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Big Brown
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Josh Hamilton
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Height
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16 Hands
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6 feet 4 inches
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Weight
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1000-1200 pounds
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205 pounds
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Age
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3
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27
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Raised in
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Lexington, Kentucky
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Raleigh, North Carolina
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Pedigree
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Sired by Boundary, son of N.A. Champion Danzig, Big Brown’s dam was Mien, granddaughter of champion Northern Dancer.
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His Dad, Tony supposedly once bench pressed 540 pounds when he was 19 and his Mom, Linda, could hit the ball 400 feet as a rising softball star.
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Triple Crown Status
(through 6/3)
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2/3 races completed.
Won Kentucky Derby by 4 and ¾ lengths over Eight Belles. Won the Preakness Stakes by 5 and ¼ lengths over Macho Again.
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Approx. 1/3 of season completed.
Leads by 3 points over H. Matsui with a .331 Batting Avg. , by 2 over C. Quentin with 16 Home Runs, and by 17 over C. Quentin with 65 RBI
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Origin of Nickname
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Nicknamed “Big Brown” in honor of his first owner Brooklyn, New York based UPS operator Paul Pompa, Jr.
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Nicknamed “The Natural” or “Hobbs” in honor of the fictional New York Knights slugger Roy Hobbs
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Favorite Food
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Oats and Hay
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Steak
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Personality
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Playfully laid-back
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Notorious for keeping to himself for fear that off the field association with others could lead to a relapse of his drug problems.
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Purchase Price
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$190,000 at the Keeneland 2007 April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale
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$4,000,000 dollar signing bonus after being selected #1 overall in the 1999 MLB Draft.
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Second Acquisition
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$5,000,000 Breeding Deal with Three Chimneys Farm
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Drafted by the Chicago Cubs with the 3rd pick of the Rule 5 Draft
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Career Earnings
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$2,714, 500
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$776,830
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Shoe Maker
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Hoof Specialist, Ian McKinlay
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American shoe company, Nike
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Rider
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Kent Desormeaux
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Has been carrying the other 24 members of the Texas Rangers all season.
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Connection with Drugs
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Prior to the Preakness Stakes, Big Brown Trainer Richard Dutrow admitted that he administers stanozolol, an anabolic steroid, to his horses, including Big Brown, on the 15th of every month[12]. Stanozolol is banned in 10 states but not in any of the states where the Triple Crown races are held[13].
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Had serious drug problems dating back to 2002 that landed him in rehab 8 times since 2003. He has since turned his life around and has been sober since October 6, 2005.
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Famous association with crack
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Quarter crack on the inside of his left front hoof that has put his bid for the triple crown in jeopardy.
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Hamilton’s problems with drugs, including crack, almost cost the ultra-talented Hamilton his career and his life.
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