NBC panel to discuss horse racing issues

Hovering over the running of the Preakness in Baltimore on Saturday -- despite whatever excitement there may be over the potential Big Brown has to be a Triple Crown winner -- will be the lingering image of filly Eight Belles breaking both front ankles after the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago and having to be euthanized on the track.Many have since debated whether thoroughbred horses are being bred more for speed than for durability, making some of them too fragile to withstand the rigors of racing.NBC received some criticism for the way it handled the Kentucky Derby tragedy, some of it deserved and some not. But the network is making sure in its pre-race coverage Saturday that it faces the issue head on.Bob Costas will lead a roundtable discussion on the death of Eight Belles and the challenges that face the horse racing industry. Joining Costas will be Eight Belles trainer Larry Jones, NBC analyst Gary Stevens, Churchill Downs veterinarian Larry Bramlage, NTRA CEO Alex Waldrop and New York Times columnist William Rhoden."This is a worthy topic which is especially timely now," Costas said in a news release. "NBC has set aside enough time to do justice to the issues involved."NBC's telecast starts at 4:30 p.m. (Eastern). The two-hour broadcast is 30 minutes longer than last year and the longest ever for the Preakness.Controversy aside, the Preakness could be the second chapter of dominance for Big Brown, which won the Kentucky Derby handily despite starting from the No. 20 far outside post position. On Saturday, Big Brown -- ridden by Kent Desormeaux -- will have the No. 7 spot and opened as a 1-2 favorite."I think it is obviously Big Brown's race to lose," said Stevens. "They have to run the race, but I don't see anyone in the field who is even close to his ability. He can actually regress a little bit off of the Kentucky Derby and still win. The other horses are going to have to improve dramatically to beat him. He's my obvious pick."NBC reporter/handicapper Bob Neumeier picked Big Brown to win the Derby and is even more enthusiastic about the horse in the Preakness."It's shades of the Barbaro 2006 Derby-Preakness scenario," Neumeier said. "The winner of the Kentucky Derby is sent off as the 2-5 Preakness favorite. In 2006, Barbaro had a legitimate contender in Bernadini. It appears there are no such challengers for Big Brown."Of course, it's difficult to read Neumeier's statement, comparing Big Brown to Barbaro, without remembering that Barbaro broke down in the Preakness and, after an eight-month hospitalization involving several surgeries, was euthanized.As much as horse racing fans want a Triple Crown winner after a 30-year drought, they also agonize, hoping nothing goes wrong again.(Jim Carlisle writes for The Ventrua County Star in California. E-mail him at jcarlisle@VenturaCountyStar.com.)