Big Brown Resumes Training for Belmont Stakes

One day after getting his cracked hoof treated and Big Brown is already itching to get back into the swing of things. According to his trainer, Rick Dutrow, the Triple Crown hopeful has been causing a bit of trouble in the barn and doesn't know why he's not being able to run. So, the decision was made to allow the horse to take a 1 1/2-mile jog around Belmont Park.

"I felt him going to the track was not only good for his conditioning, but also good for his mind," Dutrow said. "He's been kind of aggravated. He don't know why he's not going to the track. He just doesn't understand why he's not doing it. And we can't explain it to him. So we let him go out there today and take the edge off of him. He's just getting too rough around the barn."

Immediately after taking the light jog Big Brown was given a sponge bath, as if to remind the horse that he's still got to take it easy.

Big Brown had his injured hoof repaired on Monday and is still expected to get in one good breeze prior to the June 7th Belmont Stakes.

Big Brown Wins the Preakness Stakes

Jockey Kent Desmoreaux said that at a couple of points during the race he had to slow Big Brown down. It wasn't until the 3/4 mark that he "pressed the button" and let Big Brown kick it up a notch to win the Preakness Stakes.

"He just set sail," Desmoreaux said, "He just kept kicking his legs up and went riding for the wire. There was not a grain of sand in face."

There was some concern that the only way Big Brown could lose the race was if another horse got in front of him and kicked a little sand in his face to distract him. While he did get a bit of sand on him at one point, it wasn't enough to keep him from attaining his goal.

What's next? The Belmont Stakes and a shot at making the history books as the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years.

Macho Again took second place while Icabad Crane placed third.

Preakness Stakes Results: Three Hours and Counting

With just over three hours until post time, the trainers and jockeys are now getting their horses ready to run the race of their lives at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes is just about underway, folks, and you can be darn sure that I'll have all the race results posted here on my blog.

The favorite to win the Preakness, Big Brown, is the center of attention. A win here today will leave only one more race to win -- the Belmont Stakes -- and with it the Triple Crown. It's been 20 years since any horse has been able to lay claim to the Triple Crown and many believe Big Brown can accomplish that huge task. But for now, he'll have to win here at Pimlico.

"Big Brown has versatility, class and a clear-cut speed edge," says Steve Davidowitz, a regular contributor to DRF's Simulcast Weekly and DRF PLus. "Coming back in two weeks shouldn't really be a problem for such a lightly raced, supremely fit racehorse."

Post time is 6:09 p.m. EST. Watch the Preakness Stakes live on NBC. Here are your post positions, horses, jockeys, trainers and odds for the 2008 Preakness Stakes:

PP, Horse, Jockey, Trainers, Odds
1, Macho Again, Julien R. Leparoux, Dallas Stewart, 20-1
2, Tres Borrachos, Tyler Baze, Beau Greely, 30-1
3, Icabad Crane, Jeremy Rose, H. Graham Motion, 30-1
4, Yankee Bravo, Alex O. Solis, Patrick Gallagher, 15-1
5, Behindatthebar, David Romero Flores, Todd Pletcher, 10-1
6, Racecar Rhapsody, Robby Albarado, Kenneth McPeek, 30-1
7, Big Brown, Kent J. Desormeaux, Richard Dutrow Jr., 1-2
8, Kentucky Bear, Jamie Theriot, Reade Baker, 15-1
9, Stevil, John R. Velazquez, Nick Zito, 30-1
10, Riley Tucker, Edgar S. Prado, William Mott, 30-1
11, Giant Moon, Ramon A. Dominguez, Richard Schosberg, 30-1
12, Gayego, Mike E. Smith, Paulo Lobo, 8-1
13, Hey Byrn, Charles C. Lopez, Eddie Plesa Jr., 20-1

I'll have the Preakness Stakes results immediately following the race. Good luck to all 13 horses!