By Dan Israeli
His trainer, the quirky yet confident Rick Dutrow, doesn't see a horse in the projected field that can stop him in the Stakes. "The other horses in this race," Dutrow said, "I don't see them being a
Brown's biggest competition, or at least his most hyped, is Japanese colt Casino Drive. In his only race in the U.S., Drive took first place at the Peter Pan Stakes in Belmont on May 10, making him 2-0, coupled with a win back in Japan. Coincidentally, Drive's jockey in the Peter Pan Stakes was Kent Desormeaux, who rode Big Brown to victory in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and is prepared to do the same at Belmont.
Michael Sherack, the company's vice president of investor relations, has even closer local ties. A native of Valley Stream, Sherack attended Elmont Memorial High School, and has been entrenched in horse racing since an early age. "From the time I was a kid, a baby even, my family would always be going down to Belmont," Sherack said. "I grew up with the mentality that racing was another sport, like baseball or Sherack started working in the New York Racing Association's press office in his senior year of college, ultimately becoming a track handicapper, TV analyst and oddsmaker. He went on to write for Daily Racing Form up until 2003, when he joined the IEAH staff. "I've always wanted to be involved in the industry," he said. "My career had to be in horse racing. It's a tough, demanding business, but I have no regrets. I'm lucky to be in this position."
"The amount of money and the fine were small. However, my mistake in judgment was huge. It was inexcusable," Iavarone said. "This was not an issue in any way related to IEAH. I never discussed it. I never denied it."
As far as where Big Brown stacks up against horse racing's best, Sherack said it's simply one race too soon to tell. "It's more flattering than anything else when people draw comparisons, but it's unfair to do it just yet," Sherack said. "Until he wins the Triple Crown, then we can measure him up."
The Belmont Breeze - "Toast of the Champion"
"I wanted to use a spirit that has significance in New York," DeGroff said. "I chose rye whisky because New York has always been a big rye town. Rye was one of the first spirits to be distilled in quantity in America and by none other than George Washington and Thomas Jefferson." The ingredients are:
3/4 ounces Harvey's Bristol
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 ounces cranberry juice
1 ounce club soda
Shake first six ingredients, then top with 7-Up and club soda. Garnish with mint sprig and lemon wedge.
