Big Brown is still on pace to run in Saturday's Belmont Stakes to continue his pursuit of the elusive Triple Crown despite the crack in his left front hoof that has been the overriding issue leading up to the race.
Today, he ran five furlongs in about a minute and the damaged hoof held up well.
Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. said: "There's not any issues with our horse. He's right on target. He's by far the best horse in the race."
Of course, what's on the minds of many people are recent high-profile horse injuries and deaths, such as Barbaro in the 2006 Preakness and Eight Belles just after this year's Kentucky Derby.
Hoof specialist Ian McKinley has been treating Big Brown and will be putting an acrylic and fiberglass patch on the horse's hoof on Friday. He also dismissed the suggestion that Dutrow would jeopardize the horse's life by running him in the Belmont, even breaking it down to a matter of dollars-and-sense.
"There's a lot of money at stake, but they're not going to (risk the horse)," McKinlay said. "They'd be an idiot to do it. He's certainly worth a lot more alive than he is dead."
Big Brown's syndication rights have been sold for a reported $50 million.
