Rick Dutrow Jr., Big Brown’s trainer, has nothing but faith in his thoroughbred — and why shouldn’t he?
The odds-on favorite is a perfect 4-0, with his wins coming by a combined 33 3/4 lengths, leading many to believe the colt will easily claim today’s 133rd Preakness in front of a national television audience on NBC.
“It’s our race to lose,” Dutrow said. “He’s the best horse in the race.”
If Big Brown emerges victorious from the field of 12 at Pimlico, he will be poised to become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years when he competes in the Belmont Stakes on June 7 in Elmont, N.Y.
Big Brown, who will begin the 1 3/16th-mile race from post seven, proved his dominance two weeks ago at Churchill Downs, when he won the Kentucky Derby by an astonishing 4 3/4 lengths.
The last horse to claim the Triple Crown was Affirmed in 1978.
Several of the jockeys, trainers and owners associated with horses in the field of 12 3-year-olds seem to have conceded defeat. Nick Zito, who trains Stevil, isn’t sure his horse can hang with Big Brown. Icabad Crane jockey Jeremy Rose, who won in 2005 aboard Afleet Alex, said all the other horses were racing for second. Ken McPeek, who trains Racecar Rhapsody, agreed with Rose.
“If you throw Big Brown out, I’m sure there’s a lot of people that would really think they had a good chance of winning the race,” Dutrow said. “Finishing second or third in the Preakness is not a bad move.”
Overall, post-time favorites have won 68 times, but eight of the past 14 odds-on Preakness favorites have lost, including last year’s Derby champion, Street Sense.
One of the biggest concerns surrounding Big Brown is his history of having front feet problems, but Dutrow insists his horse is fine and the 14-day turnaround from race-to-race won’t be an issue.
And it hasn’t been forpast champions.
Twenty-one of the last 23 Preakness winners did so off a two-week rest.
“One of the signs that will tell us is when we look back at the horses that he ran against in the Derby and Preakness,” Edward Plesa Jr., trainer of Hey Byrn said. “Are they just a bunch of ordinary horses and he’s just the best of the bunch? Or are they good horses and he’s a champion? Time will tell.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
