Home Delivery

Big Brown's team confident of Kentucky Derby win

BY ED MCNAMARA | ed.mcnamara@newsday.com

8:15 PM EDT, May 2, 2008

Article tools

E-mail

Share
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
- Facebook
- Fark
- Google
- Newsvine
- Reddit
- Yahoo

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - How do you win the Kentucky Derby from post 20, which hasn't been done since 1929? How do you win the world's biggest thoroughbred race in only your fourth career start, which hasn't happened since 1915? That's what the undefeated Big Brown will try to do Saturday at Churchill Downs, and his co-owners, jockey and trainer are confident that he will.

Co-owner Michael Iavarone, a 37-year-old Holbrook resident, said his Kentucky-bred colt is 100-percent fit and peaking at the right time. Trainer Rick Dutrow's optimism has bordered on arrogance, and jockey Kent Desormeaux, a two-time Derby winner, said Big Brown is the best horse he's ever ridden. So how do they plan to defy two long-term trends with the 3-1 morning-line favorite?

Big Brown has excellent early speed but doesn't need the lead, so Desormeaux hopes to angle over gradually from the far outside in the 5/16 of a mile from the starting gate to the first turn.

Here are potential problems early in the grueling 11/4-mile race: a slow break, a bumping incident, a head-to-head speed duel and being hung four-wide and losing precious ground.

With the likely pacesetter, Bob Black Jack (post 13), and front-running types Gayego (post 19), Recapturetheglory (post 18) and Cowboy Cal (post 17) all just to his left, Desormeaux plans to track them early on.

"For me it works out perfect," the 38-year-old Cajun said, "because I can catbird someone, whoever leads me into the first turn. When the doors open, I'm just going to feel it. I don't know exactly where I'm going to be. My horse's pace, his ultimate cruising speed, is where I want to set him up. Big Brown will tell me where that is."

Co-owner Richard Schiavo, 58, of Woodbury, is a former Wall Street executive and Iavarone's partner in IEAH Stables. Schiavo thinks there are some benefits to post 20.

"By being outside, Kent can let the race unfold in front of him," Schiavo said. "If he breaks a step slowly from out there, he'll have a chance to gather himself and get into the race. I don't see him being any worse than third or fourth heading into the first turn, and there's nothing wrong with that position."

The Derby is often lost entering the turn. If Big Brown gets there in good position, he'll still have to run the race of his life and avoid traffic problems the rest of the way.

Trainer Barclay Tagg, who took the 2003 Derby with the New York-bred gelding Funny Cide, is running long shots Big Truck and Tale of Ekati on Saturday. Tagg, a notorious pessimist, knows how much can go wrong. "You have to have a talented horse that's peaking physically," he said. "And you've just got to be lucky that it's all happening on the right day, which is the first Saturday in May."

Get breaking news | Most popular stories | Dining and Travel deals all via e-mail!

Would you recommend this?

Rate it: