Brown unhurried in return to training

The Belmont Stakes trainwreck behind him and the future uncertain, Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown on Tuesday at Aqueduct had his first breeze since he was pulled up in the final leg of the Triple Crown on June 7.

The move was extremely slow, five furlongs in 1:06.60 with Michelle Nevin in the boot. A horse of lesser accomplishment working the distance in time this slow would have been omitted from the work tab.

Though it is difficult to believe that the quarter crack that ruptured Big Brown’s left-fore hoof before the Belmont is completely grown out – a process that normally requires a good deal more than a month – Dutrow told the few reporters in attendance: “The [quarter crack] is long gone. You guys knew when that was gone. Maybe remnants of [a patch]. It fades away as they shoe him, and file. It will come to you can’t see it anymore until it comes off; unless another [quarter crack] comes up. But he is good right now.”

Good or not, with Big Brown’s next target, the Haskell Invitational, only a few weeks away, Dutrow may find that he is hard-pressed to have Big Brown ready for a top effort after almost a month of no more than light training. -- PM