Looks like a good clean Preakness Stakes race (no injuries) thank goodness.

[Up2Late]

That "Big Brown" is one beautiful Horse, looked like he could have run another mile.

Now, as far as 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place goes, there could be some challanges, looked like there was a lot of bumping on the home stretch, but all I really care is that these beautiful animals are all O.K.

[greenbriar]

1. did you see his perked ears

man that horse is a thing of beauty


WOW

[Up2Late]

3. I'm not really sure what that means, but did you see the overhead shot they just showed?

That horse looked like it shifted into another gear at the end, and put bunch of space between it and the field in just seconds.

[greenbriar]

4. at the end, the jockey was trying to pull him up slowly when running out the end

the horse's ears were perky like he was feeling frisky..


that horse had another 3 track lengths in him at least

[qanda]

2. I was holding my breath

I'm glad all the horses are safe. Big Brown really is beautiful.

[bklyncowgirl]

5. He's some hell of a racehorse--I just wish he was surrounded by more loveable humans

The horse doesn't get to choose his owners or his trainer but I find it hard to root for him.

This isn't the gutsy gelding Funny Cide with his working class owners and hard luck hay and oats trainer who once threw the owner of the second best horse he got his hands on out of his barn when the owner insisted he run the horse in a race that the trainer believed would break him down (the new trainer ran the horse in the race and the horse broke down). This wasn't the Pennsylvania based elderly breeder and the careful small time horseman who brought us Smarty Jones or the hard knocking Afleet Alex who actually picked himself up off the Pimlico race track after getting knocked to his knees by another horse and went on to win the race--and a considerable amount of money for Alex's Lemonade stand a charity for kids with cancer. This isn't the spectacular but doomed Barbaro and his devoted owner who visited him twice a day in the hospital and his Olympic medalist plane crash hero trainer.

This is a bunch of Wall Street hedge fund traders who've applied the same principles to purchasing race horses. The trainer's got a rap sheet for using banned substances as long as your arm and has cheerfully admitted to using steroids on Big Brown and all his other horses.

All that aside, it can't all be the steriods. Big Brown is one hell of a race horse. He's a beautiful and strikingly intelligent animal with a turn of foot that I haven't seen in a long time. He devestated that field without breaking a sweat.

I can't allow myself to judge him by his connections.

[greenbriar]

6. like you said, the horse can't choose his owners. He just does his job

and does it WELL


that horse could have run 3 more tracks and won it

[a kennedy]

7. I never really realized how beautiful he is......

and oh my gawd......hold on to your seats....it's gonna be a fantastic ride at the Belmont. I know what you mean about the owners.....ick, gag, choke. I'd love to see him do it.....the triple. I just loved Secretariat when he won. And I'm so happy all the horses came home safe too. I bet on the gray too....he came in 2nd, I would have won 337.00 if I would have bet. :woohoo:

[bklyncowgirl]

8. He reminded me a bit of Secretariat in the paddock and post parade

Totally calm as if he was going out for a trail ride. I remember Sec actually closing his eyes and putting his head on Lucien Lauren's shoulder like he was taking a nap before the Belmont.

I guess if he seems nervous before the Belmont bet the house on Casino Drive.

[csziggy]

9. I would be better if it were the classic hard luck story, wouldn't it?

Big Brown's owners just syndicated him (sold shares in the horse for his future earnings). One of the purchasers was United Parcel Service. Brilliant advertising ploy - BIG BROWN!

But he is a hell of a horse and that was a terrific ride by the jockey. According to the race commentators, he had to check (slow down) Big Brown three times to keep him fresh for that spectacular finish.

I don't much enjoy racing and most years don't even watch the Triple Crown, but that was a lovely race to watch.