By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Big Brown’s co-owner Michael Iavarone rejected the notion Monday that steroid withdrawal played a role in the colt’s last-place finish in the Belmont Stakes on June 7.
What happened during the Belmont remains a mystery to Iavarone, although a picture he received from a freelance photographer appears to show Big Brown running in the Belmont with a dislodged shoe on his right hind hoof. There was no evidence of injury to the hoof after the race, but Iavarone said he did not think it could have been comfortable for the horse, who was wearing an acrylic patch on his left front hoof, to compensate for a painful quarter crack.
“It has to be considered a very strong possibility,” Iavarone said. “If the shoe was off, it’s like running on a wobbly cleat.”
Did Loose Shoe Hurt Big Brown?....
