Big Brown begins treatment on hoof

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown was doing well Tuesday at Aqueduct Race Track in New York, one day after he severely tore his right front heel and was retired from racing. However, he is not expected to ship to Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky for several weeks, his connections say.

Big Brown was injured during a workout at Aqueduct on Monday morning as he prepared for the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. He grabbed the inside of his right front hoof with a hind hoof, tearing the heel bulb and ripping away part of the side of the heel.

Michael Iavarone, co-president of the International Equine Acquisitions Holdings Stable that owns Big Brown, commented through spokesman Michael Sherack: "Today was a good morning for Big Brown. He was comfortable, and the idea now is just to make him more comfortable through soaking the foot and getting him anything and everything he needs. We'll let nature take its course and promote healing in the affected area while we aid it as best we can.

"We'll probably look to get him to Kentucky in three to four weeks' time, but we're not putting a timetable on it. We'll go with the medical professionals, and whenever the time is right, that's when we'd get him to Kentucky. It's obviously not a rush situation."

Ian McKinlay, the hoof-repair specialist who has worked extensively on Big Brown's feet, examined the colt at Aqueduct early Tuesday. He prescribed continued tubbing of the colt's right front foot in hot water and Epsom salts for 20 minutes twice a day. He also painted the injured area with a mild iodine solution, which he said "gets that tissue calmed down."

McKinlay said the area also will be treated with Animalintex, a bandage-like material that fits over the hoof and, when soaked in water and applied to the injury, helps draw out infection and inflammation.

"He was a little ouchy around the stall, but he'd stand right up on it," McKinlay said. "He should be walking sound by the end of the week."

McKinlay, who plans to examine Big Brown again Thursday, said it is likely Big Brown would remain at Aqueduct for a few weeks before any plans are made to ship him to Three Chimneys in Kentucky, where he will stand at stud beginning next spring.

"They're going to want him put together properly before he takes off," McKinlay said. "I would imagine by the end of the week it's calmed down and we could start working on it."

McKinlay said the goal is to get the tissue underneath the injured area to start to harden up.

* IEAH Stables announced Tuesday that it had pre-entered four horses for the Breeders Cup: Kip Deville for the Breeders Cup Mile on Oct. 25; Pure Clan for the Filly and Mare Turf on Oct. 24; and a pair of fillies, Laragh and Oui Say Oui, for the Juvenile Fillies Turf, also Oct. 24. Kip Deville and Oui Say Oui are trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., who campaigned Big Brown for IEAH.

- additional reporting by David Grening