Karen’s Opinion

I was gritting my teeth as jockey Kent Desormeaux rode the beautiful horse, Big Brown, across the finish line at the Preakness yesterday. After the race at Churchill Downs, I was nervous that something tragic would happen as the horses pushed to with another race. It was so sad when the horse, Eight Belles broke her ankles after racing at the Kentucky Derby and had to be put down. I held my breath until this race was finished. It was just two years ago that, while at the Preakness, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro broke down early in the race.

Big Brown, named after UPS, left them in his dust yesterday. It was funny to see the jockey peek between his legs to see if anyone was behind them. He was so far ahead of everyone that he did not have to worry.

Having won the second jewel of the Triple Crown, it is on to the Belmont. The Belmont is the longest of the three races, a grueling 1 1/2 miles that proved the undoing of War Emblem in 2002, Funny Cide in 2003 and Smarty Jones the next year.