writers from around the country [list at bottom of article]
>>> Nuzzo/My Airy News: WIN: Big Brown; PLACE: Denis of Cork; SHOW: Tale of Ekati or Macho Again
>>> Agriss/Sports Network: Big Brown, Icabad Crane, Macho Again

Saturday news:

>>> Beyer: Big Brown "is so superior in this field that he is unlikely to be beaten."
>>> Foot work on Friday for both Big Brown and Casino Drive
>>> Seattle Slew owners rooting against Big Brown, "I'll be cheering Casino Drive, the great grandson of Slew. Blood is thicker than glory."
>>> Casino Drive has bruised hoof, but is still on track for Belmont
>>> Photo: Media throng watching Big Brown gets hosed down on Friday
>>> Photo: Big Brown on-track Fri morning
>>> Crawford: Humans fade, horses endure in racing lore
>>> NY Post's daily Dutrow diary: "It's like Frankel told me yesterday morning, this horse is blessed. Someone is looking over him, and I really believe that."
>>> Dutrow/Friday: "Anybody that's going to try to beat him, they're going to have to run the race of their life, or something you've never seen out of them before."
>>> Brown's exercise rider, "He's already, like, a step away from talking. His facial expressions are so clear, you know exactly what he wants."
>>> Retired Catholic priest heading to Belmont to root for namesake: Denis of Cork... "Can you imagine the Sunday sermon if he wins?"
>>> Big Brown's trainer confident, but his words shouldn't be seen as trash talk
>>> AUDIO: NPR's 'Morning Edition' talks with Bloodhorse's Steve Haskin about weekend's Triple Crown try
>>> Plonk's latest 'Countdown to the Crown' notes
>>> ESPN's Randy Moss: "Whether it's the pessimist in me or the cynic, if Big Brown wins the Triple Crown, I'd be surprised if he ever runs again."
>>> West: A Big Brown victory could be the best thing to happen to racing in many years... in its embarrassment, horse racing will move to ban anabolic steroids
>>> Bossert: "Just remember one thing: If Big Brown wins the Belmont, he deserves everyone's adulation."
>>> Fornatale: "I'd rather see Big Brown lose."
>>> AUDIO: NPR's 'All Things Considered' looks at current state of breeding side of the industry in light of Eight Belles fatality
>>> Interesting: Seattle columnist looks back at the times of last Triple Crown winner... "June 10: A crowd of 16,891 piles into Longacres racetrack on Boeing Day to watch Little Joker hold off Crafty Native in the feature race. Patrons can't watch and wager on the Belmont -- simulcasting wasn't introduced until 1981."
>>> ebay'ers capitalizing on Triple Crown bid
>>> Triple Crown TV coverage: ABC vs NBC... Tale of the tape
>>> Hooters jock-pants ad gets nixed
>>> Triple Crown glow: Line waiting at door of CT OTB to bet Belmont Stakes
>>> ...And Pennsylvania wagering sites bracing for a big Saturday
>>> Smaller venues hope Triple Crown provides a boost... Arapahoe Park VP, "Maybe it will increase our attendance and people will give us another try."
>>> Super-fan: Husband sending wife and son ahead to vacation destination while he attends Belmont Stakes alone... Wife, "I knew when I married him that this was something he was passionate about."

Friday 6/6:

>>> Casino Drive could miss Belmont with hind leg issue
>>> Suffolk Downs offers conditional purse boost to $5 mil if both Big Brown and Curlin show up for Sept 20 Mass Cap
>>> New York Curlin/Brown match-up? NYRA prez, " If we get through [the Belmont], we'd like to approach both connections to create an event around the Jockey Club Gold Cup."
>>> Cot Campbell: "I love the horse Big Brown. But I do not love the package that Big Brown comes in, nor the blueprint for his future."
>>> USA Today: The breeding debate -- Born to run, or sell?
>>> Izenberg: "The breeding industry, without which there could be no racing, is, ironically, its own worst enemy."
>>> What?!? Horse races on a horse racing telecast? Absurd!!!... ESPN, ABC might opt to ignore both G2 Stephens and G1 Manhattan on Belmont undercard despite seven hours of live coverage
>>> Balt Sun: Good competition would benefit Big Brown's legacy
>>> Beyer ranks the eleven TC winners
>>> Seeds of Big Brown's greatness planted in Ocala... Learned the basics at Eddie Woods Stables
>>> Ross: In 1978, Alydar was my banana. And me, I was his monkey
>>> AUDIO/slideshow: Tom Durkin talks about calling Triple Crown races and potential of a sweep-call
>>> Philly Inquirer: "The question about [Dutrow] isn't whether he is a kind of scoundrel, but what kind of scoundrel is he? And how much has he reformed?"
>>> ABC News: Despite losing sight, Desormeaux's son cheers on Big Brown
>>> Big Brown set for five-star life once racing career ends

Thursday 6/5:

>>> Clay: Will ABC be ready? Belmont telecast needs to improve over last two years
>>> Big merchandising: "I want every kid in America to be able to walk into a Wal-Mart and buy a Big Brown shirt or a Big Brown Beanie Babie."
>>> Hooters hops onboard Big Brown... Logo will adorn jock's pants
>>> Beyer: "If Big Brown sweeps the Triple Crown... the only admirable figure in the Belmont winner's circle will be Big Brown."
>>> Comment: Is Dutrow good for horse racing? Purists will say no. They're wrong
>>> Author claims she's "in a better position than most to recognize a sport that's hanging on by its fingernails."
>>> Vecsey: Triple Crown drought? "It took the Boston Red Sox 86 years to win another championship. What's 30 years among friends?"
>>> Sports destinations: Belmont -- Track seeks broader appeal
>>> VIDEO: Billy Cyrstal makes a surprise appearance on Tuesday's 'Late Night with David Letterman' accompanied by... Big Brown?!?
>>> Thornton: 2-5 fave in Belmont -- "But Big Brown's odds of outrunning his trainer's reputation as a reckless, win-at-all-costs rule breaker are far longer than that."
>>> NY Times: No steroids for Brown since April
>>> Connecticut comment: "We question everything now. Well, there's no need to question Big Brown. He's juiced."
>>> Wash Post: Belmont is 2nd chance for Denis of Cork
>>> NY Post's daily Dutrow diary/Thurs: "You've got to deal with the monitoring barn here, where the horses have to stay all day before the race. It's absolutely a non-issue for our horse, but I can guarantee you, there's going to be some horse in the Belmont that isn't going to like what's happening in there."
>>> Maiden Guadalcanal looks for first win in Belmont Stakes
>>> White: Ten questions regarding this Saturday’s Belmont Stakes...

Wednesday 6/4:

Tuesday 6/3:

>>> NY Times: James Tagliaferri -- the money man behind IEAH... "We exploded when Jim gave us the money to grow."
>>> Eight Belles to be buried at Ky Derby Museum
>>> History: Citation dominated in different era of horse racing
>>> NY times editorial frowns on steroids in racing
>>> From the archives: Red Smith's Mar '78 column profiling Alydar
>>> Dwyre: Still, nothing like Affirmed-Alydar's Triple Crown duel
>>> Desormeaux to address UPS drivers before they hit the streets on Wed
>>> By the numbers: Big Brown's breeders depends on math, "Big Brown is the definition of applied statistics."
>>> Doh! Big Brown's sire is retired... It's kind of like hitting the lottery and discovering you lost the ticket
>>> Big Brown worked 5F on Tues
>>> NYRA pegs Belmont Stakes field at nine
>>> Belmont Stakes field might be larger than any Triple Crown champion has had to overcome
>>> Len Friedman of the Ragozin Sheets, "I'd say [Big Brown]'s about 50-50 to win, which means he'll be one of the big underlays of all time."
>>> Steve Crist: "I have seen so many horses in this spot who have failed to go on and do it, I couldn't back [Big Brown] at a short price."
>>> Ross: Dutrow's brashness? "Some call it arrogance. I call it confidence."
>>> NY Post's daily Dutrow diary/Tues: "He's showing us in his morning gallops he's ready to do something. It's time."
>>> Better Than Honour -- Among broodmares, she's the mother of them all
>>> Fans like Big Brown -- not so sure about the connections... Dutrow, "Why people do not like me is not important to me. I got enough people that like me out there, too, you know."
>>> Christine looks back at connections of recent TC near-misses... "Too bad none of [Pegram's or Lewis'] horses made it in the Belmont. Both of them would have worn the Triple Crown nobly."
>>> TC winner would take Baffert off of reporters seasonal speed-dail, "If Big Brown wins, now during this time of year they won't be calling me anymore."
>>> Plonk: There's simply no feel-good story for me surrounding Big Brown, just manufactured manure from the publicity machine
>>> Zito sees similarities between Anak Nakal, Birdstone

Monday 6/2:

>>> Bossert: Where's the buzz?!? "To infuse interest in the sport, more has to be done."
>>> West: Horse racing needs to restore credibility
>>> Prof of Economics at Clemson [and self-confessed racing fan] says, "Somehow, horse racing has failed to hitch a ride on the nation's gambling wave, one of the dominant economic trends of the last 30 years... But the biggest problem facing the sport is its backward economics..."
>>> Denver Post: Whether or not you like horse racing, anybody with an appreciation of the history of sports will tune in to the Belmont
>>> Balt Sun: Smarty Jones' Belmont defeat sticks with trainer, "I still do replay it [the Belmont] in my mind, especially this time of year."
>>> Stud career: Big Brown will make a lifestyle adjustment at Three Chimneys Farm after his racing is done

>>> Desormeaux throws out first pitch at Shea
>>> Photo: Desormeaux on the mound at Shea on Sunday night

>>> From the archives: Red Smith's 1977 Belmont Stakes recap
>>> From the archives: Russ Harris' 1978 Belmont recap
>>> History: Secretariat is still the standard

>>> Iavarone: Hub-bub surrounding Big Brown includes request for horse to visit Disney World, talk of a NYC ticker tape parade, as well as movie offers
>>> Photo: Big Brown on track Monday morning
>>> Photo: Big Brown talking to his neigh-bors?
>>> Photo: Close-up look at repaired hoof
>>> Big Brown doesn't need hoof patch until race-day
>>> Finley: Casino Drive -- no drugs?!? "That's downright Un-American."
>>> Thoro-graph's Jerry Brown, "Why would you take 1-5 on something that hasn't happened the last 10 times it could have?"
>>> Ten experts respond: Will Big Brown do it?
>>> Slow works leave Casino Drive's connections unconcerned, "We are very happy with the way Casino Drive is coming along and how he is stretching out."
>>> Velazquez on Ready's Echo, off Anak Nakal
>>> Tomcito, Spark Candle out
>>> NY Post's daily Dutrow diary: "He's not going into the Belmont with an injured hoof. He doesn't even know anything is wrong."
>>> Kerrison: "Ricky, babe, take a deep breath. Herewith a cautionary tale..."
>>> Ford comment: "If [Big Brown] wins the Belmont, becoming the 12th Triple Crown winner, he'll probably be packed in foam peanuts and shipped to Kentucky immediately."
>>> Wash Post: 'You've got to be lucky'... Even the best horses sometimes fail to seize the Triple Crown
>>> Denis of Cork breezes at Churchill on Monday, "Just something nice to stretch his legs."
>>> On schedule with Casino Drive
>>> Big Brown's hoof specialist to attach acrylic-fiberglass patch Friday
>>> Hoof specialist upset that uninformed feel Big Brown shouldn't run: "I understand people's concerns, but in 30 years of dealing with cracks, this crack isn't very special. The horse is very special, but not the crack."
>>> Macho Again's trainer, "We'll all know after about 6:30 Saturday who wants to do what."
>>> Dutrow tells of asking for change in maintenance of Belmont surface, "I don't know how to [change surfaces], but I do know when tracks are a little too hard."
>>> Tagg pleased with Tale of Ekati's final drill

Sunday 6/1:

>>> Scottish take on Big Brown's TC bid: As soon as he's past the winning post, Hollywood will be mobilised for sure
>>> NY Post Q&A with Rick Dutrow: Q: If you win the Triple Crown, which actor plays you in the movie? A: I would want someone like Tom Cruise because he'll draw a lot of people to the movie.
>>> Making a Triple Crown winner: Scribe polls the experts to define 'eight key categories that separate a TC champ from the rest'
>>> Woodbine CEO knocks steroid use -- and the win by a Dutrow horse in 2005 Queen's Plate, "It was offensive. My reaction was: 'You come up here and use our most important race for a betting coup?' It was outrageous."
>>> Another Triple Crown feather for bayou 'bush tracks': After Borel and Albarado last year, Desourmeaux yet another that traces his riding roots to cajun country
>>> Pomp of TC races draws different attention to the game: Cultural anthropologist, "The people you see at the big Triple Crown races are kids, families, drunk college students. It's the place to be."
>>> Triple Crown win to provide racing boost? "When a colt has a chance at the Triple Crown, there's a positive vibe around the racetrack."
>>> Yeesh -- random happy talk from an Ohio sports scribe: "Here's Big Brown -- cracked hoof and all -- speeding around the last turn, the coveted Triple Crown in his sights. Will he do it, or will he be carted off the track in a meat wagon?"
>>> Profile: Trainer Larry Jones... Conditioner/wife team at the top of their game with a full barn, "I've turned down people I thought I'd never turn down, with horses coming out of champion mares."
>>> Desormeaux happy to have another TC chance, "What I always dream of is being able to put closure to Real Quiet."
>>> Owner Pegram remembers Real Quiet's TC near-miss, "That would have been a life-changing experience for [Desormeaux]. Me? It didn't matter so much. I still had my hamburgers and my beer, so I was happy."
>>> Bloodhorse Belmont notes -- June 1
>>> Balt Sun: Crown without luster?... Some say weak competition would dull Big Brown's feat
>>> Handleman: "I cannot bring myself to root for Big Brown to win the Triple Crown."
>>> Daley: A closer look at recent Triple Crown near-misses
>>> Bozich: Denis of Cork upset would be big
>>> Florida scribe: I never rooted for McGwire or Sosa. I am not sure I want to root for Big Brown, either
>>> NY Daily News: Sketchy past catches up with Big Brown owner, Michael Iavarone
>>> Kansas newspaper: If you like to witness sports history, you pull for Big Brown. So why, Rick Dutrow, do you have to make this so hard?
>>> Biggest Big Brown obstacle: Belmont... "It's a 1 1/2-mile race with plenty of time to make mistakes."
>>> Casino Drive hopes to keep mom's Belmont win streak going... Broodmare might have 3rd consecutive Belmont winner

Saturday 5/31:

>>> Big Brown gets sutures switched
>>> Cronley: Ahead of this TC bid -- cut the negativity and "Let's all get together and enjoy a sports moment."
>>> Audio/slideshow: NY Daily News visits Belmont Park
>>> Wow! Business journal article claims 150K expected to attend Belmont Stakes!
>>> Transcript: NTRA's 'Road to the Triple Crown' teleconference... Dutrow [Big Brown], McKinlay [hoof guy], Tada [Casino Drive], Carroll [Denis of Cork]
>>> West: Curlin-Big Brown -- what are the chances?
>>> DRF: Big Brown's list of foes keeps growing
>>> All major account-wagering platforms will be able to offer betting on the Belmont
>>> Pricci: "Dutrow is not expressing any opinions that differ from what you could hear any trainer standing at the rail over their early morning coffees. Only most wouldn’t say on for the record."
>>> Wesch 'interviews' Big Brown, "You know what they call the person who finishes last in a medical school class? Doctor. You know what they'll call me if I win the Belmont? Triple Crown champion. Deal with it."
>>> Audio/slideshow: Dutrow talks about Big Brown
>>> Nahill: "I can't say I'll be heartbroken if [Big Brown] doesn't do it. It's awfully tough to root for those connections."
>>> Calling Merriam -- and/or Webster... You folks might want to feature this article as a new definition for 'hyperbole'!... Scribe decides upcoming Triple Crown bid is almost literally a 'do-or-die' event

Friday 5/30:

>>> DRF: IEAH investors support Iavarone
>>> Paulick: The trend of Japanese horses winning major international races is similar to what has happened in Major League Baseball
>>> Triple Crown attraction: Alabama newspaper editor, "Horse racing is a sport I rarely ever pay much attention to during the year... This year, however, Big Brown has given me pretty much all the reason I could think of to watch the sport."
>>> Eng suggests NY match-up for Big Brown and Curlin, "if it's the best way to get Big Brown and Curlin to meet, so be it."
>>> Moran: Affirmed-Alydar rivalry marked the end of an epoch
>>> Bloomberg.com comment: It is a failure of racing's regulators that Iavarone could so quickly accumulate investor capital (some $40 million) and become an industry power
>>> Dutrow frowns on possibility of opposition ganging up on Big Brown... Also critical of Smarty Jones' connections Triple Crown bid
>>> Ready's Echo to start in Belmont
>>> Dutrow: "I'm right back to talking big at the Belmont because I feel we have the best horse."
>>> Wash Post profiles Japanese owner of Casino Drive... Speaking of the Peter Pan victory, "I do believe that Casino Drive was at his worst when he ran in that race."
>>> Tom Durkin preps - again - to call Triple Crown bid
>>> AP: Grueling Belmont tends to foil Triple Crown bids
>>> NY Sun: Are we primed for another disappointment? Or is this going to be the one?

Thursday 5/29:

>>> Bloomberg.com offers unflattering profile of IEAH prnicipal Michael Iavarone
>>> ...And Newsday adds to the Iavarone scrutiny
>>> ...And the NY Times... Iavarone, "I don't know how the mistakes I made 15 years ago are relevant now."
>>> Clay to Dutrow: Point to remember -- The more humble our sports figures, the better we like them
>>> Connections of Affirmed and Alydar lament current stars rush to the breeding shed, "They're doing a disservice to the sport."
>>> Scully: I find it difficult to believe that Big Brown will ever race again after the Belmont, and that's a real shame
>>> Ky Horse Racing Authority investigating Derby asst starter/Pyro situation
>>> Wall Street Journal: Racehorse insurance is scrutinized... Prominent agent says any policy written without considering a horse's pedigree is incomplete
>>> Behind the scenes: Belmont gate crew keeps horses in line, "You really have to take on the role of the leader of the herd."
>>> Prado [Casino Drive] on role as potential spoiler, "We know the sport needs a hero and the sport wants to see a Triple Crown but I have a job, too."
>>> Anak Nakal: Triple Crown spoiler?

Wednesday 5/28:

>>> NY Times: Profile of hoof specialist Ian McKinlay... "Every horse is different, and when they're pushing for a big race, you have to have your head in the game. You know you can't make a mistake."
>>> Plonk: Big Brown by the numbers... History and Big Brown
>>> Prado named on Casino Drive, "I am looking forward to the race and the challenge."
>>> No Secretariat-like stretch run in store for Big Brown's Belmont: "There's no reason to put on a show. Big Brown is a fragile horse. He's already had major issues with his feet, and we're dealing with another one now."
>>> Casino Drive and Big Brown on track Wed morning
>>> Clockers deem Casino Drive's time too slow to classify as a 'work'
>>> Quarter-crack repair success story... Trainer Shug McGaughey, "Ian patched one for us on Saturday, and he was training on Sunday. I remember we had Personal Flag, and he had one and he was patched on a Tuesday and he won the (1987) Queen's County Handicap on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. It happens quite a bit."
>>> Closer look at the probable field

Tuesday 5/27:

>>> Big Brown jogs... Dutrow says hoof crack just a footnote
>>> List: Five races that provide cautionary tales for a Belmont Stakes 'sure-thing'
>>> Tagg not pleased with Ekati workout, "It's no wonder I'm always in a bad mood."
>>> Denis of Cork works at CD on Monday
>>> Casino Drive 50-50 for Wed breeze

Equidaily takes exception:

Canadian columnist: "Why should we care if the greatest horse since Secretariat gets a monthly dose of Winstrol... Embarrassing and potentially dangerous to the horse, yes, but not technically illegal... Dutrow's reputation doesn't make the doping of Big Brown any more palatable."

The Canadian writer is expressing an opinion similar to that shared in print by others over the past couple of weeks. But shouldn't wordsmiths take more care? While the debate over steroids seems fair -- labeling the use of them as 'doping' and 'technically' legal is intellectually dishonest. First, there's no technicality about the legality -- in many jurisdictions they're legal! It's that simple. And, as such -- according to Merriam-Webster -- the use of steroids can therefore not be considered doping.

Why is this important? Hey, love Rick Dutrow or hate him, agree or disagree with the use of steroids, currently steroid use is legal, so tossing around terms like 'doping' only muddies the waters for the uninitiated. Heck, the title of the Canadian article is 'Cheating era bears down on Belmont'. It simply paints an unfair picture of the racing industry.

Monday 5/26:

>>> UH-OH... Big Brown has hoof injury, still expected to race
>>> VIDEO: Dutrow talks to the press on Sunday morning
>>> Foot specialist working on Big Brown, "We'll put a set of wires in and stitch him up."
>>> Graphic: Remedies for the quarter crack -- photos of 'wired' hoof
>>> Downey: The truth is that not all Triple Crown winners were great, and several of them didn't face tough competition

Cusano: "How do you think Big Brown as a 3YO stacks up against the 4YO Curlin?"
Dutrow: "Well, I've seen Curlin get beat by a filly -- so that is not impressive to me. I can't imagine there's a filly breathing air that could beat Big Brown."

Sunday 5/25:

>>> UH-OH... Big Brown has hoof injury, still expected to race... Triple Crown contender has missed two days of training, worrying trainer
>>> Finley: "I won't bestow greatness on Big Brown until he runs fast. How can you?"
>>> Gomez to ride Macho Again in Belmont
>>> NY Daily News: Rick Dutrow overcame obstacles on way to success
>>> Irish newspaper takes note of Triple Crown bid: It's a race well worth keeping an eye out for."
>>> Wall: If Big Brown wins Triple Crown, "the achievement will stand so far out there on its own that 10 or 20 years from now, no one will care or even remember if Big Brown beat horses or goats."
>>> Today's funny: Nike signs Big Brown to $90 million horseshoe contract
>>> Yeesh -- a 'sports editor' from Indiana in a 'random thoughts' column: "I don't know a ton about horse racing, but is it fair to even count Big Brown's Preakness win? There wasn't a single horse in that field that competed in the Kentucky Derby. He was basically running about glue."

Saturday 5/24:

>>> Exercise rider Michelle Nevin a key member of the Big Brown team, "He's a good boy, very relaxed, very affectionate. A little kid could ride him."
>>> Funny Cide trainer looks to spoil Big Brown's Triple try
>>> Philly sports columnist: Big Brown not everyone's favorite
>>> Owners of Big Brown will donate part of Belmont earnings to help establish a college fund for the son of a NY policeman injured in the line of duty
>>> Plonk's 'Countdown to the Crown' notes

Friday 5/23:

>>> Big Brown hits Belmont track for a gallop on Thurs, "He went well."
>>> Casino Drive's trainer calm in the face of American trash-talking... "What is this - trash, trash ... trash what?... It sounds like he [Dutrow] likes talk, so let him talk. It's OK. We will see the result."
>>> Billy Turner, trainer of Seattle Slew, on Triple Crown hopes of Big Brown, "It's time. It really is."
>>> Kling: A case can be made Big Brown will be at least as worthy as Sir Barton and Gallant Fox if he wins the Belmont decisively
>>> Denis of Cork, Macho Again doing well at Churchill
>>> Wilson: "A Breeders' Cup Classic matching unbeaten Big Brown against Curlin could be the biggest event this sport has seen in decades, arguably ever."
>>> Powell: "Big Brown is what he is -- the best 3YO this year. How he compares to last year's stellar crop is irrelevant," and, HBO's horse-slaughter expose "was ambush TV at its worst."
>>> West: Only two Triple Crown winners have defeated more starters, or horses, in the three races of the series than Big Brown already has beaten in the first two legs of it
>>> Wolski: Yes, Big Brown is a nice horse -- but a great one? Do not even go there
>>> Philly sports writer lists "things I don't understand in sports"... Of horse-racing, "The sport's sole purpose appears to be identifying talented horses who can win enough big races so they can be sold for tens of millions in order to produce more horses whose careers will be ended prematurely by greed and shortsightedness."
>>> TIME magazine profiles Big Brown: "The oddball cast of humans supporting Big Brown makes the horse's rise more Guys and Dolls than Kentucky blue blood."
>>> Funny: Of all the imaginary racehorse interviews equidaily.com has read, this one ranks at the top... When reached for comment, Big Brown said "Hay oats barn bite kick run run run. Trainer sugarcube carrot do you have a carrot kick run run bite whinny run oats run oats bath oats."
>>> Comment: Triple Crown as savior?... "Is this really what the sport needs? The brightest star to come along in thirty years and in one split second ..poof... he's gone?"
>>> Crist: Defining greatness? -- "A combination of fragility and a rush to cash in at the breeding shed has made many of the best horses of recent years one-season wonders. If the trend continues, perhaps the definition of greatness will change, too."
>>> Desormeaux credits move east for chance at Triple Crown... "If I don't come to New York, I don't find Big Brown."

Thursday 5/22:

>>> Crist/List: Beyer Speed Figures for all the Triple Crown races since 1992
>>> White: Big Brown has an excellent chance of becoming America’s 12th Triple Crown winner
>>> Ziegel: Trainer Rick Dutrow knows this is Big Brown's time
>>> Dutrow confidence, "I'll be in the winner's circle when they get to the quarter pole."
>>> Oklahoma loves the Triple Crown!... Remington has record crowds for Derby and Preakness, "We are preparing for a tremendous Belmont day."
>>> Behind the scenes: How are those great racing photos captured?... Explanation of remote camera pics
>>> GAME ON! Dutrow upset with Prado's Preakness ride, "It looked like he was just trying to keep our horse in the box... He had to go way out of his way to do it. So we're not real happy about that, either." Prado fires back, "I got paid to win the race, not to pay favors."
>>> GAME ON! [Part 2]... Dutrow on Big Brown going to BC Classic, "We'll show up for the last one if our horse is good and he's ready... It would be good for racing, and it would be good for us. It wouldn't be so good for Curlin."

>>> Brennan: Big Brown and steroids... Don Catlin, who created the Olympic testing lab at UCLA, "It is embarrassing to have a lead horse be on steroids."
>>> NY vet: "If [steroids are] not overused, I think there is value. From my perspective, I wouldn't say it's race-enhancing. It's more for the stress of the race and to induce appetite."
>>> AUDIO: Vet Dr Steve Allday on Tuesday's 'At the Races with Steve Byk': "I was the one that advised [Dutrow] to put his horses on anabolic steroids. Winstrol, in particular. Once a month. And the reason why, basically, your competition is doing it, number one. So therefore you are at a disadvantage if you didn't do it. Number two, it is not illegal -- It's basically good to keep the horses in the tub, to keep their weight up and it does give you a decided advantage if you're going to go ahead and race hard and get a lot more starts out of them." ...However, "It's gotta go. There's no other professional sport that allows it. It's time has come and gone." [Allday interview is halfway into Hour 2]

Wednesday 5/21:

>>> Excuses for Cal-based Preakness trio
>>> Tale of Ekati in spoiler role
>>> No rider named yet for Casino Drive
>>> Big Brown ran down in Preakness... "He burned a little bit (behind). It's not an issue. He will be fine."
>>> Preakness runner-up Macho Again set for Belmont
>>> West: Legitimate questions will remain about Big Brown even after June 7
>>> McNulty: This isn't the second coming of Secretariat. Not even close
>>> Plonk: Second-hand man -- Of Dutrow's nine Grade 1 winners, an astounding eight of them began their careers with other trainers
>>> Alabama newspaper editor scoffs at PETA and declares, "The hype surrounding the Triple Crown has begun and has definitely won a new fan."

Tuesday 5/20:

>>> Small white the x-factor for Big Brown?... Some think unusual marking sets Derby-Preakness winner apart, "You believe that the spot was placed there by the hand of God."
>>> Balt Sun: Preakness attendance, betting hit five-year lows, but industry experts aren't worried yet
>>> Davidowitz gives detailed suggestions for lowering catastrophic breakdowns and reducing racing's inter-related drug problems
>>> Wall: Horse racing is all about doing big deals... It's nobody's fault, really. But it's killing the sport
>>> NY Post's TV sports columnist: "An ESPN pre-Preakness feature, Saturday, on Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow concluded that he's 'a character.' Given his personal and professional track record for misdeeds, a more candid assessment might have concluded that he's a creep... If there was late money (or none) being wagered in the Preakness, NBC wasn't going to tell us. In the 10 minutes before the race, not once did NBC post the odds. Absurd."
>>> Zast gives mostly kudos to NBC/ESPN Preakness coverage
>>> LA Times: Big Brown/Triple Crown no 'savior' of horse-racing
>>> DRF: Triple Crown bid fuels media frenzy... "Any time you get CNN coming out three weeks before the race it really feels like it's a big deal."
>>> Crist/List: The 31 horses who have won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness are 11-for-29 in the Belmont Stakes [with two abstentions]
>>> Haskin's Preakness recap: Bye, bye, babe
>>> American front pages from Sunday seem to belie the notion put forth by some over the last two weeks that horse-racing is an anachronism... Check the montage

Preakness:

>>> Official Preakness website
>>> Preakness weather forecast
>>> List: Triple Crown winners... and near-misses [2 legs]

>>> NY Post's 'Bettors' Guide to the Preakness'... Records, silks, notes on field, and staff selections

Free PPs:
>>> DRF: Preakness [pdf]
>>> DRF: Preakness w/Moss pace figs [pdf]
>>> Free PPs [pdf]

>>> Balt Sun scribe blogs live from Pimlico on Saturday
>>> Early odds: Preakness [and double with Special] odds at close of Fri's wagering

RESULTS:

>>> Baltimore Sun's Preakness coverage
>>> Post-race quotes from rivals and press conference transcript with Big Brown's connections
>>> VIDEO REPLAY: Preakness
>>> Preakness chart

Monday 5/19:

>>> American front pages from Sunday seem to belie the notion put forth by some over the last two weeks that horse-racing is an anachronism... Check the montage
>>> NY Daily News: Big Brown's got Triple Crown sweep in the bag, say jockey & race experts
>>> Rees: Big Brown to wear Belmont bull's-eye
>>> Big Brown/Casino Drive exacta -- cold or boxed?... Dutrow, "It's cold babe."
>>> Yes, he's a freak, but freaky stuff can happen, "David would have never slayed Goliath if he had put his slingshot away."
>>> Big Brown set to stay in Frankel's Belmont barn... Dutrow, "I want Bobby to meet the horse... I see those two getting along good."
>>> Dwyre: Foregone conclusion that Big Brown will win the June 7 Belmont
>>> Wash Times: Triple Crown -- Why he can... Why he can't
>>> Dutrow on Casino Drive, "I hope he gets sick or something like that. I don't want to run against anything that can run. It's not going to help us win."
>>> Preakness jocks paid tribute to Eight Belles
>>> NYRA ready for Triple Crown crowd
>>> Dutrow on Big Brown, "If he wins this next race, he's going to be up there with every great horse that's ever run."
>>> Crawford: Big Brown is not in legends' class just yet
>>> Three Chimneys owner, "[The current owners] have total control of [Big Brown's] racing career. When they deliver him to Three Chimneys, we'll start to manage him."
>>> Flashback/Dec 2006: Todd Pletcher, "It'd be great to see a Triple Crown winner, but he wouldn't run after unless he were a gelding. That's just the way it is."
>>> Balt Sun: Triple Crown as savior?... "We'll never know how much an actual winner will elevate the sport beyond all its issues, until it actually happens."
>>> Newsday: Dutrow is the wisecracking face of horse racing right now, a leering but genuinely funny rogue
>>> Ross: Big Brown had the good fortune to be born in what is considered a lackluster foal crop. Then again, the same thing was said about Seattle Slew
>>> West: NBC's panel discussion, and some thoughts about violence

Sunday 5/18:

>>> Beyer: In his five-race career, Big Brown still has not beaten a horse of real quality, nor has he been fast enough to prove he is a horse for the ages
>>> Is the Fat Lady warming up?... After easy Derby and Preakness wins, many conceding Triple Crown to Big Brown
>>> Robby Albarado, "Frankly, there were at least four 3-year-olds last year who were as good as Big Brown if not better."
>>> West: Kent Desormeaux might have won the Triple Crown in an unlikely place, the final sixteenth of a mile at Pimlico
>>> Maese: Hardly a doubt -- Might as well give crown to 'Brown'
>>> Schmuck: This time, racing could have savior it so badly needs
>>> Habib: The best part? A safe trip for all
>>> Wash Post: One Preakness patron after another said that the issue of horse safety and the specter of death were not in their thoughts on Saturday
>>> Courier-Journal: System needed to track data on breakdowns at tracks
>>> Balt Sun media columnist checks NBC's Preakness coverage: Finds Desormeaux a treat, noting that when he retires, "one of the networks would do well to put him behind a microphone."
>>> NY Times TV Sports columnist gives NBC's coverage a thumbs-up: "Big Brown made NBC's job easy."
>>> Up next -- Sir Bud Lite? Prancing Kleenex? Eat at Denny's?... UPS has marketing opporutnity fall into lap, "When we found out the horse was actually named after UPS, we got together and decided to jump on it, realizing the great marketing opportunity. We were very opportunistic."
>>> Psychic who claimed winning trifecta at Derby goes bust with Preakness 'visions'
>>> LA Times: Preakness jockeys' advertising patches benefit charities

>>> Baffert on Big Brown, "This is the best horse I've seen since I've been in the business."
>>> Kerrison: What a performance! What a memory! What a horse!
>>> Brunker: Belmont will be 'Godzilla' vs. 'The Monster'
>>> Dutrow's NY Post Preakness diary: The day after, "All the Japanese people coming here for the race thought Godzilla was dead. They're going to find out he's not dead. He's Big Brown."
>>> 'Avis finish' in Preakness OK by West Point, "It's huge. It really helps promote our premise, which is that you don’t have to be a multi-millionaire to get into this business."
>>> Crawford: Big Brown win "was a welcome sight for a sport that has seemed turned on its ear since the Eight Belles tragedy."
>>> Desormeaux gears down approaching the wire, "I hope I helped make Mr. Dutrow's job a little easier over the next three weeks."
>>> Forde: It will be tears or cheers at Belmont, in the race that will either stamp Big Brown a superhorse or make him the latest heartbreak kid
>>> AP: Big Brown wins Preakness... Poised for Triple Crown
>>> Hartford Courant: Just the thrill ride horse racing needed
>>> USA Today/List: Five best who didn't win the Preakness
>>> USA Today/List: Winningest jockeys all time at the Preakness
>>> Pimlico neighborhood capitalizes on Preakness crowds... Offer up parking and food
>>> Raucous Preakness infield
>>> Preakness infield crazies: Internet technology allows all to see annual wackiness
>>> NY Times Rhoden has found his 'spotlight' subject: Post-Preakness column -- "The industry will celebrate Big Brown, but it should never be allowed to forget Eight Belles."
>>> Balt Sun estimes perhaps 30 PETA protesters outside Pimlico
>>> Blogger circles track -- no PETA protesters seen

Photo galleries:
>>> Baltimore Sun/Preakness
>>> Balt Sun/Preakness fans

>>> Merrow/equidaily.com: Big Brown, Gayego, Racecar Rhapsody, Yankee Bravo
>>> Durbin/Balt Sun: Trifecta wheel Big Brown with Gayego, Yankee Bravo, Hey Byrn, Giant Moon. Superfecta same wheel
>>> Kling/Troy-Record: 1) Big Brown, 2) Giant Moon, 3) Macho Again, 4) Gayego, 5) Icabad Crane
>>> Brownell/Post-Star: Beyond Big Brown, proving best of the rest could be Macho Again...
>>> Byk/Sirius radio: Big Brown, Kentucky Bear, Stevil, Giant Moon
>>> Dougherty/Seattle Times: Icabad Crane, Kentucky Bear, Big Brown, Giant Moon
>>> Gray/Boston Herald: Big Brown, Yankee Bravo, Gayego, Hey Byrn
>>> Harris/NY Daily News: Big Brown, Hey Byrn, Kentucky Bear, Icabad Crane
>>> Telias/Sporting News:Kentucky Bear, Big Brown, Behindatthebar
>>> Daley/Lowell Sun: Focus on the trifecta and superfecta in the Preakness, using Big Brown in the win position, with Tres Borrachos, Behindatthebar, and Kentucky Bear in each of the other slots
>>> Pricci/MSNBC.com: Most Probable Winner: Big Brown; Best Longshot: Giant Moon; Most Likely Money Finisher: Yankee Bravo
>>> Fort Worth Star-Telegram staff
>>> O'Donnell/Chicago Sun-Times: Gayego, Big Brown, Behindatthebar, Giant Moon
>>> Haskin's Preakness analysis
>>> Powell/BRIS: "Here's my betting strategy: Icabad Crane across the board; straight exactas with..."
>>> Eng/Las Vegas Review-Journal: Horizontal (pick 3, pick 4, pick 6) and vertical (exacta, trifecta, superfecta) bets are the way to go keying on Big Brown
>>> USA Today/List: Top picks from various racing writers
>>> S Finley/USA Today: "Key Big Brown on top in exactas over Icabad Crane and Kentucky Bear. Extend the exotic wagers even further by..."
>>> Brunker/MSNBC.com: "My $1 trifecta tickets will look like this..."

Saturday 5/17:

>>> Big Brown carrying a big burden... It is clear horse racing needs a hero, a standard bearer
>>> Big Brown hits the track for a quick tuneup on Saturday morning... Dutrow, "I saw exactly what I saw and it was beautiful."
>>> Dutrow lacking confidence shown pre-Derby, "I just can't feel as confident as I did with the Derby."
>>> West: There's a very good reason to suspect Big Brown can lose: It's a horse race.
>>> Big Brown: He's an egghead... "He's got the brain."