Big Brown's biggest obstacle to the first Triple Crown in three decades pulled out of the Belmont Stakes this morning.
Casino Drive, the horse handicapped as having best chance to crush odds-on favorite Big Brown's Triple Crown dreams, was scratched from the race because of a bruised left hind hoof.
Casino Drive had a light workout early this morning, but began to favor the hoof during a post-jog bath, the horse's racing manager Nobutaka Tada confirmed. While only a minor injury, the decision to shelf the Japanese race horse was taken as a precationary measure.
The exit takes Big Brown a step closer to capturing horse racing's most prestigious prize, the Triple Crown, a sporting feat not accomplished since 1978 when Affirmed made racing history.
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