A triumphant Alan Garcia aboard Belmont Stakes winner Da' Tara (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

In 2004, trainer Nick Zito saddled Birdstone to upset popular favorite Smarty Jones in the Belmont S. (G1), thwarting the first Triple Crown in 26 years. Just four years later, Zito sent out maiden winner DA' TARA (Tiznow) to wire Saturday's 140th running of the Test of the Champion, as the Triple Crown dreams of Big Brown (Boundary) came crashing to a thud.

The biggest question surrounding the 1 1/2-mile test is, what happened to 1-5 favorite Big Brown? Jockey Kent Desormeaux attempted to send his horse rounding the far turn, but it was obvious Big Brown had no run. There was an audible gasp from the crowd as Desormeaux began pulling up the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness S. (G1) winner, and Big Brown was eased down the stretch.

"He was keen to go on early," an obviously upset and nonplussed Desormeaux said. "He broke so hard. I got him out early and just cantered down the backside. A couple of times, he thought it was time to go and jumped into the bridle a couple of times. But I had no horse, and when I realized something was wrong, I knew he wouldn't be fifth.

"He's the best horse I've ever been on, so I took care of him."

As of this writing, no injury report, or other explanation, had been given on Big Brown.

"He looked fine during the race," Dr. Larry Bramlage said. "The veterinarian inspection team did not find anything wrong with him and he was not lame."

Garcia gave a victorious hand pump when crossing under the wire (Charles Pravata/Horsephotos.com)

Scooting over to the inside and taking the lead soon after the gates opened, Da' Tara set an opening split of :23 4/5 with jockey Alan Garcia aboard. In that first quarter-mile, Big Brown was tucked in behind the leader but was visibly rank as Desormeaux attempted to wrangle his mount to clear running on the outside. At one point seeming to run up on the heels of Da' Tara, Big Brown finally got to the outside on the first turn, but nobody was keeping up with Da' Tara, who proceeded to reel off fractions of :48 1/5 and 1:12 4/5. Getting a mile in 1:37 4/5 and 10 furlongs in 2:03 1/5, Da Tara kicked clear turning into the stretch and was not threatened thereafter.

"I was watching Big Brown and when Big Brown was starting to fade back, I started jumping up and down like a jumping jack because Alan did what I told him," Zito admitted. "Believe me, I was in some other orbit; trust me, it was a great feeling."

Sent off the 38-1 longest shot in the nine-horse field, Da' Tara was 5 1/4 lengths clear on the line while paying $79, $28 and $14.80. Denis of Cork (Harlan's Holiday) was the closest to the winner, taking second by 2 3/4 lengths over Anak Nakal and Ready's Echo (More Than Ready), who dead-heated for third. Second was worth $5.40 and $4.10 while ending the $659 exacta as the 7-1 second pick.

Anak Nakal gave Zito the one-three finish in the Belmont, returning $7.60 and completing the 6-4-8 trifecta that paid $3,703 as the 34-1 second longest shot in the field. Ready's Echo, one of only three in the field who had never faced Big Brown, was worth $6.20 at 28-1 and finished the 6-4-9 trifecta that returned $3,954. The superfecta with Anak Nakal in third paid $48,637 (6-4-8-9), and the superfecta with Ready's Echo in third totaled $47,309 (6-4-9-8).

Da' Tara made history of his own when taking the Belmont (Charles Pravata/Horsephotos.com)

Casino Drive (Mineshaft), who was going for a Belmont three-peat of his own for his dam, Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister), was withdrawn earlier on Saturday when a stone bruise in his left hind hoof was re-aggravated.

Da' Tara didn't break his maiden until January 5, taking that Gulfstream Park test by 2 1/2 lengths, and he followed up on February 22 with a third in an allowance, but was beaten 23 1/2 lengths by Big Brown in the Florida Derby (G1) in his stakes debut. He began showing improvement when fifth in the Derby Trial S. on April 26 and was a sharp second in the Barbaro prior to giving owner Robert LaPenta a win in the Belmont Stakes. His record now stands at 8-2-2-1, $664,067.

Da' Tara was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, where his sire, Tiznow -- the only dual Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner -- stands. The Belmont winner passed through the sales ring twice, selling for $100,000 to Foxtale Farm at Keeneland January, before being purchased by his current connections for $175,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August yearling.

Da' Tara is the first stakes winner out of the multiple stakes-placed Torchera (Pirate's Bounty), who, as it turns out, is a full sister to stakes victress Sound Wisdom (Pirate's Bounty), the granddam of Belmont runner-up Denis of Cork. Torchera and Sound Wisdom are full sisters to 1995 Vanity Invitational H. (G1) heroine, Private Persuasion (Pirate's Bounty). Torchera has a 2008 colt by Gimmeawink.