Report: Big Brown photo reveals loose shoe early in Belmont

ESPN.com news service ^ | 6.23.2008

[TexasNative2000]

A photo taken during the early stages of the Belmont Stakes has revealed Big Brown was running with a loose shoe as the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner attempted to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1979, Newsday reported Monday.

[TexasNative2000]

Makes sense as a reasonable explanation for Big Brown's terrible performance in that race.

[Eddie01]

Who loosened it?

[TexasNative2000]

Sounds like it was not attached properly to begin with.

[am452]

Who loosened it? Probabaly no one. They come loose all the time. Just happens.

Just like your shoe strings come untied on occasion

[gate2wire]

Won’t discount it as a factor.

[TexasNative2000]

Strange, isn’t it? Winning that Triple Crown would have been HUGH news for horse racing, and it’s all undone by a couple of nails.

[raybbr]

Why was nothing said about this earlier? Weren’t they paying attention then?

[gate2wire]

Right, they get loose, come off, all the time.
Might have clipped heels.

[Steely Tom]

Are horseshoes still made of iron?

[am452]

Strange, isn’t it?

I don't think their was a conspiracy here. Sh*t happens.

[texas booster]

Seems that I have heard of such shenanigans in the past in order to adjust the final outcome of a race.

I am sure it was just coincidence.

On a multimillion $ thoroughbred.

On the biggest race of its career.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

On a multimillion $ thoroughbred.

With pre-race hoof problems.

[TexasNative2000]

"Michael Iavarone, a co-president of International Equine Acquisitions Holdings -- Big Brown's stable -- told Newsday that freelancer photographer Russ Milton e-mailed him two close-up shots, which he opened late Saturday night."

The horse's owner didn't open his e-mail until Saturday.

[am452]

Right, they get loose, come off, all the time.

Yep they do. Ever hear the term "Dang horse threw a shoe"

[Moonman62]

BB wore special shoes. They may have been plastic.

[TexasNative2000]

Didn’t mean to imply conspiracy - just irony. Such a big race foiled by such a small thing.

[MeanWestTexan]

Someone who wanted to win some money, I would think.

[snarks_when_bored]

Let's see...how many millions of dollars did ordinary bettors lose on Big Brown? Over five million? More?

Nah. Nobody would've loosened a shoe on Big Brown on purpose...

[gate2wire]

This was a rear hoof.

His front hoof(with the crack) had glue-ons.

[Phlap]

I don’t see no picture. Where is it?

[Steve_Seattle]

I told my girlfriend BEFORE the race that I thought Big Brown was slightly favoring his right rear leg.

[poindexter]

[wordsofearnest]

“All for the want of a horseshoe nail”

[am452]

Didn’t mean to imply conspiracy - just irony. Such a big race foiled by such a small thing.

Some years back a Top Fuel racer was a few points away from the championship. If he won the eliminator would have won the championship. Car bogged down on the line and faltered.

In their haste to get the car finished between rounds they inadvertently left a towel in the hood scoop blocking air flow.

[gate2wire]

Hair, what do they make horseshoes of these days?

[Always Right]

With pre-race hoof problems.

Might have been a different hoof. They were too focused on the problem hoof and ignored the others.

[Bringbackthedraft]

For the want of a nail, a crown was lost?

[Bernard Marx]

it’s all undone by a couple of nails.

Cause and effect:

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;

For want of the shoe, the horse was lost;

For want of the horse, the rider was lost;

For want of the rider, the battle was lost;

For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost;

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

[Homer1]

So what’s Roger Clinton been up since his Alydar days?

[SJSAMPLE]

Dick Cheney, of course.

[HairOfTheDog]

Steel, aluminum, even plastic. It just depends. Most are steel.

Where is this photo? And if the shoe was loose in the race, it would have been loose after the race, there wouldn’t be a big mystery about whether it was loose. Am I missing something?

[ktscarlett66]

Nah, he loved Pie-Oh-My. It was probably Ralphie.

[am452]

“All for the want of a horseshoe nail”

Nail was probabaly made in China George Bush's fault.

[MJemison]

Iron, aluminum, or plastic

[tcrlaf]

“and it’s all undone by a couple of nails.”

Meanwhile, the only winners were the bookmakers, who pocketed MILLIONS.....

[TexasNative2000]

I don’t see no picture. Where is it?

The photo isn't shown in the article.

[gate2wire]

I’m looking. I believe the photo was published in the print edition. They’re probably waiting to sell a few copies before they put it on the net. Haven’t found it yet.

[gate2wire]

Owner claims it reset itself during the race.

[gate2wire]

Owner: “...But now I’m thinking the shoe was dislodged during the race and incorrectly reset while he was running.”

[raybbr]

The horse's owner didn't open his e-mail until Saturday.

You mean the owner, the jockey and the trainer didn't look over the horse after the race?

[gate2wire]

Thanks.

[TexasNative2000]

You mean the owner, the jockey and the trainer didn't look over the horse after the race?

Doesn't make sense to me either. Even if the shoe reset itself, I doubt it would reset in exactly the same location.

[HairOfTheDog]

Owner: “...But now I’m thinking the shoe was dislodged during the race and incorrectly reset while he was running.”

Why, was it crooked after the race?

Again, I think they'd know.

Horse shoes are nailed on and then the ends of the nails are bent over "clinched". When a horse steps on it and pulls a shoe, not only is the shoe usually bent, it tears out a hole that is bigger than the nail. It's not going to re-seat itself tight again, and the bent, clinched nail is not going to drive a new hole in the foot.

Again... if the shoe was loose, they'd know that after the race. They wouldn't be looking at photo closeups to figure that out.

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

"Strange, isn’t it? Winning that Triple Crown would have been HUGH news for horse racing, and it’s all undone by a couple of nails."

His shoes were padded and glued on, no nails are used because of his hoof ailments.

[ottbmare]

Even if the shoe reset itself, I doubt it would reset in exactly the same location.

It would have had to reset itself in the same location because its location is controlled by the nails that hold it into the hoof wall. In other words the shoe can loosen because the nails pull down a little, and then subsequent pressure pushes it back up into place. After the race the racing plates may well be pulled if a horse isn't going to compete again soon, so no one may have noticed the problem.

I don't know about BB, I'm just saying that this has happened to my OTTB who also has typically crappy TB feet that don't hold a shoe well. We went around for days a couple of weeks ago with the shoe very slightly loosened, and even though she has her feet picked out before and after each ride (and painted with hoof conditioner, and inspected) it took awhile for me to realize that the shoe that looked fine was actually a little loose.

[gate2wire]

Ya got me.

[bobjam]

For want of a nail, a shoe came loose

For want to a secure shoe, a horse lost (badly)

For want of a horse, a triple crown was lost

For want of a triple crown, an ESPN-media orgasm was avoided.

[ETL]

This might explain why BB was acting up a lot going into the first turn. Also, it was extremely hot here in New York that day (near 100 degrees).

[imintrouble]

C’mon - nobody connected Obama to the loose nail...hmph!

[TexasNative2000]

For want of a triple crown, an ESPN-media orgasm was avoided.

No kidding. I wonder if they were able to get a refund on all the champagne they had ordered in Bristol.