Big Brown's win didn't excite trainer's brother

Rick Dutrow asked his older brother, Tony, to be with him Saturday at Churchill Downs.

To take that glorious walk from the stable area to the paddock for the Kentucky Derby.

Tony Dutrow, a Wrightstown resident, has over 100 horses he trains himself. He has a stable at Philadelphia Park, one at Monmouth and another in New York and, with such a full plate, he declined his brother's request.

“At 50 years old, it was not important for me to do the preliminaries,” Tony Dutrow said. “I have my own affairs to tend to. But that should not be confused for the support I give my brother or my other brother as well.”

Rick Dutrow is the colorful, to say the least, trainer of Big Brown, and another brother, Chip, serves as his assistant trainer. Rick Dutrow has been saying since Big Brown crushed his opposition to win the Florida Derby five weeks ago that he didn't think there was a three-year-old that could beat his horse.

He picked the 20th and last post position at Wednesday's Kentucky Derby draw and said it didn't matter. He didn't care that only one horse had ever won from that spot and it had been 79 years since Clyde Van Dusen did that.

Rick Dutrow said he didn't care that Big Brown was just making his fourth career start in the Kentucky Derby, despite the fact that it had been 93 years since a horse had won the race entering it with fewer than four career starts.

Rick Dutrow said it ain't bragging if you can do it.

Big Brown did it, crushing a field of 19.

“He says what's on his mind,” Tony Dutrow said. “He's not so generic. It's not boring.”

Tony Dutrow said he did find Saturday's Kentucky Derby boring. He almost sounded annoyed at the complete lack of competition Big Brown faced. The only horse Dutrow had anything nice to say about other than Big Brown was the tragically fallen runner-up Eight Belles. The humongous filly gave owner Rick Porter and trainer Larry Jones a second consecutive runner-up performance in the Kentucky Derby. Their Hard Spun was second to Street Sense last year.

But shortly after crossing the wire, Eight Belles collapsed. She broke both her front ankles and had to be put down.

“I was very impressed with Larry Jones' filly,” Tony Dutrow said. “I wonder if any of the rest of the horses can run with Big Brown.”

“I sat in my living room and watched the race with almost no emotion. There was no excitement because there was no competition for Big Brown.”

Rick Dutrow has been in the limelight before. Just a few years ago, he conditioned Saint Liam to a win in the Breeders' Cup Classic and Horse of the Year honors. So, yes, Tony Dutrow was proud of his younger brother and happy for him, but it wasn't like this was a validating win for the brothers.

“I'm proud of him even if Big Brown didn't win,” Tony Dutrow said.

So, will older brother be at Pimlico to see if undefeated Big Brown can move one step closer to the Triple Crown by winning the Preakness on May 17?

At first, he said no, but then changed his mind.

“I've actually got some horses running in some big races that day there, too,” Tony Dutrow answered. “I think I will be there.”