Jerry Bailey temporarily will come out of retirement to ride alongside seven other Racing Hall of Fame jockeys in the Living Legends race on Saturday at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park.

The 51-year-old jockey was quick to point out that this ride would be his last.

“You’ll never see this again. I will tell you that for sure, because I won’t be involved again,” Bailey said. “This is the one and only time I’m going to do this.”

The other Hall of Famers who will compete in the $47,000 optional claiming race are retired riders Sandy Hawley, 59; Pat Day, 55; Jacinto Vasquez, 64; Gary Stevens, 45; Chris McCarron, 53; Julie Krone, 45; and Angel Cordero Jr., 65. A random draw determined mounts for the seven-furlong race, which will include pari-mutuel wagering.

The Living Legends race will be run as the fourth race on the Saturday card. Post time is 2 p.m. PDT.

Bailey concluded his riding career in January 2006 with seven Eclipse Awards as North America’s outstanding jockey, 5,893 wins and $296,104,129 in purse earnings. Bailey’s purse earnings place him second on the all-time North American list behind Day, who compiled $297,912,019 in purse earnings.

Since retiring as a rider, Bailey has stayed involved in racing as an analyst for ESPN and ABC, which will provide live coverage of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on October 24-25 at Santa Anita. He has prepared for his return to riding by using isometrics, exercises that help build muscle tone.

“I am swimming, and I do lots of isometrics to build up my legs and arms,” Bailey said. “I also lift weights, but I do a lot of repetitions of isometrics that are very similar to riding.

“That’s what I used to do when I was riding and I would take a few weeks off at the end of the year. Obviously, this is much different. This is almost three years [since retirement].”

Bailey will ride Dee Dee’s Legacy in the Living Legends race, which drew a field of eight California-breds, plus four also-eligibles. The 5-to-2 morning-line favorite, Dee Dee’s Legacy enters off a runner-up finish in a six-furlong allowance race on February 21 at Santa Anita.

Regardless of how he fares during his return to riding, Bailey plans to stay permanently retired after Saturday.

“It’s bittersweet for me and for all of us, really,” Bailey said. “How many more times do we push the envelope? I hope everything goes smoothly, because in horse racing you never know. But the most fun is getting these eight guys together to ride again.”

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that registration is open at www.ntra.com for the “Breeders’ Cup Pick All Challenge”, a free, online handicapping contest that offers a grand prize of an entry in the 2009 $1 million Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC) to be held in January at Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas (airfare and accommodations included).

Contestants must place one hypothetical $2 win and place wager on each of the 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championships races to be held Friday and Saturday, October 24-25, at Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park. The player amassing the highest total will win the grand prize. Second prize is a 31.5″ Toshiba flat screen television. Cash prizes of $250 for third, $100 for fourth, and $50 for fifth through 10th places will also be offered. Top finishers who are registered members of the NHC Tour will also receive Tour points based on their finish.

“The Breeders’ Cup Pick All Challenge is a fun and easy way for fans to compete for prizes as they follow the 2008 Cup races from Oak Tree,” said Keith Chamblin, senior vice president of communications and industry relations for the NTRA. “Not only does the contest encourage interest in the Breeders’ Cup, it will introduce many to the experience of tournament play, which has enjoyed explosive growth in recent years thanks to the popularity of the National Handicapping Championship and the NHC Tour.”

There is a limit of one entry per person. Contestants must enter their picks for all five Friday Breeders’ Cup races by 3:30 p.m. (ET) on October 24. Picks for all nine Saturday Breeders’ Cup races must be entered by 1:00 p.m. (ET) on October 25. Contest win payoffs will be capped at $42.00 (20-1) and place place payoffs will be capped at $22.00 (10-1). For complete contest rules or additional information on the NHC and NHC Tour, visit www.ntra.com.

National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) President and CEO Alex Waldrop and Thoroughbred racing industry leaders outlined a series of industry-wide safety and integrity reforms at a press conference in New York yesterday. The NTRA also announced the creation of a new Safety and Integrity Alliance, comprised of the largest tracks and horsemen’s groups in the U.S. and Canada, which will be responsible for implementing the reforms. Tommy Thompson, former four-term Governor of Wisconsin and Secretary of Health and Human Services, will serve as independent counsel for the new NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance.  Governor Thompson will conduct an ongoing review and provide an annual independent and public assessment to the Alliance.

The reform initiatives, the broadest and most comprehensive in the sport’s history, include:

• uniform medication rules for each racing state
• ban of steroids from racing competition
• out-of-competition testing for blood and gene doping agents and pre-race testing
• uniform penalties for all medication infractions
• mandatory on-track and non-racing injury reporting
• mandatory installation of protective inner safety rail
• mandatory pre- and post-race security
• adoption of a placement program for Thoroughbreds no longer competing

“Our industry is taking strong, positive steps to ensure the safety and integrity of our sport,” said Waldrop. “Despite challenges and significant short-term and long-term costs, there is an unprecedented level of commitment among Thoroughbred racing’s leadership to see these measures through.”

“Our first priority is to insure the health and safety of the athletes and horses in the racing industry,” said Thompson. “On its own initiative, the NTRA has taken a great step forward in committing to reforms and the creation of an important new body to oversee implementation of the reforms. I will take my independent oversight role seriously and work to assure transparency in this process.”

Three of the greatest jockeys ever to sit atop a racehorse — by almost any measure or assessment — signed autographs and visited with fans Tuesday at Lone Star Park during a stop in what’s being called, appropriately enough, the “Legends Tour.”

To promote the upcoming Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, Angel Cordero Jr., Pat Day and Laffit Pincay Jr. have been touring racetracks around the country: Lone Star on Tuesday; Sam Houston today. The tour culminates Saturday at Santa Anita, where Day and Cordero will ride in the “Living Legends” race, along with six other H.O.F jockeys — Jerry Bailey, Sandy Hawley, Julie Krone, Chris McCarron, Gary Stevens and Jacinto Vasquez.

At Lone Star, the Hall of Fame riders recalled some of their career highlights, which also happen to be some of the sport’s highlights. They battled through the stretch 24 years ago in the first Breeders’ Cup Classic. Day, who retired in 2005 but remains the all-time leading Breeders’ Cup jockey, won by a head on Wild Again, followed by Pincay on Gate Dancer (who was disqualified) and Cordero on Slew O’ Gold.

They rode many of the sport’s superstars of the past 30 years. Pincay said his favorite horse is still Affirmed. Cordero said his favorite is still Seattle Slew.

“I rode more than 44,000 races, and if I could have one back to ride again, it would be that one,” Cordero said, recalling the 1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup, where he and Seattle Slew turned back several challengers, including Affirmed, only to be caught in the final strides by Exceller.

The jockeys said they’ve seen many changes in the sport over the past three decades; the development of the Breeders’ Cup being one of the most positive.  But not all the changes haven been positive.

“I think we have some major hurdles to overcome as an industry,” Day said. “I think we need to embrace and promote our product. This is a great game.”

And if they were still riding and could select just one horse to team up with, they all agreed; Curlin, the reigning Horse of the Year.

With the Breeders’ Cup just days away, and many questions to be answered, I have taken a sampling of how the track is playing overall. Remember, this is just a sampling from varied distances on separate days. Overall, I think it is worth a look into seeing how the track is playing.

5 1/2 F - These races were very few in number, but the closers did very well.

6F - The stalkers were ruling the roost, and an occasional closer can come rolling if the pace is hot.

6 1/2 F - Speed and stalkers were having their say so at this distance.

7 F - Speed and stalkers held sway at this distance as well.

1M - You better be coming off of the pace if you want to find the winner’s circle. I only saw one speed runner wire the field.

1 1/16 th - You better come from the clouds if you want to go to the windows to cash.

1M / Turf - The stalkers played very well at the distance overall.

1 1/8th / Turf - This was a closer’s paradise. Short and sweet.

Now, with this sampling over varied days and distances, you can get a good idea of how things are playing out. I would put some time in and watch some races to get your own feel.

Another important note is that I see runners from the 4 path - 9 spot hitting the board. This is not to say there is a dead rail, but this may be something to note.

So do your homework, hook up with WinningPonies, and bring your bankroll. I think that this will be two days that you will want to fire with both hands. Don’t be afraid to play the Europeans as they have held their own. Also, runners who have run over the surface and have been training well deserve a good look.

In what promises to be a unique edition of the Breeders’ Cup, a total of 210 pre-entries were announced Oct. 16, with 180 horses pre-entered for the 14 races to be run at Santa Anita on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24-25.

After an expansion of the Breeders’ Cup program from eight races to 11 in 2007, another three races were added for 2008; raising the total purses to $25.5 million. On opening day, all five Breeders’ Cup races will be strictly for females, culminating with the $2-million Ladies Classic (gr. I), formerly the Distaff.

The marquee name on Friday will be the undefeated Zenyatta, who could be odds-on in the Ladies Classic. Saturday’s headliner will be the reigning Horse of the Year, Curlin, who will be attempting to join Tiznow as the only two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I). The Breeders’ Cup will be run for the first time this year on a synthetic surface (Pro-Ride). While Curlin has won on fast dirt tracks and sloppy tracks, and run well on turf, he has never run on a synthetic surface. He did, however, turn in a powerful work at Santa Anita Oct. 13 between the fourth and fifth races.

This year’s Breeders’ Cup also features a record seven former Breeders’ Cup winners. Last year’s winners looking to make it back-to-back victories are Curlin, Midnight Lute (Sprint), Kip Deville (Mile), Indian Blessing (Juvenile Fillies), and Ginger Punch (Distaff). Better Talk Now (2004 Turf) and Red Rocks (2006 Turf) are also back.

Because of the number of races, a total of 30 horses pre-entered in more than one race. Of the 14 races, seven were oversubscribed, with 21 pre-entered in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and 19 in the Filly & Mare Sprint, the Juvenile Turf, and the new Turf Sprint.

The Breeders’ Cup received its first bit of good news on the night of Oct. 15, when the Los Angeles Dodgers were eliminated from the playoff race; preventing an unfortunate conflict with the World Series.

Aidan O’Brien tops all trainers with 10 horses pre-entered in eight different races. One of those is Red Rock Canyon, who will be a pacesetter for Soldier of Fortune in the Turf. But O’Brien’s big move was pre-entering his two biggest stars, Duke of Marmalade and Henrythenavigator, in the Classic without cross-entering either one. The Duke rattled off five straight group I stakes this year before faltering in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fra-I) over ground that was a bit soft for his liking. Henry captured four straight group I stakes — the English and Irish Two Thousand Guineas, St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, and Sussex Stakes — before losing his last two.

It looks as if Henrythenavigator will resume his intense rivalry with English-trained Raven’s Pass, who also pre-entered in the Classic, with a second preference in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. I). They have met four times this year, the last three in barn-burners, with Henry getting the upper hand in their first three meetings and Raven’s Pass turning the tables in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Eng-I).

John Sadler has pre-entered seven horses in seven different races, with Cost of Freedom (Sprint), Whatsthescript (Mile), and Dearest Trickski (Filly & Mare Sprint) coming off graded stakes victories. Bobby Frankel also pre-entered seven horses, in six different races. Frankel will bookend the Classic, with Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I) winner Mast Track, the likely pacesetter, and Champs Elysees, third in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I), at the back of the pack. His other starters are last year’s Distaff winner Ginger Punch, who is trying to repeat (in the Ladies Classic), Ventura in the Filly & Mare Sprint or Mile, Precious Kitten in the Mile or Filly & Mare Turf, First Defence in the Sprint or Dirt Mile, and Out of Control in the Turf.

Todd Pletcher, who went 0-for-17 in the Breeders’ Cup two years ago, has only six pre-entered this year. However, they are a sneaky half-dozen, with all having a legitimate shot to win. Wait a While and Red Giant will relish the ground in the Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) and Turf, respectively, and both are coming off impressive scores in grade I stakes over the course. Fairbanks has a big shot in the Marathon, Bittel Road will be the favorite or second choice in the Juvenile Turf, and Munnings and Silent Valor are both live in the Juvenile (gr.I).

Also with six pre-entered is Doug O’Neill, headed by Square Eddie and Azul Leon in the Juvenile and the vastly improving Slew’s Tiznow in the Dirt Mile. Of Steve Asmussen’s six pre-entered horses, three of them could be in the Classic, with Curlin, Student Council, and Pyro, who has a second preference in the Dirt Mile.

Bob Baffert will be a central figure as usual with his five pre-entered horses. Indian Blessing (Filly & Mare Sprint), Midshipman (Juvenile), Midnight Lute (Sprint), and Del Conte (Juvenile Turf) all will take a lot of beating.

Shug McGaughey, who is only seen in Southern California on rare occasions, has four pre-entered, and all – Consequence (Juvenile Fillies Turf), Persistently (Juvenile Fillies), Carriage Trail (Ladies Classic), and Dancing Forever (Turf) – have a legitimate chance.

It must be noted that Dick Mandella, who has six Breeders’ Cup victories in the last two events held at Santa Anita, including a record four wins in 2003, will be represented only by the newly acquired Mine That Bird in the Juvenile or Juvenile Turf and One Union in the Turf Sprint.

Other European trainers represented will be the always dependable Michael Stoute, who has Visit in the Filly & Mare Turf and Conduit in the Turf; Freddy Head, who will have the likely favorite in the Mile with Goldikova; John Gosden, with Classic contender Raven’s Pass and Donativum in the Juvenile Turf; Andre Fabre, with Only Answer in the Turf Sprint; and Dermot Weld, who will bring the spectacular Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) winner Winchester back for the Turf. Jeremy Noseda, trainer of 2004 Juvenile (gr. I) winner Wilko, will saddle 2006 St. Leger (Eng-I) winner Sixties Icon in the Marathon and Fleeting Spirit in the Turf Sprint. A total of 35 foreign-based horses were pre-entered.

Speaking of the Turf, the 9-year-old Better Talk Now is back again for the fifth time in the mile and a half event, having finished first, second, and fourth. If he can’t win, a third would complete a unique cycle.

For those who are concerned about the Europeans having to run a fast, firm turf course, they won the Mile (with Six Perfections) and dead-heated for win in the Turf (with High Chaparral) the last time the Breeders’ Cup was held at Santa Anita. They also won the Mile (with Spinning World) and finished second in the Turf (with the German filly Borgia) the last time it was held at Hollywood Park.

Canada will be well represented by Reade Baker (Fatal Bullet in the Sprint and Bear Now in the Ladies Classic), Mark Casse (Sealy Hill in the Filly & Mare Turf and Skipadate in the Juvenile Turf), Catherine Day Phillips (Van Lear Rose in the Juvenile Fillies), and Mark Frostad (Grand Adventure in the Juvenile Turf).

With the Breeders’ Cup coming upon us very quickly, you will definitely want to take advantage of getting your WinningPonies.com picks as soon as they are available. There will be two incredible days of racing, and value packed exotics that can payoff big.

Highlighted by the world’s largest guaranteed Pick 6 betting pool and new Super High 5 wagers, the Breeders’ Cup announced on Sept. 29 the post times and wagering menu for the 25th Breeders’ Cup World Championships, on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 24-25, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. The official race order for the World Championships will be announced on Thursday, Oct. 16.

The expanded two-day race program includes 14 Breeders’ Cup races worth $25.5 million in prize money.

Each race will feature a maximum of 14 horses and wagering interests, with the exception of the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, each of which have a maximum of 12 horses. In addition to the standard Win, Place and Show betting, there will be Exacta and Trifecta wagering on every race; and rolling Pick 3 wagers beginning with the first race and continuing through all races on both Friday and Saturday. Over the 24 years of the Breeders’ Cup, Exacta payouts have averaged a robust $230.00, while Trifecta payouts have averaged $2,600.

Saturday features the world’s largest guaranteed pool, the $3 million Ultra Pick 6. Four times in the past ten years, players have become millionaires by correctly selecting the six winners. Graham Stone won $2.7 million on an $8 ticket at the 2003 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, by correctly selecting six winners of six consecutive Breeders Cup races on one ticket. The Ultra Pick 6 has a mandatory payout for Saturday.

Also new this year is Super High 5 wagering on both the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. In the Super High 5, bettors are required to select the first five finishing places on one ticket. If no one hits the Super High 5 on Friday, the pool will carry over to Saturday’s Super High 5 on the Classic, where there will be a mandatory payout.

There will be a Breeders’ Cup Pick 6 on Championship Friday, with a carryover provision into Saturday if no one correctly selects the six winners.

“With 14 World Championship races over the two days, racing fans around the world will have the opportunity to watch and enjoy the ‘best betting days in sports’, as the Breeders’ Cup has proven year after year,” said Ken Kirchner, who has overseen wagering programs for the Breeders’ Cup since 1996. “It’s the high quality of the fields that produces the incredible betting value, from the Ultra Pick 6 which can return millions, to lucrative Exacta and Trifecta payouts. With ten cent Superfectas and the new Super High Five Wagers, these are two days every player wants to load up on.”

Other featured wagers this year include:

• Ten-cent Superfectas will be offered on every race, except the two Super High Five races.
• Two of the Breeders’ Cup Saturday Pick 4s are guaranteed with the early Pick 4 starting on race 2 with a $1 million guarantee, and the Pick 4 starting on race 6 with a $2 million guarantee.

The Breeders’ Cup again will be a truly global competition for the horses and fans. Wagering will be conducted in over 20 countries, including Canada, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Monaco, South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia, Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Jamaica, and Trinidad.

There will be a total of 10 races (five Breeders’ Cup races) on the Friday program. First post time on Friday is 2:05 p.m. ET. Post time for the first Breeders’ Cup race, featuring the first-ever all Female program of major stakes races, is at 3:35 p.m. ET. The five Breeders’ Cup races will be: $1 million Sentient Flight Group Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, $1 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, $2 million Bessemer Trust Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies, $2 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf and the $2 million Ladies Classic. ESPN2 will televise the five Breeders’ Cup races beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET until 6:30 p.m. ET.

On Championship Saturday, first post time is 1:10 p.m. ET. The program will begin with nine consecutive Breeders’ Cup races. ABC Sports will televise four races from 1:00-3:30 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining five races on ESPN from 3:30-7:00 p.m. ET. The nine Breeders’ Cup Championship races will be: $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon, $1 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, $2 million Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile, $2 million Sentient Flight Group Breeders’ Cup Sprint, $3 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf and the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The racing industry is hurting. This is no big news around the country as we can see the effects of a white knuckle grip of a limping economy.

I have worked in the industry most of my career life, and I have to pose the question. Are slot machines or full-blown racinos the answer? The knee jerk reaction would be to say yes for many. But after deep thought, and sleepless nights I think we need to re-examine this savior.

If you have been watching the casino industry, or have read reports about Las Vegas and Atlantic City, you will see a decline there as well. For the time being, Vegas is experiencing an across the board decline. This is not limited to a few casinos; it applies to all.

So, what is the answer?  Well, we can take a look at the economy as a barometer. All areas have shown a downward turn, and a few good days are not going to make up for a bad year. Fans of racing have to make house payments, car payments, attempt to fill their cars with gas, and put food on the table. Racing is another form of entertainment. It is a luxury. It is not a necessity.

Racing has to be introspective. We need to hold the light of truth to ourselves and take a good hard look. How are we retaining customers? Are we taking them for granted? Have we become complacent? The answer is bad. We have done nothing and expected something. This business model applies to every losing business known to man.

We don’t need a snappy marketing campaign to bring you back one or two days a year. We need to roll up our sleeves and go to work. Offer fans a clean environment to wager; a full compliment to wager; have reasonably priced handicapping items to use; have customer forums as focus groups to tell us the truth. We need to hear it, and let them know they have a say. Oh, and allow them to have access to quality food without hocking their car. By offering the full service treatment, fans are more inclined to stay and play.

I know, I know it will cost money…. Tell me what is more expensive. Starting from scratch and cultivating new players, or coming out of pocket and spending a bit more until days get better. Race fans have a good memory. Help them enjoy the sport now by making adjustments, and they will form a loyal customer base for years to come. It is cheaper to retain current patrons than growing new ones.

During this ‘dry’ time in racing we can lose players for good. The old “build it and they will come” does not apply. Reach in a bit deeper. You are reaching for two things: helping to save the game for your players and saving your business. We better decide now.

If the adage holds true that misery loves company, Keeneland Race Course will have no trouble finding other tracks to join it this season in a struggle reflecting national trends.

Through the first four days of Keeneland’s fall meet, the picturesque track saw its all-sources handle decline 21 percent compared to last season, despite a stacked opening weekend that featured five Grade-I races and near ideal weather.

On Thursday, however, Keeneland received confirmation it is not alone in its woes. According to the “Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators” released by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and Equibase Company, pari-mutuel wagering on U.S. races decreased 9.85 percent during the third quarter from 2007.

For the nine months ending on Sept. 30, wagering is down 5.75 percent compared to 2007 levels, with purses dipping 0.04 percent.

With an increasingly shaky economy and continued turbulence on Wall Street as a backdrop, even top-level meets at Saratoga (New York), Keeneland and Del Mar (California), which were previously immune to such factors, are battling to stay within sniffing distance of last year’s numbers.

The repercussions of the declines have already been felt at Churchill Downsk as the Louisville track announced earlier it would cut $975,000 from its stakes program for its upcoming fall meet, including the elimination of two races.

“The gambling industries, Vegas, Atlantic City, they were always thought of as recession-proof. This year they’re going negative and we’re seeing the same thing in horse racing with the decline in handle,” said Robert Evans, president and CEO of Churchill Downs Inc. “We’re a discretionary income item. You have to buy food, you have to buy gas, you have to pay your rent, you have to pay your mortgage. But you don’t have to go to the racetrack or go to the movies or go to a sporting event. So we’re in the firing line of difficulty when the economy gets tough.”

While the economy plays a huge role in the decline, other factors are contributing to racing’s adversity.

With the perception of excessive anabolic steroid use and the high-profile breakdown of Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles hanging over the sport, racing’s image has taken a hit even among its most loyal customers.

Several horsemen’s disputes over account deposit wagering revenue have also affected business, forcing the temporary closure of Ellis Park this summer and preventing simulcast signals from various tracks from becoming available.

“I think a great deal of it is the economy but most certainly racing has been in the news the last several months and in many cases the news hasn’t been very flattering,” said Jim Williams, director of communications for Keeneland. “You wish you knew exactly what was impacting business because it would make it easier to correct it, if you could correct it. Many things are out of our hands and we’ve got to address some issues with racing.”

Today we have found out that Big Brown will be retired due to a foot injury. The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner is heading out to stud. He goes to Robert Clay’s Three Chimneys Farm by December 31st of this year.

The ultimate match-up of B.B and Curlin will be a talked about as a memory. It will not take place on racing’s biggest stage; the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

His injury would have taken too long to heal. He tore off a chunk of the inside quarter of his right front foot. Just another footnote for history.

The characters kept the saga alive.  Dutrow and his big mouth…. IEAH Stables and the inner conflict. Blaming Kent D. for his ride in the Belmont; oh, that one may make some sense…. But the players all made the horse bigger than life. It is a shame we won’t see the big show.

Rick Dutrow for the record is great. He comes from a family of trainers, and has overcome many obstacles in life; mostly himself, in this past year. But his overall grade is excellent. Go ahead, bet against the Dutrow boys in New York or Delaware Park. When they both have an entry, over 50% of the time one of them wins.

The saddest part of the story is that we never saw the big dance. He was as tough as a nickle steak, and had the heart of a champion. His tools were called into question, but no one could ever squabble that Big Brown delivered.