Belmont Stakes: Big Brown injury minor, will chase Triple Crown

Belmont Stakes: Big Brown injury minor, will chase Triple Crown Big Brown, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, has a minor hoof injury, but will race in the Belmont Stakes in June, his trainer Rick Dutrow said on Sunday. Big Brown has a quarter crack, a vertical crack in the hoof wall, on the inside of his left front hoof, and missed two days of training, but will be good to go for the 2008 Belmont Stakes race. Dutrow admitted that the injury of the 3-year-old is worrisome, but this will not prevent him from chasing the Triple Crown on June 7th. "We didn't know until Saturday that it was a quarter crack. It scares us this happened, but this has nothing to do with his ability to finish what he started. It's bad it happened, but it's good it happened now. He's going to be OK," Big Brown's trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. was quoted. According to hoof specialist Ian McKinlay the crack in the hoof is very minor, about five-eighths of an inch and will be no problem repairing the damage in time for the Belmont Stakes.

Naturally, news of this nature do not sit well with the odds makers and the online sportsbook BodogLife has temporary suspended the Belmont Stakes odds last night. The good news coming out of the Big Brown camp will probably resume the betting action by today's end. Big Brown was listed 2/7 favorite to win the Belmont Stakes with the bookie just a couple of days ago.

Published on 05/26/2008