Courtesy www.threechimneys.com:
     The most talented colt of his and many generations, dual Classic winner Big Brown consistently delivered brilliance, on dirt and on turf, in some of the world's best races.
A stunning physical specimen with immense charisma, Big Brown achieved a series of "firsts" and "bests" that rank him with racing's all-time greats:
     First horse since 1915 to win the Derby with only three career starts.
     Only horse to win the Kentucky Derby from post 20.
     Only horse to win the Florida Derby from post 12.
     Co-high weighted three-year-old colt in the world­132.
     Best Rag number for any Kentucky Derby, and best Thoro-Graph number for any three-year-old.
     Only colt in 2008 to win four Grade I races on dirt.
     One of four undefeated Derby/Preakness winners.
     Undefeated on turf and undefeated over older horses.
     Big Brown won seven times from eight starts, at six tracks and five distances, four times in races worth at least $1,000,000. He flashed his brilliance early, dominating a two-year-old maiden special event at Saratoga by 11-1/4 lengths in his debut. The manner in which he won coupled with the margin of victory created a buzz throughout the racing community, and offers began pouring in for the strapping bay colt.
     Owner Paul Pompa eventually agreed to team up with the IEAH Stable, and Big Brown ran the remainder of his career carrying IEAH's star-studded red, white and blue silks.
     At three, Big Brown came back stronger than ever, winning four consecutive spectacular races from March 5 to May 17, including the Florida Derby-G1, Kentucky Derby-G1, and Preakness S.-G1.
     In the Florida Derby, Big Brown broke from post 12, yet still won by five lengths, .37 off the track record, earning a second consecutive 106 Beyer. More astounding, since the reconfiguration of Gulfstream, only one other horse-Barbaro-was able to win a 9-furlong race from post 10 or outward.
     In the Kentucky Derby, Big Brown delivered again. Despite breaking from the far outside in post 20, Big Brown gained a perfect stalking position, then drew off at will to a 4 3/4-length victory. This thrilling performance earned Big Brown the best Ragozin and Thoro-Graph numbers in Derby history.
     The electrifying Derby win caught America's attention, and all eyes were on Big Brown leading up to the Preakness. Again, Big Brown delivered. Once more breaking from the outside post, he won geared down to little more than a canter, and crossed the finish line under wraps, 5-1/4 lengths in front.
     Big Brown did not bring home the Triple Crown, but he did win his remaining starts, the $1,000,000 Haskell Invitational S.-G1 on dirt and $500,000 Monmouth S. on turf.
     It's always difficult to compare horses of different eras and different running styles. Big Brown's Derby Rag Number of-3/4 is superior to every other Derby winner, including Secretariat (1-), Affirmed (4), Seattle Slew (7), Barbaro (0+), War Emblem (1), Unbridled (2), and Street Sense (3+).
     Horsemen know the true measure of a champion lies not only in the races he won and the manner of victory, but how good his crop was without him to contend with. Horses he beat came back to: win the King's Bishop-G1; run 1 & 3 in the Travers-G1; 1 & 2 in the Swaps-G2; 1 & 2 in the Jim Dandy-G2; 1 & 3 in the Ohio Derby-G2; 1 & 3 in the PA Derby-G2.
     Veteran writer Steve Haskin marvelled: "Big Brown's accomplishments earlier in the year were unlike anything we've ever seen. No one has put together performances like the Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby, and Preakness with so little foundation and experience... the fact that he returned after a physically and mentally demanding Triple Crown to win both his starts, in a GI and on the turf, shows what an extraordinary horse he was."
     A handsome, imposing individual standing 16.1 hands, Big Brown has been described as "athletic and light on his feet, with a lot of overall quality and tremendous presence." In addition, he possesses an exceptional "bomb proof" demeanor, which served him so well throughout the Classics.
     Big Brown brings a fascinating sire's pedigree to the breeding shed. A clear two-turn runner, he is by the sprinter Boundary, who in turn is by sprint/mile influence Danzig. Big Brown is inbred to breed-shaping sires Northern Dancer, Damascus, and Round Table, and carries four crosses of Selene, dam of six-time leading English sire Hyperion and influential American sires Sickle and Pharamond II.
     Big Brown enters stud in 2009 with seven wins in eight starts and earnings of $3.6 million. He won the keynote races for three-year-olds with authority while battling adversity. He is the pro tem champion three-year-old in North America, and the co highest-weighted three-year-old colt in the world.

Courtesy The Blood-Horse, August 2009:
     Big Brown, the 2008 champion 3-year-old male and winner of that year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I), started back under tack Monday morning Aug. 17 at Robert N. Clay's Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Ky.
     The farm typically exercises the majority of its stallions by galloping them a mile and a quarter under tack six days a week on its quarter-mile training track. This regimen allows them to maintain an acceptable level of fitness both mentally and physically throughout their life as a stallion. Big Brown completed his first year at stud this year.
     Big Brown grabbed a quarter while preparing for the 2008 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and was subsequently retired. He was not ridden during his first year at stud in order to give his injury any and all necessary time to heal.
     Big Brown's first ride was an easy workout, in which he jogged the first three laps, galloped the next 1-1/2 laps, then jogged the last half of a lap.

     Big Brown fans can buy an IEAH Stables' Big Brown baseball cap by visiting www.horsehats.com.
     See http://www.horsehats.com/BigBrown.html for more.
     LAST UPDATED: August 19, 2009