Posted on 06/23/2008 8:00:49 AM PDT by TexasNative2000
A photo taken during the early stages of the Belmont Stakes has revealed Big Brown was running with a loose shoe as the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner attempted to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1979, Newsday reported Monday.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...
Thanks.
Doesn't make sense to me either. Even if the shoe reset itself, I doubt it would reset in exactly the same location.
Why, was it crooked after the race?
Again, I think they'd know.
Horse shoes are nailed on and then the ends of the nails are bent over "clinched". When a horse steps on it and pulls a shoe, not only is the shoe usually bent, it tears out a hole that is bigger than the nail. It's not going to re-seat itself tight again, and the bent, clinched nail is not going to drive a new hole in the foot.
Again... if the shoe was loose, they'd know that after the race. They wouldn't be looking at photo closeups to figure that out.
His shoes were padded and glued on, no nails are used because of his hoof ailments.
It would have had to reset itself in the same location because its location is controlled by the nails that hold it into the hoof wall. In other words the shoe can loosen because the nails pull down a little, and then subsequent pressure pushes it back up into place. After the race the racing plates may well be pulled if a horse isn't going to compete again soon, so no one may have noticed the problem.
I don't know about BB, I'm just saying that this has happened to my OTTB who also has typically crappy TB feet that don't hold a shoe well. We went around for days a couple of weeks ago with the shoe very slightly loosened, and even though she has her feet picked out before and after each ride (and painted with hoof conditioner, and inspected) it took awhile for me to realize that the shoe that looked fine was actually a little loose.
Ya got me.
For want of a nail, a shoe came loose
For want to a secure shoe, a horse lost (badly)
For want of a horse, a triple crown was lost
For want of a triple crown, an ESPN-media orgasm was avoided.
This might explain why BB was acting up a lot going into the first turn. Also, it was extremely hot here in New York that day (near 100 degrees).
C’mon - nobody connected Obama to the loose nail...hmph!
No kidding. I wonder if they were able to get a refund on all the champagne they had ordered in Bristol.
If the shoe don’t fit, you’ve got to acquit!
Video of Big Brown in the 2008 Belmont Stakes:
http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?id=32950&type=news
Dutrow questions Desormeaux's ride
http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?type=news&id=32980
Big Brown's bio and next start in the upcoming Haskell Invitation at Monmouth Park, NJ:
http://www.ntra.com/stats_bios.aspx?id=31647
Bush!
I can believe that they might have missed it at the time of the race. But i have a hard time believing that a loose shoe wouldn’t have been discovered in the time since the race.
Seems they did know it, at least that Monday, June 9.
D.V.M. Bennett said. “He did loosen [the right] hind shoe, but I don’t know how much of a factor that was. There will probably be more things to look at, but from my point of view, the horse seemed to come back OK. He wasn’t in any distress.”
Loose lug nuts. That’s a Stop ‘n Go penalty.
Dutrow [Big Brown's trainer] said the plan for the Belmont was to go directly to the front, as Big Brown did winning the Florida Derby. After an eighth of a mile, Big Brown was third as Da' Tara went to the lead under Alan Garcia. Desormeaux attempted to get Big Brown off the rail, but first found Macho Again in his path, then Tale of Ekati and Anak Nakal.
Entering the first turn, Desormeaux took a hard hold of Big Brown and yanked him to the three-path, bumping with Anak Nakal before finding his running path outside of Tale of Ekati while Da' Tara opened up a three-length lead around the clubhouse turn.
"Getting the horse from the gate to the first turn like that is not the way to play the game," Dutrow said. "A lot of people say that it really confuses the horse. I'm sure he didn't have [any] idea what the hell was going on going into the first turn the way [Desormeaux] was switching him all over the damn track. I don't know what he was doing. Did he tell you what he was doing?"
On Monday, Desormeaux, who was running a road race in Manhattan despite record heat, said that his plan was go to the lead, but that Big Brown slipped coming out of the gate and "I was immediately pinched back a length."
My ponies go barefoot. Of course we have soft soil here.
I recall that Big Brown had been treated for a cracked hoof after the Preakness.
You try running in flip flops.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.