Desormeaux Gives Up at the Belmont

Hall of Fame Jockey Decides Not to Risk Big Brown's Health

Jun 8, 2008

For Kent Desormeaux, the 2008 Belmont Stakes were to be the crowning achievement of his career, but he gave up on it to protect the horse he called "a friend."

When Hall of Fame Jockey Kent Desormeaux eased Big Brown heading toward the stretch of the 2008 Belmont Stakes, he did so with knowledge of what he was giving up, of what had happened to Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby and of what had happened to him 15 years earlier. At 38 years old, he also had seen how ugly losing bettors can be to a jockey who doesn’t appear to have gotten everything he could out of a horse.

There probably wasn’t enough time to process all that background in the seconds leading to the stretch. It may have simply been instinct that told Desormeaux to just take care of a horse that had been very good to him, a thoroughbred he had called "a friend."

Eight Belles Euthanized at Derby

Just five weeks earlier, Eight Belles had fallen at the end of the Derby and had to be euthanized on the track before thousands of fans. In 1993 Desormeaux’ skull was fractured in 16 places and he almost died following a spill at a California track. Bottom line: The Louisiana-born jockey knows how dangerous racing can be for both riders and horses.

He also knows how much pressure animal rights activists are putting on the racing industry to change its handling of horses.

But in the moment that he pulled up on Big Brown, Desormeaux told the world how much at least some racing people care about their thoroughbreds. He did not know what was wrong with the horse, but he knew that there was "something amiss," a sense that comes with more than 20 years of riding. He did not risk the chance of Big Brown becoming another Eight Belles.

Big Brown Just Tired

"He was empty. He didn't have anything left," he added. "I thought in this horse's best interest, let's just get him back to the barn and recharge his batteries."

In pulling up, Desormeaux gave up on his second, and probably last, chance to win racing’s Triple Crown, an honor shared by only 10 jockeys. He also gave up on the biggest payday of his career because the Triple Crown would have brought many more financial rewards.

Put the Horses First

His decision to ease up was applauded. Washington Post Columnist Sally Jenkins referred to Desormeaux’ "sterling conduct" and said he "proved that there are good people in the sport who put the horses first."

Even after the race, when the trainer and veterinarians said they could see nothing wrong with Big Brown, Desormeaux had no second thoughts or regrets about his decision.

"This is the best horse I ever been on," he said. "Something was wrong, I took care of him."

The copyright of the article Desormeaux Gives Up at the Belmont in Triple Crown Racing is owned by Carroll Trosclair. Permission to republish Desormeaux Gives Up at the Belmont in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.