NBC Skips the Allaire DuPont Distaff, Big Brown Sold to Three Chimeys

So it turns out the deal between IEAH and Three Chimneys is done, and Big Brown's breeding rights have been syndicated for somewhere in the $50 million range.

We found this out just before NBC skipped the coverage of the Allaire DuPont Distaff S. Par for the course, instead of taking just under two minutes to show the race, they instead chose to do some sort of canned feature. In fact, as the race was going off (and I realized I had to switch over to HRTV to catch it) the network was showing a blimp shot and you could see the field of fillies leaving the gate.

It's a shame that ESPN shows all the stakes races on the card, but then you end up missing the race leading up to the Preakness because it happens to go off a few minutes after the switch to NBC. With over 90 minutes of coverage, you would think the network could carve out two to show a Grade II race on the undercard.

Kent Desormeaux certainly is confident, clearly he didn't learn anything after his Preakness win guarantee for Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000. Oh, if Big Brown wins, my Pick Four partner and I cash for about $600 in the Pick Four... now I'm invested.