Big Brown

Big Brown finally get's a photo here, but would you breed to this horse?

They're saying now BB's a freak outrunning his pedigree. In my years in racing a few horses have caught my eye that I'd breed to if I get the chance. Four I like to this day: Lear Fan with his perfect balance for his size, Nureyev for athleticism, Damascus for speed, Round Table for stamina. Left click on BB's pedigree and see they're all there. Damascus twice. A grand dam that set a track record. Could we say this is as solid a pedigree as we'll see in our sport? I believe so!

And if only were Dr. Dewitt Owen alive to comment on this conformation. A perfect horse? I might have imagined shorter cannons in relation to the forearm. But, perhaps I'm incorrect on that. A slightly larger more powerful rear end? Remember that they have to lug "larger" around that race track. Maybe, just maybe, the lighter rear permits the power to be generated forward instead of keeping a heavier rear in the air?

What really strikes me about the photo is the perfect pastern angle combined with perfect pastern length with perfect cannon bone diameter. When we see imperfections in the legs of our own horses, is this what we're imagining. I find it very difficult to fault any of this horse. Congrats to Robert Clay.

The BB connections, IEAH Stable, Paul Pompa, Dutrow and Michele Nevin (are horses the products of their riders? This is a very good one. A little heavy but perfect balance over center of gravity, superb athleticism, superior technique, she hones that bounding stride!) seem exactly what we need more of in the sport. They're less than perfect of course, a bit oblivious.
Forget Dutrow's past, the brutal and unfortunate truth seems that Dutrow's the best available to IEAH on the east coast and so they did make the correct decision in trainer selection.

I want to do a few posts on Dutrow's handling of the horse and my conclusions on KY Derby training, and then back to the crucial topic that we'll be watching as the Belmont approaches--spacing of breezing and racing for injury prevention--can Dutrow get this lightly raced horse through the Belmont in one piece, a huge question!

Training:
Wed. 5/14 Riderless 90% speed 5 x 1f + tack work.
Thurs. 5/15 Off.
Fri. 5/16: 10 min trot for Art, bellying work for Rod.
Sat. 5/17: Art trotted the course for 1.25 miles. Rod did 1 mile riderless slow + bellying. Nob's said he's about to get on.