Power Cap

Power cap- existential handicapping

09 June 2008

Too Many Kent Desormeaux Bashers




Big Brown faded in the Belmont due to his lack of training for the race. The ride had little to nothing to due with his finishing last. There has been some criticism that Desormeaux cost Big Borwn the race, that is simply not true. It was the training that was compromised by quarter crack left him completely unprepared to tackle the test of a champion.

So what should have Kent done? Instead of trying to rate Big Brown he could have tried plan b. Plan B would have been to take the very rank Brown and hook a 39-1 shot so they could duel like Smarty Jones dueled in his failed triple crown attempt. We all know how much people praise Stewy Elliot for his ride in the 2004 Belmont, but it seems like everyone wanted Desormeaux to redux Elliot's enterprising front end steal attempt. Do you really want to hook a need the lead horse in a 12 furlong race? How smart would have that been?

Big Brown was so rank that it would have been a helluva duel with Da' Tara. 23 flat, 46 flat and 111 neck and neck, nip and tuck. Either way rating or dueling, Big Brown was fading on the turn and up the track, his destiny was written in stone. Brown did not have his mind or the gas in the tank to see out the trip in the Belmont. He was handled too conservatively due to his sore hoof and it showed in the performance. His lack of training and lack of activity left him with too much nervous energy and it completely took him out of his game. Nobody could have won on Big Brown in the Belmont.

4 comments:

Michael said...

Add that classy trainer to the list of the Desormeaux bashers.

It sounds like you and Kent's wife are the only ones who disagree about it being his fault.

Anonymous said...

I think that Kent tried to get him outside in a little too much of a hurry, but with that said, I take my hat off to him for pulling up a horse who has nothing left instead of possibly hurting the horse just to make him finish.

Anonymous said...

Did you see the PP's for this race? Front speed was going to win and it did. BB had won on the lead before and he should have been on the lead in this race. The horse was asking to be put there and the jockey was holding him back. Even the trainer agrees with this. What are you smoking?

G. C. said...

So are you guys suggesting that Desormeaux should have hooked up with 38-1 need the lead Da'Tara in an all out speed duel? Was Kent wrong to rate in the mile and a half Belmont?

Garcia had instructions to get in front at all costs and if Brown moves go faster. Perhaps Zito had a little payback in mind from the 2005 Woodward. Either way, rate or duel Big Brown was toast, this is a horse that had about a miles worth of run in him on Saturday. The only way he gets the mile and half is in the back of a pick-up.