Big Brown and the Belmont Rollercoaster

The lovely month of June is here as a nation of horse racing fans set their site on June 7th at Belmont for a potential triple crowning in Big Brown.

Here we go again. It's all come down to 1 1/2 miles. An undefeated horse with untouchable class and speed in the uppermost echelon of racing with the regular talk about how this year's field is weak.

I've repeatedly seen the Belmont Stakes referred to as the most 'grueling' race in the sport. Even if that wasn't true, it couldn't be far from it.

That, paired with the recent reports of Big Brown's injured hoof have me concerned. Actually, I'm dually concerned.

From a betting perspective, I don't want him to come up limp at any point in the race (or ever) because he really shouldn't do any worse than 2nd place. So, I'm praying that Ian McKinlay is doing everything possible to heal that quartercrack.

But, regardless of any wagers that may be placed, there's an unmistakably clear voice in my head telling me there's something greater at stake than my financial prospects - the safety of the jockeys and the horses.

What could be worse than Big Brown losing the Belmont and his bid for the Triple Crown? How about Big Brown losing the Belmont, collapsing and getting euthanized on the track?

Just because that happened less than a month ago to Eight Belles after the Kentucky Derby doesn't mean that we should be in the clear for a while before another horse could be fatally injured in a race on a dirt track.

This is my favorite time of the year in horse racing, but only when we've got a shot at seeing a Triple Crown winner. A lot of people may only ever see it done once in their lifetime and it's the only sport I can think of where basically everybody is rooting for the favorite. That's what makes it special to me.

So, you can imagine how devestating it would be to me if anything happened to Big Brown.

Kind of like the last time I was crushed when Barbaro died as a result of his injury on the dirt at Pimlico. I got married on May 6, 2006, the day he won the Kentucky Derby. Two years after his win and subsequent injury, my wife still doesn't like to talk about him.

As adults, we've all seen dead animals, but to me it always strikes a different chord in me when a horse dies. Maybe it's because it brings my wife to tears or because of the pain in my mom's voice when she tells me how she watched the race.

I think what really bothers me is that I know more can be done and has been done in other areas to make the tracks safer for the horses and the jockeys. Polytrack is an artificial surface that has begun replacing dirt tracks throughout the country. It has been shown statistically to reduce fatalities.

In California, all tracks operating for four consecutive weeks were mandated to install synthetic surfaces by 2007. The same thing could and should be done at all thorougbred racing tracks in New York State.

The cost of installing the polytrack is a fraction of the money that flows in and out of these racing parks. Polytrack will reduce fatalities, increase safety for horses and jockeys and help to attract a wider horse racing fanbase that can begin to place trust in a sport that needs to improve its public perception.

Please share your opinion on the issue of mandating polytrack in New York State by participating in the survey on the right.