Out of Running, On Empty

Big Brown Finishes Last, Far Behind Winner Da' Tara

ELMONT, N.Y., June 7 -- The end came on the far turn, Big Brown territory, where the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner always had the opposition at his mercy. In the 140th Belmont Stakes on Saturday, however, the stride, the speed and the power were not there.

When jockey Kent Desormeaux asked his undefeated colt to take the race to streaking long shot leader, Da' Tara, he found no response. Not only did Big Brown -- on the cusp of the first Triple Crown in 30 years -- not keep up, he began to drop back. Desormeaux, sensing something wrong, stopped riding hard and Denis of Cork, rallying on the outside, shoved Big Brown aside.

With Desormeaux barely moving on his back, Big Brown began a slow, sad jog to the finish line at Belmont Park.

Moments after Da' Tara, the longest shot in the field of nine with odds of 38-1, crossed the finish line 5 1/4 lengths in front of Denis of Cork, Big Brown came along to a wave of boos from the enormous crowd. The horse trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said was a "foregone conclusion" to win the Triple Crown finished last.

"By the time we got to the turn, I had no horse," a stunned Desormeaux said. "This is the best horse I ever been on. Something was wrong, I took care of him."

Da' Tara, ridden by Alan Garcia, won the 1 1/2 -mile Belmont -- called "The Test of the Champion" -- in 2 minutes 29.65 seconds. He paid $79 for a $2 bet.

Desormeaux pulled up Big Brown as soon as he crossed the line and quickly dismounted. The saddle was removed and Big Brown was led through a tunnel underneath the grandstand to be examined by veterinarians.

Asked what happened, Desormeaux said, "I have no idea."

Said Dutrow: "The horse kind of looks like he is fine to me. . . . I watched him cool out, and he doesn't seem to be off in any kind of way. I don't see a problem, and I am looking for one. I don't really know how I feel. We did really good with him. It was a very disappointing race, but the horse looks like he's fine."

The horse was taken back to the barn of trainer Bobby Frankel, where he had spent the past three weeks while preparing for the Belmont, and exercise rider Michelle Nevin walked him along the shed row.

With his ears pricked, Big Brown periodically stopped and looked at the cameras trained on him and then continued on as Dutrow stared at silently at his horse, leaning on a wooden fence.

"When he pulled up, the veterinarian on the racetrack looked at him and there was obviously nothing wrong," said Larry Bramlage, the chief on-site veterinarian for the race. "I was watching him when he came down the stretch. He was not showing any lameness, so whatever was bothering him, whatever made him not have his race today, was not outwardly apparent."