Overconfident Big Brown Parties All Night Before Belmont Stakes

BELMONT, NY—After a night of drinking heavily in New York City clubs, Big Brown’s arrogant guarantee that he would win the Belmont Stakes to become an historic Triple Crown winner went unfulfilled July 7 as the badly hungover colt slowly trotted around the track, occasionally pausing to dry-heave before finishing in last place. “Normally, Big Brown and I will each have a glass of bourbon together to unwind the night before a race,” said Richard E. Dutrow, Jr., Brown’s confidant and trainer. “But he was out of control, picking up the entire bottle with his muzzle and chugging it all in one long pull. And when he left the stables to go out clubbing, he was just buying round after round of drinks.” Dutrow, who said that at one point during the evening Big Brown climbed up on the bar and started dancing, was relieved that the thoroughbred was smart enough not to get behind the wheel in his impaired condition.