Silver Charm

Silver Charm helps launch an inaugural "NTRA Champions on Fox" series today on the Fox network that will conclude Aug. 29 with the Pacific Classic at Del Mar.Despite breaking from the far outside and conceding six to 16 pounds to his 11 rivals, Silver Charm is the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the $500,000 Donn Handicap, a 1 1/8-mile Grade I stakes at Gulfstream Park.The race will be televised on Fox (Chs. 45, 5) beginning at 4 p.m.The series of 11 races is designed to showcase the nation's older horses as they compete for millions of dollars in bonuses.

Silver Charm, 1997 Eleven years later, his ride in the Belmont Stakes still nags at jockey Gary Stevens, who blames himself for Silver Charm's failure to sweep the 1997 Triple Crown. Belmont Stakes Saturday, 6:25 p.m. post time, Elmont, N.Y., chs. 2, 7

Bob Baffert led a dozen reporters at 5: 45 a.m. yesterday into the track kitchen at Pimlico."Set 'em up," he hollered. "I'm buying."The winning trainer of the Kentucky Derby on May 3 and the Preakness on Saturday bought a round of coffee. As he embarks with his determined colt Silver Charm on the final leg of winning the Triple Crown, the first question, predictably, concerned that quest."If my horse feels like I do this morning," said Baffert, "he has no chance of winning the Triple Crown."

The silver charm bracelet was a birthday present from her mother. Seven-year-old Katherine Knapick remembers lifting the lid on the long, flat box to reveal a chain of polished sterling silver gleaming in the light. A charm bracelet -- just like her mother's. Her first real piece of jewelry. Only one charm -- a bunny -- hung from the bracelet, yet the simple circle of silver glowed with promise. The shy Parkville girl vowed to fill the bracelet with charms she'd collect on her travels -- charms that would tell her story.

Silver Charm will break from post No. 7 and Captain Bodgit from post No. 9 when the one-two finishers in the Kentucky Derby renew their rivalry Saturday in the 122nd Preakness.Yesterday's post-position draw at Pimlico Race Course hurt none of the top contenders in the 10-horse field. But it provided a road map for how the race might be run.From the far outside, Cryp Too, the speedball from Suffolk Downs, will have to fire the jets to gain the lead his trainer Allen Borosh covets. Free House from post No. 4 and Concerto from post No. 6 should be in favorable position to settle behind him.After that, Silver Charm will probably lead the charge of the next wave.

ELMONT, N.Y. -- In his quest for admission to racing's elite Triple Crown club, Silver Charm will break from post No. 2 in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park tomorrow.His trainer, Bob Baffert, was not happy."I've never liked the 1 or 2," Baffert said after yesterday's draw at this sprawling track on Long Island. "I'd rather have the 4 or 5. You always like to be outside the speed. Breaking from the inside [the speed horses] might be coming in and leaning on us a little bit."Dave Hofmans, trainer of Touch Gold, who finished fourth in the Preakness despite a horrendous trip, wasn't happy either.

On a gray day at Pimlico under threatening skies, the only threat to Skip Away stood in a stall in Kentucky.Carolyn Hine's gray champion toyed with four challengers yesterday in the $750,000 Pimlico Special before pulling away to win by 3 1/4 lengths. He led from the start. And when one horse challenged him on the final turn, jockey Jerry Bailey showed him the whip. Skip Away dropped his head and shot off like a Corvette."He's a great racehorse," said his trainer, Sonny Hine. "And I think he's going to go down in history as one. We're very fortunate to be hooked on a star."

Silver Charm, the defending champion, drew post No. 3 and the favorite's role yesterday in the $5 million Dubai World Cup on Sunday at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.Despite two consecutive third-place finishes in Florida and California, Silver Charm was dubbed the early 2-1 favorite by a British bookmaker. The 5-2 second-choice is Victory Gallop, who drew post No. 4.Eight horses will contest the 1 1/4-mile race under the lights and compete for the world's largest purse.

Silver Charm, winner of the Kentucky Derby, began picking up speed yesterday on the Pimlico backstretch. This was his final major workout before trying to glean the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness, on Saturday.It wasn't the stretch run of the Derby, but a strenuous training session by a valuable horse is usually enough to make a trainer a little tense.But standing in the morning sunlight on a terrace at Pimlico, Bob Baffert, the loosey-goosey trainer of Silver Charm, turned to the handful of reporters and said:"Will you guys hum 'My Old Kentucky Home' for me?

Bob and Beverly Lewis are proving that nice couples can finish first.For the second time in three years, the Lewises have savored the joy of winning both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and now they have a second shot at the Triple Crown.Two years ago, when Silver Charm finished second in the Belmont, they hardly thought they would get another chance. Charismatic's victory in yesterday's Preakness has provided it."It's absurd to even think about that [second chance]. That's ridiculous. To think a couple of people from Newport Beach who are really not knowledgeable in this industry in terms of horsemanship, but have been players or investors or whatever you want to call us, dumb or something, it's unbelievable," he said.

Bob and Beverly Lewis are proving that nice couples can finish first.For the second time in three years, the Lewises have savored the joy of winning both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and now they have a second shot at the Triple Crown.Two years ago, when Silver Charm finished second in the Belmont, they hardly thought they would get another chance. Charismatic's victory in yesterday's Preakness has provided it."It's absurd to even think about that [second chance]. That's ridiculous. To think a couple of people from Newport Beach who are really not knowledgeable in this industry in terms of horsemanship, but have been players or investors or whatever you want to call us, dumb or something, it's unbelievable," he said.

On a sparkling spring afternoon at Pimlico , when the scary combined with the sublime, Charismatic captured the 124th Preakness Stakes yesterday before a record crowd of 100,311 and immediately set his sights on history. The gritty workhorse will attempt to become the 12th Triple Crown winner June 5 when he races in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. No horse has won the Kentucky Derby , Preakness and Belmont since Affirmed in 1978.After stunning the sports world with a long-shot victory in the Derby, Charismatic became the third horse in the past three years to depart the Preakness with a chance for glory.

Silver Charm, the defending champion, drew post No. 3 and the favorite's role yesterday in the $5 million Dubai World Cup on Sunday at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.Despite two consecutive third-place finishes in Florida and California, Silver Charm was dubbed the early 2-1 favorite by a British bookmaker. The 5-2 second-choice is Victory Gallop, who drew post No. 4.Eight horses will contest the 1 1/4-mile race under the lights and compete for the world's largest purse.

ARCADIA, Calif. -- As the stellar field for the 62nd Santa Anita Handicap assembled in the starting gate yesterday, Free House glanced to his right, in the direction of the crowd."

Silver Charm helps launch an inaugural "NTRA Champions on Fox" series today on the Fox network that will conclude Aug. 29 with the Pacific Classic at Del Mar.Despite breaking from the far outside and conceding six to 16 pounds to his 11 rivals, Silver Charm is the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the $500,000 Donn Handicap, a 1 1/8-mile Grade I stakes at Gulfstream Park.The race will be televised on Fox (Chs. 45, 5) beginning at 4 p.m.The series of 11 races is designed to showcase the nation's older horses as they compete for millions of dollars in bonuses.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The day was the richest in the history of horse racing. The race was supposed to be the greatest ever run.But when yesterday's race was over and darkness draped Churchill Downs, the day lay in tatters at the muddy feet of Skip Away. He had run his last. It was not nearly good enough.Awesome Again, who had run up five straight races against second-tier competition, defeated what was perhaps the strongest field ever assembled for a horse race, the $5.12 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

This time last year, the Kentucky Derby winner was retired, the beaten Derby favorite was hurt, and fans of the Preakness were searching for intrigue like beachcombers digging for coins.Today, the vault is rich for fans of the Preakness, Triple Crown and redemption.After a sizzling Derby showdown two weeks ago, Silver Charm, the steel-gray colt built like a battleship, and Captain Bodgit, the late-swinging powerhouse trained by Marylander Gary Capuano, renew their gritty rivalry at Pimlico in the 122nd Preakness Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. -- After Silver Charm's third race, a come-from-behind victory in the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity last September, lightning struck in Bob Baffert's head.He picked up the telephone and called the colt's owner, Bob Lewis. According to the two men, the conversation went like this:"Bob, I think we not only have a good horse here, we very possibly have a great horse," Baffert said. "It's going to take a lot of patience, and we might miss some big opportunities along the way, but -- with your permission and understanding -- I'd like to map out a plan that would take us to Louisville on the first Saturday in May."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- With the last-minute entry yesterday of Gentlemen, the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Churchill Downs will be the richest horse race in history.Its purse of $5.12 million (assuming all horses start) will surpass the $4.4 million paid out in the Classic last year at Hollywood Park. The base purse of the race is $4 million. The additional $1.12 million will come from fees paid to supplement Silver Charm and Gentlemen into the race. (See box on Page 8E.)The decision to race Gentlemen in the Classic instead of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Mile was made yesterday by the horse's owner, R. D. Hubbard, and trainer Richard Mandella.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The scene was strikingly familiar: Bob Baffert surrounded by reporters outside Barn 33 at Churchill Downs, days before one of the world's major races.For the past three years, Baffert has held court here before the Kentucky Derby -- with Cavonnier in 1996, Silver Charm in 1997 and Real Quiet last spring.His success rate has been remarkable. Cavonnier lost by a nose. Silver Charm and Real Quiet won and then captured the Preakness, only to lose the Triple Crown at Belmont Park.