Brown blowout a mystery

A shell-shocked Rick Dutrow remains at a loss to explain the dismal performance by Big Brown in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday night.

The previously unbeaten colt was sent off the 1/4 favourite for the final leg of the Triple Crown after trouncing his rivals in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

But he was never travelling with much fluency throughout the 12 furlong event in New York and was eased to a walk close home by jockey Kent Desormeaux as the race went to the unheralded Da'Tara.

The horse's preparation had been interrupted by a cracked hoof but the trainer refused to blame that on his stable star's abject display.

"The horse is not injured. We will scope the horse," said Dutrow. "I was looking for a problem, and so far, I don't see a problem.

"I am looking for something to be wrong, and I don't see it. When they turned for home, I knew something wasn't right.

"If we feel he is 100%, we will get him back in training and move on. This is a very disappointing race, and right now, it looks like he will have a good life even if he never races again.

"When Kent starting pulling him up, I thought something was wrong. He's in good shape and we're very proud of him.

"Something has got to be wrong when he puts in a race like this. I just don't know what happened."

Big Brown became the 11th horse since Affirmed won the Triple Crown in 1978 to win the first two legs only to come unstuck in the Belmont.