Big Brown

Background

Big Brown was bred by Dr. Gary B. Knapp's Monticule Farms in Lexington, Kentucky. He was sired by Grade III winner Boundary, a son of North American Champion sire Danzig, who was a son of Northern Dancer. Big Brown's dam was Mien, also a granddaughter of Northern Dancer through her sire, Nureyev.

Big Brown was first sold for $60,000 at the Fasig-Tipton 2006 Fall Yearling Sale. He was then sold again at the Keeneland Sales 2007 April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale to Brooklyn trucking company owner Paul Pompa, Jr. for $190,000. Pompa named the colt in honor of the United Parcel Service (UPS), popularly nicknamed Big Brown. Pompa turned him over to trainer Patrick Reynolds for race conditioning.

Racing career

2007: Two-year-old season

Ridden by Jeremy Rose, the colt made his two-year-old racing debut on September 3, 2007, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York on the turf, winning by 11+1⁄4 lengths. Pompa then sold an interest in Big Brown to IEAH Stables, a subsidiary of International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, Inc., whose stated purpose is to create and manage an Equity Horse Fund, which operates as a hedge fund. The new partnership sent the horse to the Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center in South Florida under the care of new trainer Rick Dutrow.

Soon afterwards, quarter cracks were discovered in both of Big Brown's front feet, sidelining the colt for several months.

2008: Three-year-old season

Unraced for more than six months, Big Brown debuted as a three-year-old on March 5, 2008, with a 12+3⁄4 length win in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park. He was ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux.

Entered in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 29, Big Brown drew the outside post position in a field of twelve. Despite the unfavorable post, he was made the 3-2 favorite. Desormeaux sent the horse to the lead with fast opening fractions and was never challenged: Big Brown won by five lengths. The final time of 1:48.16 was just 0.37 seconds off the dirt track record set by Brass Hat in 2006. Such an impressive performance by a lightly raced horse led Big Brown to be called a "freakish colt". Desormeaux said. "Riding him was like bounding through a meadow. He just galloped around. When a horse sets fractions like that and still tells me that he's got more, and that the other horses can't get to him, that's something special. He's a major talent; possibly the best horse I've ridden."

On May 3, 2008, in just his fourth race, Big Brown was the 2–1 favorite in the 2008 Kentucky Derby. He started from the far outside post position 20, but neither that, nor his lack of experience seemed to be a problem. At the break, Desormeaux did not push Big Brown, concentrating instead on getting good position on the first turn while settling instead behind the leaders. "He was just galloping, floppy-eared, off the bridle, cruising," said Desormeaux. On the far turn, Desormeaux urged the horse and Big Brown responded with a burst of speed that swept him to the lead. He won by 4+3⁄4 lengths over filly Eight Belles, who was euthanised after breaking both front fetlocks during the post-race cool-down. The last horse to win the Kentucky Derby from post position 20 was Clyde Van Dusen in 1929. Big Brown became the seventh horse to win the race undefeated. The time for the 1+1⁄4-mile race was 2:01.92. The official Beyer Speed Figure for the race was 109. He became the first horse since Regret in 1915 to win the race with three or fewer starts.

In the days leading up to the Preakness, Dutrow admitted that he had Winstrol (stanozolol), an anabolic steroid, administered to his horses on the 15th of every month. However, Dutrow stated to ESPN that Big Brown did not receive the May 15 shot. At the time, stanozolol was banned in 10 states but not in any of the states where the Triple Crown races were held. Dutrow also talked about the administration of a "jug", which the veterinarian described as an electrolyte solution designed to rehydrate the horse.

Stud career

While working out with stablemate Kip Deville on October 13, Big Brown sustained an injury to a hind hoof and was declared out of the Breeders' Cup Classic, and retired.

He was awarded the Eclipse Award as American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse for 2008.

Beginning in 2009, Big Brown stood at stud at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky. He was bred to more than 100 mares his first season, including 71 stakes mares or stakes producers. The first reported foal for Big Brown was a filly out of Impressive Attire (by Seeking the Gold) born on January 12, 2010, at Swifty Farms in Seymour, Indiana.

In 2014, Andrew Cohen's Sunrise Stables and Gary Tolchin's Golden Goose Enterprises obtained a majority interest in Big Brown and announced that he would be relocated to New York for the 2015 season with a fee of $8,500. Standing at Dutchess Views Farm in Pine Plains, New York, his 2016 fee increased to $10,000.

Big Brown has proved to be a successful sire. His most notable offspring include Dortmund, who won the 2015 Santa Anita Derby and finished third in the Kentucky Derby, behind Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and Somelikeithotbrown, who won the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap in 2020 and the Grade 2 Dinner Party Stakes in 2021. Big Brown is the damsire of Mage, winner of the 2023 Kentucky Derby, and of Dornoch, winner of the 2024 Belmont Stakes.

On September 27, 2024, Big Brown Syndicate's Andy Cohen accompanied Big Brown at Old Friends Equine, where he will live out his days as the fifth Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner to be retired there.

Pedigree

Big Brown is inbred 3s × 3d to the stallion Northern Dancer, meaning that he appears third generation on the sire side of his pedigree and third generation on the dam side of his pedigree. Big Brown is also inbred 3s × 4d to Damascus, meaning he appears third generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree