Big Brown out of Breeders' Cup, racing career is over

The much-anticipated Breeders' Cup Classic showdown between Big Brown and Curlin on Oct. 25 will not happen.

The Associated Press reported that Big Brown injured himself in a six-furlong workout early today at Aqueduct in New York. The injury, according to people connected to Big Brown, occurred when the horse kicked itself in the right front hoof and drew blood, an injury that was discovered after the workout by trainer Rick Dutrow Jr.

"It looked like he grabbed himself in a bad spot," Dutrow was quoted as saying.

Big Brown's owner Michael Iavarone said, "It's in the best interests of the horse to let him recover and move on to his breeding career."

It is not in the best interests of horse racing, of course, because the prospect of a Big Brown-Curlin showdown had reinvigorated the sport in the last month or so.

Ironically, the injury occurred on the same day that Curlin was to test the synthetic track at Santa Anita, the site of the Breeders' Cup, for the last time before owner Jess Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen would make the call on whether Curlin would face Big Brown. People connected to Big Brown had said long ago that their horse, winner of this year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness, would come to California and attempt to take away Curlin's Breeders' Cup Classic title.

Curlin was to work out with stablemate Hawaii Calls between the fourth and fifth races today, and it wasn't immediately known if Big Brown's injury would change that plan.

Curlin won last year's Classic and last year's horse of the year honors. Curlin also is North America's top money winner ever, taking in just more than $10 million, and, at age 4, is not likely to run much more after the Classic, if he even runs in that.

Big Brown had been contending with a quarter crack in his left front hoof, and many speculated that that was the cause of his poor performance -- he was pulled up on the last turn while going for the Triple Crown -- in the Belmont. But the injury this morning, according to Big Brown's handlers, was not related to the cracked hoof.

The Breeders' Cup holds 14 races over two days and awards total purse money of $23.5 million. This year's will be the 25th, and the event also will be held at Santa Anita next year.

bill.dwyre@latimes.com