Big Brown and Small Business

Big Brown was impressive in his Kentucky Derby win, and now he goes for the second leg of the Triple Crown on Saturday (May 17) in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.

For small business owners, it’s fun to note the ownership of Big Brown, how the colt got his name, and the sponsorship of UPS. An Associated Press article lays out much of the story, including:

The sponsorship deal, struck shortly after the Derby, makes UPS the exclusive sponsor of the Big Brown team for Saturday's Preakness and the June 7 Belmont Stakes — the second and third leg in the Triple Crown, which no horse has won in 30 years. Big Brown is the favorite to win on Saturday.

It adds a dash of Madison Avenue-style glitz to the tradition-steeped pageantry of thoroughbred racing. [Jockey Kent] Desormeaux will don a UPS cap after the races.

Paul Pompa Jr., owner of Truck-Rite Corp. in Brooklyn, New York, christened the colt Big Brown after renewing a freight contract with UPS last year, but said he didn't expect it would turn into a splashy sponsorship deal.

"I never though of that at all. I simply named the horse after a very big client of my trucking business," said Pompa, who sold a 75 percent stake in the horse to IEAH Stable for about $3 million after his first race.

UPS also had a deal that had Desormeaux wearing their colors during the Kentucky Derby win.

Keep watching – a small business owner and a colt named Big Brown could make sports history.