Belmont: Denial of the slicksters

[two gun sid]

From Paul Moran at the races blog:
...Belmont day did provide a subtle illustration of the difference between a horseman and a loudmouth with a fast horse and a good vet. Casino Drive, sent to New York with the Belmont his only goal, suffered a minor bruise to his left-hind hoof and was scratched. Many American trainers would have applied an aluminum pad or bar shoe and run, but Casino Drive’s Japanese connections chose the horse’s welfare over the immediate objective. Big Brown was sent into a 12-furlong race on a patched hoof.

There is a sense that Big Brown saved the Triple Crown’s sanctity from those he would have carried into racing history. The insufferable Dutrow for one and the people central to IEAH Stable, who have been described in various ways including shady and, a personal favorite, slicksters. When Big Brown left the half-mile pole apparently running on a treadmill, they were all relegated to footnote status. Surely, they have been enriched by Big Brown’s success even as they were unmasked by those who took a close look at what they really are –hustlers. The racetrack is the perfect environment for people of this ilk, but dramatic success brings the harsh light of scrutiny. There’s a novel here somewhere, but not another chapter in the book of Triple Crown history.

The enrichment will continue, though a knowledgeable source in Lexington claims that Three Chimneys Farm, where Big Brown will stand at stud, purchased a 10 percent interest for $5 million, which may have technically established his total worth at $50 million but like all things IEAH, is not what it seems.

http://paulmoranattheraces.blogspot.com/2008/06/belmont-denial-of-slicksters.html

[Justpat]

1. Paul is one of my favorite writers in the sport.

He is a horse owner and breeder himself.

And he is incapable of writing a bad sentence.