Jun 4, 2008 5:32 pm US/Eastern
Big Brown To Break From No. 1 Spot At Belmont
NEW YORK (AP) ―
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Jockey Kent Desormeaux riding Big Brown crosses the finish line to win the 133rd Preakness Stakes on May 17, 2008, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.
Drew Hallowell/Getty Images
Big Brown will begin his bid to complete the Triple Crown by breaking from the No. 1 post in the Belmont Stakes.
The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner drew the inside position against nine rivals Wednesday. Big Brown is listed at 2-5 odds for Saturday's grueling 1 ½-mile race.
"I just can't see a post position getting him beat," trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said. "As long as we break good, I can see us getting a good trip. There is not a lot of speed in the race. If we need our horse early on, he'll be there for us."
Big Brown is 5-0, winning by a combined 39 lengths. A Belmont victory would make him the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years.
His main challenger, Japanese-bred Casino Drive, will start from the No. 5 post. He is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line. He and Big Brown are the only horses with single-digit odds.
Denis of Cork was listed as the 12-1 third choice. He rallied from 20th to finish third in the Derby.
Nick Zito will saddle a pair of 30-1 shots-Da'Tara and Anak Nakal, who finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby. Da'Tara was ninth in the Florida Derby, beaten by 23 ½ lengths by Big Brown.
Guadalcanal was a surprise late entry. The colt is winless in five starts for owner-trainer Fred Seitz, but was second by a nose while going the Belmont distance of 1 ½ miles in his last start on turf at Churchill Downs.
Big Brown walked around his barn Wednesday, staying out of the morning rain.
"The horse is doing great. Everybody has seen him run. He's beaten mostly every horse in the race with ease," Dutrow said. "We've got a couple of newcomers. I don't think they add too much."
Wood Memorial winner Tale of Ekati was fourth in the Derby for trainer Barclay Tagg.
Two Preakness runners are taking on Big Brown again. Macho Again was second in the Preakness and Icabad Crane was third.
Ready's Echo was third in the Peter Pan at Belmont, won by Casino Drive in his only U.S. start.
The field, from the rail out: Big Brown (Kent Desormeaux, 2-5); Guadalcanal (Javier Castellano, 50-1); Macho Again (Garrett Gomez, 20-1); Denis of Cork (Robby Albarado, 12-1); Casino Drive (Edgar Prado, 7-2); Da'Tara (Alan Garcia, 30-1); Tale of Ekati (Eibar Coa, 20-1); Anak Nakal (Julien Leparoux, 30-1); Ready's Echo (John Velazquez, 30-1); and Icabad Crane (Jeremy Rose, 20-1).
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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