ELMONT — On a humid and sticky Saturday at Belmont Park, they cheered for Big Brown before the 140th Belmont Stakes, a sweaty crowd of 94,746 who came to be part of history.

The noise rose from isolated shouts of support as the big bay colt first entered the paddock, to a deafening roar as the starting gate doors sprung open a half-hour later.

Then, suddenly, there was

silence.

Big Brown, the undefeated Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner who was supposed to win the Belmont with ease, was being eased.

Instead it was 38-1 long shot Da’ Tara, trained by Hall of Famer Nick Zito, who led from gate to wire to win the 11⁄2-mile Belmont by 51⁄4 lengths and extend the Triple Crown drought to 30 years.

Denis of Cork, unraced since finishing third in the Derby, was second, 23⁄4 lengths in front of Ready’s Echo and Da’ Tara stablemate Anak Nakal, who dead-heated for third.

Big Brown, the heavy 1-4 favorite who was untested in winning his first five starts by a combined 39 lengths, was the last of nine horses to cross the line. Casino Drive was scratched earlier in the day.

“We salute Big Brown. He’s still a champion,” Zito said. “He just wasn’t himself today, and we took advantage of it.”

Jockey Kent Desormeaux conceded victory with a quarter-mile to run, though he galloped Big Brown past the wire. He immed­iately jumped off and unsaddled, and Big Brown was taken off the track and back to the barn.

“Long before we went into the last turn, I had no horse,” Desormeaux said as he walked briskly back to the jockey’s room. “This horse is the best horse I’ve ever ridden. Something was wrong, so I took care of him.”

Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., who was proud and boastful with his confidence in Big Brown for the past five weeks, was mystified for an explanation.

“I have no idea,” Dutrow said. “I was looking for a problem, and so far, I can’t say that I see a problem. When they turned for home, I knew something wasn’t right. I

really don’t know.”

Big Brown becomes the 11th horse since Affirmed last won the Triple Crown in 1978 to falter in the last and longest leg, and the first since Smarty Jones was upset by Birdstone in 2004. Like Da’ Tara, Birdstone was trained by Zito.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Big Brown,” Zito said. “Smarty, at least he ran straight through the wire. Obviously, Big Brown wasn’t himself. It just worked out for us today.”

Owned by Robert LaPenta, Da’ Tara ($79) ran 12 furlongs in 2:29.65, giving jockey Alan Garcia his first victory in a Triple Crown race.

Big Brown’s finish was the worst for a horse in the Belmont with a Triple Crown on the line. War Emblem ran eighth of 11 in 2002.

“I was waiting for him to make a run when I make my move,” Garcia said. “When I saw that it was just me, I said, ‘I have my shot.’ When I moved, my horse took off, and I said, ‘Oh, my God. I feel like I can do this.’ ”

As he did in the Preakness, Desormeaux said Big Brown outbroke himself from post No. 1, which has produced more Belmont winners than any other. They followed Da’ Tara on the lead and tried to shoot through an early opening to his right, only to be shut off by jockey Eibar Coa, riding Tale of Ekati.

A few strides later, as they went into the first turn, Desormeaux found room in the three path to get Big Brown in the open, sitting off Tale of Ekati’s right flank.

“It was a slow pace, and I thought that the perfect placing scenario for me was to get outside and engage Da’ Tara at my convenience,” Desormeaux said. “I thought the race was over when I got outside going into the first turn. I said, ‘That’s it. I got it.’

“He was keen, but he just cantered along down the backside. There were a couple of times where he felt it was time to go and jumped into the bridle, but long before we went into the last turn, I had no horse.”

Da’ Tara coasted through easy fractions of :23.82, :48.30 and 1:12.90, when Tale of Ekati began to drop back and Big Brown started moving up. By the half-mile pole, Desormeaux was riding his horse, but not gaining on the leader. At the quarter pole, it was clear Big Brown wasn’t going to win.

ZITO SURPRISED

“I was watching Big Brown, and when he started to fade back, I started jumping up and down,” Zito said. “It looked like Kent was asking him, but he wasn’t getting close to Alan. When he wasn’t getting close to Alan, I was getting very happy because I didn’t think those other horses were getting closer to Alan, either.”

Ahead by four lengths turning for home, Da’ Tara widened his lead through the stretch, winning by the largest margin since Afleet Alex won by seven in 2005.

“Nick said to just go to the lead and try to slow down the pace, and when you get to the half-mile pole, do whatever you have to do,” Garcia said. “I don’t have any words to describe it.”

Macho Again, part-owned by Roger and Joyce Locks of Sar­atoga Springs through the West Point Thoroughbreds syndicate, finished fifth, beaten 11 lengths.

“This may be a little more than he wants to run,” trainer Dallas Stewart said. “He ran hard today.”

Graham Motion, trainer of eighth-place finisher Icabad Crane, was the first to reach the track after the race. As Big Brown was walked past him, he said, “It wasn’t meant to be.”

David Carroll, who trains Denis of Cork, felt Dutrow’s bravado, which included trashing the entire 3-year-old class aside from Big Brown, may have caught up with him.

Dutrow said he would scope Big Brown to try and find some answers. There was no blood, and he did not appear to be favoring his left front hoof, which had a healed quarter crack patched on Friday.

“I’m resorting to scoping him, and he didn’t even cough,” Dutrow said. “We’ve been really good with him, and this is a very disappointing race, but the horse looks like he’s fine.

“We didn’t get the Triple Crown, but we won the Derby and the Preakness, and that was great. Right now, we’re just trying to figure out what happened. We’re still very, very proud of him.”

The payoffs:

6 (5) Da’ Tara (A.Garcia) 79.00 28.00 14.80

4 (4) Denis of Cork (R.Albarado) 5.40 4.10

8 (7) Anak Nakal (J. Leparoux) 7.60

9 (8) Ready’s Echo (J.Velazquez) 6.20

Off 6:31. Time 2:29.65. Fast. Scratched—Casino Drive. Also Ran—Macho Again, Tale of Ekati, Guadalcanal, Icabad Crane, Big Brown. dh—Anak Nakal, Ready’s Echo (3)

Pick 6 (3/7-4-1-5-10-6) 5 Correct Paid $1,106.00

Pick 4 (1-5-10-6) 4 Correct Paid $34,287.00

Pick 3 (5-10-6) 3 Correct Paid $6,475.00

Superfecta (6-4-8-9) paid $48,637.00

Superfecta (6-4-9-8) paid $47,309.00

Trifecta (6-4-8) paid $3,703.00

Trifecta (6-4-9) paid $3,954.00

Exacta (6-4) paid $659.00

Daily Double (10-6) paid $1,574.00

Brooklyn/Belmont Daily Double (2-6) paid $550.00

Brooklyn/Belmont Consolation Double (2-5) paid $7.30