Big Brown Heading for Monmouth
On the 3rd of August 2008, Big Brown made his return to horse racing at the $1 million Haskell Invitational, after finishing in last position at the Belmont Stakes. He won the Haskell in a nail-biting fight for victory. Knowing that Michael Iavarone, one of Big Brown’s connections, would be looking for the right turf race to run him in before the Breeders’ Cup, racecourses have been making offers and raising purses to lure Big Brown to their tracks. But Monmouth Park came up victorious as Big Brown’s presence in the Monmouth Stakes has been confirmed.
Iavarone confirmed that he selected Monmouth Park purely because the condition of the track seems to be suited to Big Brown, and that even though other racecourses did offer generous purses, he chose the event that would benefit Big Brown’s conditioning for the Breeders’ Cup, which will be run on a synthetic surface. As the inside twenty-four feet of the track of Monmouth Park has not been in use since the Haskell Invitational the course is in good shape and will undergo re-seeding and fertilization, which will allow the grass to grow for at least three weeks before it is cut to precision. The Monmouth Stakes purse has also been increased to $500 000 and with the support Big Brown received at his last horse racing event it is anticipated that a capacity crowd will attend to see this top three year old perform. Other racecourses that put forward offers to lure Big Brown included the Philadelphia Park Racetrack and Casino, who were prepared to push the purse up to $1 million if Big Brown participated.
The Monmouth Stakes will take place on 13 September 2008, and it is going to be a tremendous event. Big Brown has won five of his six career starts, and has earned $3 314 500 during his career. And as the anticipation grows for the Monmouth Stakes, Rob Kulina of Monmouth Park hopes to attract a star studded line-up for the race. Presious Passion has already being nominated for the Monmouth Stakes, so punters can be sure that more top class horses will be in the starting gates. Big Brown on the other hand, has proven that he is a formidable contender and will be captivating spectators in the Monmouth Stakes and in many more racing events to come.
