Bodog Beat

On Saturday, Big Brown gave us one of the most shocking outcomes of one of the most anticipated races in history. (AP Images)

The hype for Big Brown to win the Triple Crown was undeniably huge, perhaps even too much for the thoroughbred to live up to. How does a favorite to win wind up finishing last?

Speculation has indicated that Big Brown wasn't worked out enough before the race because of the crack in his hoof. Moreover, there have been rumblings that the thoroughbreds' steroid regimen went off course. Big Brown was also the only horse in the field who ran all three races, a tall order for any horse.

Then there's jockey Kent Desormeaux, who told reporters he knew he'd lost the race in the first turn.

SI's Tim Layden says, "Once Desormeaux got him running, the jockey made two abrupt, panicky moves in the first quarter-mile. First he tried to split Da' Tara and Tale of Ekati and was cut off, forcing him to check hard on Big Brown. Then he darted outside, bouncing off Anak Nakal, in the first turn, in a rushed attempt to get outside. (One of Dutrow's cronies said to me after the race, 'What the hell was Kent doing out there?') It's entirely possible that all of Desormeaux's moves early in the race killed Big Brown's interest in running and, in combination with his light conditioning, torpedoed any chance of winning."

There's also the heat to consider. Elmont, New York had the hottest June 7 in history. Could these conditions have been too uncomfortable for the horse? After his loss at the Belmont, Big Brown was immediately examined by veterinarians.

"Nothing, nothing and nothing,” Michael Iavarone, a co-president of International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, which owns part of Big Brown, told reporters. "He scoped clean. His feet are ice cold. The quarter crack is not an issue. We’re perplexed. No one can figure this out. We’re watching him closely and hope we didn’t miss anything."

Reportedly, Big Brown is to go back to his regular training sessions, as he is currently slated to run in the Travers at Saratoga in August, and the Breeders’ Cup in October at Santa Anita, where he is likely to face-off against Curlin.