Big Brown's big responsiblity

Tomorrow much of the country will watch with bated breath to see if Big Brown becomes the first thoroughbred in thirty years to reach the pinnacle of horse racing in America - the triple crown. But, as Mike Celizic points out today on NBCSports.com, Saturday's running of the Belmont isn't just about Big Brown's success or failure. The future of horse racing as a sport in America is resting quite firmly on whether or not he's even able to complete the race.

Throughout his short career, Big Brown has been plagued with hoof problems - problems that reappeared in the interim since the Preakness in the form of a cracked hoof. The best veterinarians were called in and the crack has been patched. Big Brown's trainer insists that he has been running well, and the hoof seems, if not healed, then at least not a problem. But Big Brown's trainer and owners seem blithely unaware of the burden they are placing on the shoulder's of their champion. If Big Brown races well, he will become a legend. If he falls, or if the hoof is further injured on the track on Saturday, horse racing will take a severe blow. And it might not recover.

The fact that Big Brown's performance will be extrapolated to horse racing as a whole is not entirely fair. The Triple Crown is a rarefied racing series run by horses far from their prime. The fact that the series is restricted to three-year-olds ensures that the outcome of of the race is unpredictable. With the stakes so high and with unproven horses in the gate, the chance of accidents in such races is magnified. Nevertheless, any disaster on the track Saturday will undoubtedly be taken by the public as indicative of the state of horse racing in general.

I would sympathize with Big Brown's owners and trainers and the predicament that Big Brown's success has left them with if not for the impression they leave of their naked greed and ambition. The news today on MSNBC.com that Big Brown's jockey will wear a Hooters logo in a sponsorship deal cements that impression. It would seem that no only is Big Brown carrying the weight of horse racing on his back, he's also carrying the merchandising aspirations of a host of public relations professionals.