Rumor Mill

Lots of rumors are flying around about the death threat that Team Big Brown apparently received prior to the Belmont. The Nassau County Police Department has confirmed the existence of the threat that Michael Iavarone made public during the Breeder's Cup telecast.

According to Lt. Andrew Mulrain, "A couple of days before the Belmont, an unsigned letter with obviously no return address, was received by the Tallahassee Police Department. . . which they faxed to us. . . Inside was a totally unsigned letter that said someone is going up to the Belmont Stakes and is going to kill the owner and trainer of Big Brown--and Big Brown was underlined--if the horse gets hurt or killed, indicating it was probably an animal rights activist. It ended by stating that no one is going to be safe there. . . We did, in fact, assign detectives to be in the area of the Iavarone family as well as the trainer of Big Brown."

I have reason to believe the death threats were indeed true but I am very curious why this tidbit has only now "come out." It seems to me that the police protection, the extra security, the added stress could all have been presented as logical explanations for a lot of things, including Iavarone and Dutrow's extreme behavior following the race. Who knows if the jockey was also in on this info, which could also explain why he pulled the horse up if he thought just the smallest thing was wrong?

And I know the horse sensed all of this added tension. Perhaps that explains the extra sweating prior to the race. It surely explains the pre-race "quarantine" in the stakes barn and the disruption of routine. Horses are creatures of habit and I am sure Big Brown sensed the added pressure of all this hoopla, on top of the already over the top excitement of the possibility of a Triple Crown.

So were they sworn to secrecy until now? Why spill the beans when it no longer matters? And then why doubt those who don't believe you--after all it is a bit over the top coming as it did, so late in the game. Or perhaps they were waiting until Big Brown was safely delivered to Three Chimney's and his safety is no longer their responsibility.

Whatever the reason, I have to believe this behavior did little to exonerate Iavarone's reputation for "grandstanding." If his true intention was just to mention Big Brown's name on national television in hopes of winning a few Horse of the year votes, then shame on him.

Once again, he did little to advance the cause of the sport, especially on a day when everything else seemed to be going so well.