The Preakness start is Dutrow's main concern

By Maryjean Wall

McClatchy Newspapers

BALTIMORE -- The buzz at Pimlico is all about Big Brown and what he can do for you Saturday as 1-2 favorite in the $1 million Preakness Stakes.

Can he position himself for a possible Triple Crown by adding the Preakness to the Kentucky Derby that he won two weeks ago by 4 3/4 lengths?

It might all come down to the start when 12 horses (Behindatthebar has scratched) break from the gate for this 1 3/16-mile race.

That's the opinion of his trainer, Rick Dutrow, and of others whose horses will try to beat the undefeated and seemingly invincible Big Brown.

"It's all about the break," said Dutrow at Pimlico on Friday. He cited the best example from recent history: War Emblem, a horse used to running only on the lead, losing the 2002 Belmont Stakes after breaking nearly last.

"When you come out of the gate and the horse stumbles pretty bad, right away horses are in front of them ... and you've got a lot of things that you have to deal with," Dutrow said.

"If it happens ... if he stumbles bad ... the break in my opinion is the only issue we have to worry about," Dutrow said.

The trainer has frequently said that Big Brown does not need the lead in a race. And in fact Big Brown was sixth early on in the Kentucky Derby, after having to cut across the track from the far outside, No.20 post.

The Derby winner also broke from the outside post when winning the Florida Derby before his romp at Churchill Downs. By breaking from these outside posts, he was almost assured a trouble-free race.

In the Preakness, Brown will find himself facing a different scenario, after drawing the middle post position. He drew No.7 but will start from post No.6, moving inside by one stall because Behindatthebar was scratched from the race and post No. 5.

Trainers of some others in the Preakness field say they hope that Big Brown might be flummoxed by the jostling that could catch him off-guard soon after the start as he breaks from his middle starting spot.

"He's the best horse in the race -- but he's never had a speck of dirt in his face, never run in the mud ... and a lot can happen," remarked Ken McPeek, who'll challenge Big Brown with Racecar Rhapsody.

"He's got to break in between horses now," said Beau Greely, trainer of Tres Borrachos. "Maybe he'll get intimidated by being knocked around, I don't know. It's something we haven't seen."

Pimlico is hoping for clearer skies than the rain that fell on the track Friday, when Dutrow ordered Brown restricted to a jog instead of a gallop during morning exercise.

"He had fun this morning jogging," said Dutrow. "I don't know if he'd like it when he's running. We'll have to see if it happens."

Yet Dutrow said he doubts there'll be any track mud slung in Big Brown's face in the Preakness.

"If he breaks with the field, I don't see anybody crossing over to throw dirt in his face. I just don't see a lot of speed," he said."

Said Big Brown's jockey, Kent Desormeaux: "I have an idea of how the race is going to go. But the reality is when the doors open, it's all feel. I have to have this horse at his ultimate cruising speed ... and when I ask him at the quarter pole I have to have something left."

Greely said one hope he has for Tres Borrachos is that gelding's natural speed and his courage. Tres Borrachos has won only one race but he has finished close behind top-rated runners like Gayego and Yankee Bravo.

Only one among the 20 Derby starters has returned for another try at Big Brown in the Preakness: Gayego, whose 17th-place finish might have been the result of traffic troubles. Earlier this season he capped off a solid Derby prep campaign with winning the Arkansas Derby.

Macho Again won the Derby Trial the week before the Kentucky Derby. Icabad Crane won the Federrico Tesio Stakes in mid-April at Pimlico. Yankee Bravo distinguished himself by winning the California Derby in January.

Racecar Rhapsody represents the hope of Kentucky Speedway owner Jerry Carroll and others, but he has won only one race. Kentucky Bear also is a one-time winner, but he ran third in the Blue Grass Stakes.

Stevil ran fourth in the Blue Grass and Riley Tucker ran third in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. Giant Moon was fourth in the Wood Memorial and Hey Byrn won the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park in mid-April.

Their stables all realize they will face a monster in Big Brown.

Yet as McPeek said, "We just have to hope he's got a chink in his armor someplace."