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Big Brown delivers just in time in Haskell
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Big Brown had to dig deep to prevail
(Bill Denver/Equi-Photo) |
Dual classic winner BIG BROWN (Boundary) proved he hadn't lost the winning
touch in garnering top honors in Sunday's $1 million
Haskell
Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park, but the heavily backed sophomore had to
work a lot harder than expected to edge the free-running Coal Play (Mineshaft)
in the final yards. Indeed, the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness S. (G1) winner looked
beaten turning for home as Coal Play appeared full of run, while the favorite
initially failed to respond to jockey Kent Desormeaux's urgings turning the
final corner. The situation changed in the final furlong as Coal Play finally
began to slow down while Big Brown rallied down the center of the track, drifting out under right-handed pressure.
The final margin for the 1-5 favorite was 1 3/4 lengths, with the 20-1 Coal
Play, trained by Nick Zito, finishing 4 1/4 lengths of his uncoupled stablemate
Cool Coal Man (Mineshaft), the 6-1 second choice. Big Brown returned $2.40,
$2.10 and $2.10 while topping the $1 exotics: $12.60 exacta, $32.70 trifecta and $218.80 superfecta (4-6-2-3). Alaazo (A.P. Indy) finished off the superfecta while
Nistle's Crunch (Van Nistelrooy), Atoned (Repent) and Magical Forest (Forest
Camp) rounded out the order of finish.
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The Haskell was pretty much a two-horse affair for the final mile of the
nine-furlong contest. Big Brown broke like a shot and led for the first few
strides from the gate, but when Coal Play burst forth, intent on getting the
lead himself, Desormeaux throttled down on Big Brown and rated
slightly behind. Coal Play ripped off fractions of :23, :46 2/5 and 1:10 4/5,
and extended his lead from one length to two approaching the eighth-pole. No one
except Big Brown made any serious challenge from the back, and the nation's
leading three-year-old colt pulled it out late in a time of 1:48 1/5 over a fast
track.
"He found a new gear and just kept sticking his neck out," Desormeaux said.
"I knew he was going to get there. At the top of the stretch that horse (Coal
Play) took off, but Big Brown took off after him. He just kept coming, and I
know we'd get him."
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Big Brown looked in trouble as he could not keep pace with Coal Play turning for home
(Mark Wyville/Equi-Photo) |
Though not the prettiest of his four stakes wins this season, Big Brown's
Haskell victory has put him at a distinct advantage, perhaps insurmountable,
in the lead for divisional honors. The money is always good, too, and the
Haskell's $600,000 winner's share boosted Big Brown's career total to
$3,314,500.
Owned by IEAH Stables, Paul Pompa Jr. et al, Big Brown has now won six of seven career starts.
He began his career with trainer Patrick Reynolds
at Saratoga last year, taking his initial start on the grass by 11 1/4 lengths
under jockey Jeremy Rose. Pompa immediately began receiving offers on his star
colt, eventually going with IEAH Stable and retaining part ownership. Big Brown
was transferred from Reynolds to Richard Dutrow soon after the purchase and gained a new
rider in Desormeaux, under whom he would go on to take a dirt allowance by 12
3/4 lengths, the Florida Derby (G1) by five lengths, the Kentucky Derby by 4 3/4
lengths, and the Preakness by 5 1/4 lengths. His blanket-covered, over-analyzed
first defeat occurred in the Belmont S. (G1) where he was pulled up when
hopelessly beaten turning for home.
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Bred in Kentucky by Monticule, Big Brown brought the gavel down at $190,000
at the 2007 Keeneland April Two-Year-Olds in Training sale. He is out of the
winning Mien (Nureyev) and counts the unraced two-year-old filly My Chestnut
Girl (Horse Chestnut [SAf]), an unnamed yearling filly by Touch Gold, and an
unnamed 2008 filly by Belong to Me as half-siblings. This is the same female
family as 1997 champion older mare Hidden Lake (Quiet American), who captured
that year's Hempstead H. (G1), Go for Wand S. (G1), Beldame S. (G1) and Shuvee
H. (G2).
The announced crowd at Monmouth Park for the Haskell was 45,132. The
all-sources handle of $17,642,954 for the 14-race card was an all-time record
for a Thoroughbred card in New Jersey (excluding last year's Breeders' Cup) and
a 25 percent increase over last year's Haskell program.
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