Big Brown's trainer knew his horse was special

By Mike Hutsell
THE EVENING NEWS AND THE TRIBUNE (JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind.)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. May 03, 2008 08:55 pm

— Richard Dutrow Jr. talked. Talked a whole bunch about his entry in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

Told anyone who would listen to wager whatever amount you wanted on his Big Brown Derby favorite.

He knew what no one cared to admit — he had the best 3-year-old thoroughbred in the business.

History tried to say otherwise.

Horses like his with three career starts didn’t have what it takes to win on the first Saturday of May. At least not in next to a century of races.

“I know history,” said Dutrow, almost laughingly this week. “I know I’ve got a good horse.”

The record books at Churchill seldom shows you a winner starting out of post No. 20. That’s not supposed to happen either. It had been 79 years since the Derby.

Dutrow didn’t really care. He never wavered.

“There’s no one here that can beat him,” Dutrow said time and again. “There’s not a 3-year-old that can.”

Dutrow bucked the trends and traditions of most trainers, bringing the colt to the track days after many of the other contenders arrived. Almost like a celebrity arriving to a party fashionably late.

While most Derby runners trotted in the latter stages of the week, Big Brown ran and peeled off one of the fastest workouts at the track all week on Thursday — basically showing off in the face of all his rivals.

With a bravado befitting Muhammed Ali — the most famous citizen of the Derby City — Dutrow boasted, bragged and baited anyone else to step up to the plate and attempt to prove him wrong.

But as Ali often reminded the world, it’s not bragging when you back it up

Big Brown almost bullied his way to the forefront, overcoming his poor starting position on the front stretch, carving a path to the front by turn three and putting the field into a cloud of Churchill’s famed dirt track.

“All we had to worry about was if he liked the track,” Dutrow said. “It was up to him, if he wanted this race he’d win it, he’s that good.”

Those words came in the winner’s circle Saturday though they echoed everything Dutrow said all week. Big Brown was by far the best horse Saturday.

Just like his trainer had said all along.

Mike Hutsell writes for The Evening News in Jeffersonville, Ind. Contact him at mike.hutsell@newsandtribune.com

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