Very interesting and passionate opinions here.
Big Brown is a very talented colt. There is little doubt in that. However, he is trained and owned by people that make my skin crawl.
I have no problem with a guy like Dutrow doing drugs himself. Makes no difference to me. I do have a serious problem with him drugging his horses and winning purses at the expense of other accomplished horseman. It forces trainers (and owners) into a moral decision about whether to stay honest and lose and pair up with the "dark side" in order to win.
I still get chills watching Easy Goer/Sunday Silence or Ferninand/Alysheba or Secretariat. So, as a horse racing fan, I cannot help feel that Big Brown is where he is based in part (and probably a large part) on the fact that he has illegal substances helping him. Do I know that for a fact? Of course not. But where there is smoke, there is usually fire. Anyone handicapping Rick Dutrow (and his brother) can easily see there is an uncommon skill at winning with anything. Seasoned horse players are not idiots and are probably more adapt at spotting falsities than any outside investigator.
As far as the owners go, not a lot to say other than they appear to have zero class and have little interest in the betterment of the game. They want to make money, which is fine, but their actions and attitudes are hard to believe. Very smug, self important and arrogant. In a game like horse racing, where most owners fit that bill (rich, arrogant, etc) it is amazingly impressive that these owners can stand out in that category.
The whole thing (Dutrow, IAEH, drugs, breakdowns, excessive whipping, no ADW options on many tracks, high takeout in all pools, charging for admission, lack of technology improvements) just makes me turned off to the game. As a sport, it hardly reaches the national map. It won't be long until the Kentucky Derby is broadcast on ESPN, then on TNT, then maybe on the GAME network. Go out and look at ESPN and try and find it on their hyperlinks. It shows up with Mixed Martial Arts, Lacrosse and the WNBA...and after the AFL. Not even sure what the AFL is....
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