SILVER CHARM IS LOSING HIS LUSTER.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI Horse Racing horse racing, trials of speed involving two or more horses. It includes races among harnessed horses with one of two particular gaits, among saddled Thoroughbreds (or, less frequently, quarterhorses) on a flat track, or among saddled horses over a turf course with This time, like last time, Silver Charm's problem was his starting spot, in the spur-of-the-moment opinion of his trainer. Too far from the rail when he ran third in the Donn Handicap The Donn Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late January/early February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The race is named after the Donn family, who for many years owned and operated the racetrack. in Florida, too close to the rail when he ran third in Saturday's Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in the late winter at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses three years old and up, and is considered the most important race for older horses in North America during . ``The post position got him again,'' Bob Baffert Bob Baffert (born January 13, 1953 in Nogales, Arizona) is an American horse owner and trainer. He graduated from the University of Arizona's Racetrack Management Program with a Bachelor of Science degree. said down at trackside track·side n. The area near a track, especially a racetrack. moments after the horses crossed the wire. Hemmed in behind Free House, the eventual winner, and Dr Fong, a 20-1 shot, ``he had no place to go.'' Who can blame Baffert if he strains for excuses after Silver Charm Silver Charm (born February 22 1994) is an American Champion Thoroughbred race horse. Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Gary Stevens, Silver Charm won the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes before falling short of the Triple Crown by placing second in the Belmont records the worst back-to-back finishes of his career? It was this colt, by coming within a New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of split-second of sweeping the Triple Crown two years ago, who turned Baffert into his sport's two-footed star, his prematurely white mop of hair recognized even beyond the racetrack gates. In January, when Baffert was in Miami during Super Bowl week, racing publicists took him to the football press room one day, and the radio talk-show boys lined up to interview him. A horse trainer In horse racing, a trainer is responsible for preparing a horse for races. As such, he takes responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter. ! Silver Charm did that for him, a feat of magic for which the wise-cracking Baffert is just introspective in·tro·spect intr.v. in·tro·spect·ed, in·tro·spect·ing, in·tro·spects To engage in introspection. [Latin intr enough to be grateful. Given their history, it must be hard for Baffert to admit Silver Charm's magic is gone. So instead Baffert said: ``He was trapped all the way around there. That's why I hate the 1 hole (post position).'' Too far inside? Too far outside? The truth lies somewhere in between. The truth is that even if the 62nd Santa Anita Handicap didn't tell us who's the No. 1 older thoroughbred in America, it did tell us who's not. After beginning the season as his species' undisputed leader, Silver Charm has some catching up to do now. The 5-year-old gray horse ain't what he used to be. ``He was closing at the end,'' said his jockey, Gary Stevens
The Silver Charm that Stevens is used to riding is the one who ranks third all-time in earnings with $6.8 million and this month was listed by a Blood-Horse magazine panel as No. 63 among the century's hundreds of thousands of racing thoroughbreds. And mind you, there's not a big difference between greatness and a third-place finish Noun 1. third-place finish - a finish in third place (as in a race) finish - designated event that concludes a contest (especially a race); "excitement grew as the finish neared"; "my horse was several lengths behind at the finish"; "the winner is the team with the in the deepest Big 'Cap in memory. Silver Charm finished only a length behind Free House and half a length behind runner-up Event of the Year. Yes, in a race that close, drawing a bad post position could have made the difference. But so could losing a step. Stevens said during the week that given the strength of the six-horse field, Silver Charm would ``have to run the best race of his life to win.'' He didn't. And you could see it coming. At Florida's Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans January through March, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America. , Stevens and Silver Charm, breaking from post 12, had dropped nine lengths behind the leaders to avoid being swept wide in the clubhouse turn. It proved to be too much ground to make up and they finished five behind winner Puerto Madero Puerto Madero is a neighborhood, or barrio, of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, which occupies a significant portion of the Río de la Plata riverbank. History In the 1930s, port facilities were relocated to Puerto Nuevo . Since Silver Charm had to rally from far back to win his season-opening race at Santa Anita, handicappers wondered if he'd simply lost his early speed, a dangerous trend if true. After a series of fast workouts, designed to drill the speed back into him, Silver Charm raced close to one of the slowest Big 'Cap paces in decades. With one-quarter mile to go in the 1-1/4-mile race, he was sitting fourth, tucked in behind Free House, Dr Fong and inside Event of the Year. Puerto Madero, not himself Saturday, was safely back in fifth. At the top of the stretch, Silver Charm swung into a clear path and fixed his sights on the leaders. Stevens went to the whip. But in the final 440 yards, covered in an ordinary 25.21 seconds, they made up only a little more than one length. They never looked like the winners. ``I'm not disappointed by his effort,'' Stevens said. ``I don't think they can say, `He ran another bad race.' '' Certainly, none of his opponents would say anything so disrespectful dis·re·spect·ful adj. Having or exhibiting a lack of respect; rude and discourteous. dis  re·spect .
``Silver Charm has been one of the best horses in North America for the last couple of years. You can't knock his record,'' said John Toffan, who, with Trudy McCaffery, owns Free House, a loser of four in a row to Silver Charm before Saturday. ``If you beat Silver Charm, you've got a pretty good horse.'' When Silver Charm inched closer in the stretch, Toffan admits he thought, ``Here we go again.'' He was thinking of the Silver Charm of the Derby, the Preakness and the Goodwood Handicap last fall. ``You've got to remember,'' McCaffery said, ``Silver Charm's danced a lot of dances. If he's just got a little tired, I can't say I blame him. But I don't think we've seen the end of Silver Charm.'' We'll find out soon enough. Retirement is not in the plans. He could try to defend his title at the March 28 Dubai World Cup The Dubai World Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The race is operated through the Emirates Horse Racing Authority (EHRA) whose Chairman is Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, . The ``NTRA NTRA National Thoroughbred Racing Association NTRA National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (Egypt) NTRA National Training Reform Agenda NTRA Nano Technology Research Association (Korea) Champions on Fox'' series, of which the Big 'Cap was the second leg, also is laid out before him, even if it's no longer his for the taking. What Silver Charm needs is a big victory to restore his reputation. That or a fresh excuse. THESE DAYS, HE CAN'T WIN THE BIG ONES Silver Charm counts the 1997 Kentucky Derby and 1998 Dubai World Cup among his 12 victories in 22 starts. But Saturday's Santa Anita Handicap marked his fifth straight defeat in a U.S. Grade I race: Date Race Result Jun. 7, 1997 Belmont Stakes 2nd to Touch Gold costs him Triple Crown Dec. 26, 1997 Malibu Stakes Blocked, 2nd after a 6-month layoff Nov. 7, 1998 BC Classic 2nd to Awesome Again; outruns Skip Away Jan. 30, 1999 Donn Handicap 3rd after spotting leaders 9 lengths Mar. 6, 1999 Santa Anita Hcp. 3rd again: his worst back-to-back runs - Kevin Modesti CAPTION(S): Photo, Box PHOTO Favorite Silver Charm, left, ridden by Gary Stevens, never looked like a winner in Saturday's Santa Anita Handicap. He finished third. Associated Press BOX: THESE DAYS, HE CAN'T WIN THE BIG ONES (see text) |
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