Big Brown goes for history in the Belmont

And the path for the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner may have gotten a little easier Friday.

Big Brown's main challenger in today's Belmont Stakes, Casino Drive, has a hoof injury that caused his handlers to skip a scheduled workout session Friday morning.

Meanwhile, a patch was applied to Big Brown's cracked hoof by blacksmith Ian McKinlay, who afterward said all systems were go.

The news was not as good in the Casino Drive camp.

"We are not 100% happy with the movement of the hind leg," said Nobutaka Tada, racing manager for the horse's Japanese connections. "We haven't withdrawn him, just giving him an easy day."

Casino Drive had been installed as the early 7-2 second-choice in today's 1 1/2 -mile Belmont, the third leg of the Triple Crown.

Tada said a veterinarian saw the horse, whose hoof was being treated with ice and heat.

"He probably stepped on something," Tada said. "He looks fine, he has a good appetite. He's not lame."

Tada said Casino Drive may have a stone bruise, which can be caused by walking on hard, rocky ground. The colt has been walked all over Belmont Park's horse paths this week, a training technique favored by the Japanese. American trainers typically gallop or jog their horses on the track in the days leading to a race.

Tada acknowledged there's a possibility the colt might not run today. Horses entered in the Belmont may be scratched up to 45 minutes before the 3:25 p.m. PDT post time.

Casino Drive, to be ridden by Edgar Prado if he goes, has raced only two times but has been impressive. The horse won a maiden race in Japan in February by 11 1/2 lengths, then won the Grade II Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont on May 10 by 5 3/4 lengths.

But maybe the best aspect of Casino Drive is his heritage. His mother, is Better Than Honour, also the dam of the last two Belmont winners, Jazil and Rags To Riches.

His father is 2003 horse of the year Mineshaft, a son of A.P. Indy, the 1992 horse of the year and Belmont winner. A.P. Indy is a son of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.

Big Brown, a winner in all five of his races and the 2-5 favorite here, will be trying to become the 12th Triple Crown winner but the first since Affirmed in 1978 and the second to accomplish the feat undefeated. Seattle Slew was 9-0 after winning his Triple Crown.

In the 30 years since Affirmed won the Triple Crown, 10 horses have won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness but failed to win the Belmont.

Other horses besides Casino Drive in today's Belmont that figure to at least have a shot at spoiling Big Brown's run are Denis Of Cork and Tale Of Ekati, who finished third and fourth in the Kentucky Derby.

A record crowd of 120,139 attended Smarty Jones' Triple Crown try in the 2004 Belmont. But topping that record today is doubtful because the weather forecast calls for temperatures in the low 90s.

It's also unlikely that the today's telecast of the Belmont on ABC can top the 13.1 rating that NBC got for final hour in 2004.

The year before, Empire Maker denied Funny Cide the Triple Crown. Jerry Bailey, Empire Maker's jockey, will be working today's telecast as ABC's lead analyst.

larry.stewart@latimes.com