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Big Brown wins Haskell Invitational! Breeders Cup Classic on the horizon!
Big Brown won the $1 million Haskell Invitational by the slimmest of margins on Sunday (3 August, 2008) at Monmouth Park racecourse. Big Brown accomplished the mission in 1:48.31.
With his victory on Sunday, Big Brown's connections are looking ahead to the not-so-distant future, and are keeping in mind the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita racecourse on Oct. 25 as a prospective target.
Big Brown was able to win the Monmouth Park extravaganza by executing a rally in the final stretch to beat the surging longshot Coal Play. Putting on the speed in the final stages is something that Big Brown has never had to do in the past.
With his Haskell Invitational triumph, Big Brown has at least temporarily exorcised the ghost that had been looming over him since his disastrous performance in the Belmont Stakes. Persistent doubts had been swirling over Big Brown the past few weeks regarding his ability to take the Haskell Invitational. Now it appears the horse still has what it takes to figure big in these kinds of events.
Big Brown's triumph in the Monmouth Park racecourse marquee event was actually in doubt until the final strides. The Nick Zito-trained Coal Play was in the lead throughout most of the race. Up until the stretch, Coal Play looked like he was going to stage a cataclysmic upset and win the Haskell.
But a determined jockey Kent Desormeaux summoned Big Brown to put on a finishing kick in the final stages. Big Brown responded to the proddings of Desormeaux and let out a rapid effort that ultimately proved too much for Coal Play.
Big Brown finished ahead of Coal Play by 1¾ lengths as a crowd of about 45,000 cheered on their sentimental favorite.
Big Brown's connections obviously took in a collective sigh of relief on his win at the Haskell Invitational. When the horse was entering the stretch and Coal Play looked unstoppable, even Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow said, "I thought we were going to get beat."
Cool Coal Play came in third, followed by Alaazo, Nistle's Crunch, Atoned and Magical Forest. Big Brown paid $2.40 for a $2 win bet.
Sunday's win at Monmouth Park racecourse boosted Big Brown's earnings to about $3.3 million. |
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