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Horse Racing Betting - Was Big Brown's Belmont loss due to loose shoe?
By Jordan WaltersWagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
| Horse Racing Betting at WagerWeb Racebook |
Word has come from the stables of Big Brown that he may have had a shoe problem during the Belmont Stakes. Michael Iavarone has said that, after seeing a picture of Big Brown’s hoof at the race, it’s possible that he had a loose shoe on his right hind hoof.
“The picture shocked me,” Michael Iavarone said. “When the shoe spread, a nail could have been pinching him. Or he could have been stepping on a hot nail, which would have been worse. I’m guessing the nail went back in but not in the same spot. Or it could have been a loose shoe, which would be like trying to run with a wobbly cleat.
”At first many thought his cracked hoof could have been responsible for his poor performance. But Big Brown was checked after the Belmont Stakes and given a clean bill of health. This new information may be a better explanation of what happened in the final jewel of the Triple Crown.
“When a shoe comes off, it does throw a horse out of balance, but it depends how traumatically it happens and at what stage of the race,” veterinarian Dr. Greg Bennett told Newsday, “A couple nails can loosen up, which can cause a lot of problems and affect a horse’s performance.
”Big Brown will get his chance to redeem himself at the $1M Haskell Invitational Stakes on August 3 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. We will see if Big Brown’s pedigree of short racing careers continues with him.
