Belmont Stakes Update: Casino Drive Scratched

For Big Brown, the news is good; for Casino Drive the news couldn't be worse. Earlier this morning manager Nobutaka Tada made a last-minute decision to take (second favorite to win) Casino Drive out of the Belmont Stakes because of a bruised hoof. The hoof injury occured yesterday during a walk around the Belmont Park track.

“It’s not serious, it’s just a matter of timing,” Tada said. “The horse is OK.”

A crack in Big Brown's front left hoof threatened to take the Triple Crown hopeful out of today's race, but the injury has since been repaired and by all accounts the hoof is as good as new.

Casino Drive's injury, however, will not be repaired in time for today's race. It's crushing news for horse racing fans hoping to see a head-to-head race between the two horses.

“It’s very sad,” Tada said. “Many people support us. It’s sad that we couldn’t meet the expectations.”

Bet on Big Brown to win the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown!