Suddenly, a Big Brown questionmark

If Big Brown is said to be afflicted by a “slight” quarter crack on the inside of the left-fore hoof, it is reasonable to assume that his condition is more serious than his people acknowledge in public.

Nothing is more dependable at the racetrack than a high level of cynicism that begins with the universal presumption of deception.

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner has missed two days of training since the crack was discovered on Friday and will have the morning off on Memorial Day. Trainer Rick Dutrow said on Sunday that he expects Big Brown to resume training on Thursday – the best-case scenario – which amounts to a five-day gap in his preparation for the June 7 Belmont Stakes.

While a horse in peek physical condition should be capable of overcoming a five-day vacation without loss of form, the actual severity of the problem is in question and probably more than a “slight” setback.

Aside from those permitted entry to the stall in Barn 2 at Belmont in which Big Brown resides and perhaps Dutrow’s closest confidant are aware of the actual extent of the problem, but here is a horse with a history of hoof problems plagued by the all-too-familiar familiar and chronic nemesis. When he returns to a normal training routine, Big Brown will find a hard racetrack at Belmont that is also, according to some trainers, inconsistent from one day to the next and blamed for a rash of hoof problems in the resident equine population– hardly ideal conditions for the preparation of a tender-hooved horse for a 12-furlong race in which he will be sternly tested.

Big Brown, who has overcome many obstacles in the process of reaching this point undefeated, may be capable of overcoming the setback, but there is a good deal of room for healthy skepticism.