IEAH still whining, threatening to go to Haskell
 

Apparently their whining about the deep surface has now reached the point they are threatening to go to the Haskell instead of the Travers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/sp...rssnyt&emc=rss

In fact, Iavarone said that he was now considering running Big Brown in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park rather than the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. The Haskell, which will be run Aug. 3, offers a $1 million purse, a potential participation fee and a track known to be tight and fast.

“I know we’d get favorable conditions on a track that is more to our liking,” he said. “I don’t want Big Brown to get on another racetrack he doesn’t like.”

Dutrow on 5/18:

"The Haskell is not a prestigious race to win like the Travers"

It is such a shame that a decent horse like BB is owned and trained by such morons. I don't think he is a great horse, but he is definitely a good horse and it is so hard to like him considering the idiot connections.

Dutrow on 6/6
I guarentee that Big Brown will win the Triple Crown.

i like how he has it in his mind that the surface was the problem and that the goal is a showdown with Curlin. better to first concentrate on making sure he can beat horses like Smooth Air or Da'Tara.

Says Benny the Bull didn't handle the track either. one small difference. Benny won!

Yeah he's had a tough time with Smooth Air. :zz:

What fantasy land to you have to live in to think that Belmont was deep on Saturday?

The same fantasyland that makes you say you are something you are not?

Maybe they should prep for the Meadowlands Pace the track will be crushed stone hard..

All Big Brown needs is some time and a cycle or two of those special cocktails.. Pour Bastard he found out he was just another one of Dutrow's "Universal Soldiers".......As long as you keep them cool and well medicated they run like heck...

Maybe Mikey is afraid of the D barn and not the Depth of the track?

Everytime he talks its a lie, or something ridiculous. He wants to run in the Haskell over the Travers. He better take that route because hell get that head jerked in the Travers

maybe you haven't noticed but Big Brown can't reproduce the Florida derby effort, and Smooth Air has continued to develop. keep trying.

This is the most ridiculous reply I've ever witnessed on an internet message board. Please continue.

i'm honored

There is a canned cool person response to this by the really, really, really cool people on this board, but I'm stumped.

I understand that Iavarone and IEAH aren't the most likable people in the world, but it's a bit unfair to attack everything they say and do. Iavarone's not the anti-christ. Look:
http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/rah/photo...ydp123&prov=ap

And trying to get the best conditions for your horse, or trying to influence track officials to give you the conditions you want (like tightening up the track) isn't anything new and certainly isn't nefarious. In fact, some would consider such bluster to be part of the game. How is this any different than Asmussen complaining about Curlin's weight assignment? It's the same thing -- threaten to walk and maybe you'll get what you want.

That sounds about right.

Somebody would be doing him a big favor if they just told him to stop talking for a few weeks.

I am quite sure they would like to get Big Brown back to the races this summer. Considering all the value he has lost, he now has more upside than downside, and racing him is what they need to do. However, I will be extremely surprised if he can get back to the racetrack this summer....if at all this year. I think Big Brown is spent.

not a good example because he gets slammed more than anyone.

Speaking of Frank Lyons.....he wouldnt shut his fat trap all Belmont week..even said he thought that BB is the best horse EVER to step on a racetrack. Probably had one too many budweisers before he said that. It's funny how nobody has heard a peep from Lyons since.

The Moran article is good

Lyons is probably looking for the next coolmore castoff to buy for IEAH now that Frost Giant has shown everyone what a crow he is.

He does deserve some credit for Ariege. As slow as she is, she is a G1 winner. She was well spotted and not a bad buy compared to some they have went after

You're right about that. But plenty of people involved in this sport are vocal in the media. A lot of them probably do it for tactical reasons (although you can never discount the possibility that they might just be an a$$hole). Iavarone's not unique, nor is he the worst one.

Everytime I see that picture of Moran's website, I can't remember whether I'm looking at a racing blog or a preview of one of Vincent Price's movies.

Agree!!! He needs to be "turned out" for 90 days minimum. In mid October they can take him off the farm and decide the next move.

I feel sorry for the horse, he is hated by association to the Owner and Trainer. He really isn't a bad horse, but it's sure hard rooting for him with those 2 constantly putting their foots in their mouths.

you're right, he's not the only one.

I'm sure the horse doesnt care if people hate him

I disagree, BTW. I think there is more downside to running him again. He is still the Derby and Preakness winner. And even if he doesn't run again, there's probably a 75% chance he'll be the 3-yr-old Eclipse winner.

His loss in the Belmont was so thorough that they can find some hairline fracture to blame it on and then retire him. I think there's much better than a 50/50 chance he never runs again.

If he runs again and loses again, then they're in trouble value-wise. (Unless they find that hairline fracture and blame both races on it!)

--Dunbar

I hope not, I read he was booed off the track after the Belmont. Well he's in good company then, they used to boo Bobby Orr everytime he touched the puck outside of Boston.

Retire him already!

Sick of the 'Days of Our Lives' soap opera with this bunch.

I'm not saying he has no downside. But, with his breeding, he's at the bottom end of what he could be worth considering his accomplishments.

You could argue both sides. I think they want to race him to give him back some luster.

That's not particularly accurate. There were only a smattering of boos - from those on the apron of the track. And I'm sure some of them could have been directed at Desormeaux, as he was wrestling with the horse in the stretch.

In that vein, I remember hearing more boos for Sunday Silence when he came on the track for the 1989 Belmont when he faced "New York's Easy Goer."

Asmussen is getting 'slammed' far less than he used to.... before Curlin. In fact, Curlin has seemingly earned him some element of respectability that had eluded him.

http://www.wnbc.com/news/16558884/de...l?dl=mainclick

I thought of Ieah Mr Shades when I saw this Talk about a Bridgejumper!:D

Somebody probably threw him off

I just heard some very interesting gossip from one of my trainers. He told me that Dutrow was not happy with the way the horse looked on Thursday and Friday and that he wanted to scratch the horse but that Iavarrone pretty much insisted on running.

I'm getting this information third-hand, so there is no guarantee that it is true. The info is from a good source. If I had to bet, I would bet that it's true but I can't guarantee it.

The guy who told my trainer on Friday night, told him that he was going to bet all kind of exotics and leave Big Brown out.

The reason I am just getting the information now is because the trainer that told me is a trainer that we only have one horse with and I only talk to him once a week at the most.

This is the kind of talk that always comes out of situations like this. What's even more common is that at each level the story gets more and more distorted each time it's told -- like the game children play -- "Telephone".

I wouldn't completely dismiss it, but I certainly wouldn't give it tremendous credibility like you said. Personally, I am more interested in what people like John Nerud have to say. Having been in this business my entire adult life I have always found it interesting to hear what the real legends from our sport have to say.

In this case, there will never be any real answers unless something substantial comes up in the near future -- some sort of injury or the like. Of course I hope that's not the case. Regardless, this is the kind of thing our sport truly doesn't need.

Eric

ELA: Then you'll love reading this!

http://news.bloodhorse.com/article/45678.htm

Dutrow's stolen the spotlight as the current "poster boy" for what ails the sport.