Gold and Silver Anniversary of ’97 Belmont Stakes
On the 25th anniversary of the Touch Gold — Silver Charm Belmont Stakes, it is time to get nostalgic and recall my personal interest in that historic race and how the journalist and racing fan in me clashed and left part of me ecstatic and another part sad following the race, which is what happens when you’re rooting for two horses. This was the rebirth of the Belmont following seven down years and would launch the race to new heights.over the next two decades. ~ Steve Haskin
Gold and Silver Anniversary of ’97 Belmont Stakes
By Steve Haskin
Silver Charm and Touch Gold photos courtesy of Old Friends
Even the most objective journalist has moments when personal feelings take precedence over objectivity. Racing is a sport often fueled by emotion because of the passion inspired by its athletes. Sometimes circumstances bring us close to some of those athletes and we can’t help bonding with them.
I, like all racing fans, have my all-time favorite horses, especially those who first grabbed hold of me 55 years ago and pulled me into this magical world that would change my life.
But as a professional you eventually train yourself to write about the sport and the horses with an open mind. That is until circumstances force those personal feelings to once again emerge. There was one time during my career when they not only emerged but collided. How do you deal with having two strong rooting interests in the same race? And with one of them attempting to become the first Triple Crown winner in 19 years and trained by racing’s newest rock star to whom you had become very close. The other was strictly about the horse and the unique history I had with him from the time he was a yearling.
I am referring to Silver Charm and Touch Gold, and what better time to tell their stories and my personal connection to both horses than on the 25th anniversary of their thrilling battle in the Belmont Stakes.
Because of the rapid growth in popularity of the Belmont Stakes that reached a crescendo when 120,000 fans jammed into Belmont Park to see Smarty Jones, few take notice of the 70,082 fans who witnessed Silver Charm’s attempt to sweep the Triple Crown in the 1997 Belmont and even fewer can appreciate what a renaissance horse this was and how he and his trainer Bob Baffert reignited the public’s passion for the Triple Crown at a time when racing’s big hero was the older horse Cigar and there was little interest in the Belmont Stakes.
After all, there had not been a horse attempting to sweep the Triple Crown since Sunday Silence in 1989, and after seven uneventful years, the attendance for the Belmont Stakes had plummeted to below 40,000. The jump from 37,171 in 1995 and 40,797 in 1996 to 70,082 one year later was unimaginable at the time and made the Belmont Stakes THE place to be in early June. And it was all because of Bob Baffert and Silver Charm
Following Silver Charm’s victories in the Preakness Stakes, Baffert emerged from the race like a rock star, with fans flocking to the potential Triple Crown winning trainer wherever he went to have him sign anything they could get their hands on, from matchbooks to cocktail napkins.
Because of the Silver Charm/Baffert phenomenon I arranged with Baffert and Tex Sutton Horse Transport to fly commercially down to Louisville the Monday before the Belmont Stakes to watch Silver Charm’s final work and then fly back to New York with the horse.
Several days earlier, while doing a radio show, Baffert, unaware of the floodgates he was opening, invited the public to come to Churchill Downs to watch Silver Charm’s final work before departing for Belmont Park. Churchill Downs now had to contend with a problem they hadn’t counted on. Local television and radio stations announced the invitation, and at 7:30 Tuesday morning, a steady stream of cars began filing into the Churchill Downs parking lot.
Baffert called the work the most important of his life, and it was the crowd he had invited to watch it that almost caused a catastrophe. As Silver Charm turned around at the eighth pole and headed back to begin his work, Baffert told exercise rider/jockey Joe Steiner on the two-way radio, “Don’t let him duck out when he sees that crowd.”
Seconds later, as Silver Charm was galloping by, a horse named Firecrest, walking in the opposite direction, got stirred up when about 2,500 fans erupted in applause. Firecrest shied from the sudden noise and veered right into Silver Charm’s path. Steiner grabbed hold of Silver Charm and swerved sharply to avoid the out-of-control Firecrest, with the two horses merely grazing each other.
With disaster narrowly averted, Silver Charm went about his business and worked five furlongs in 1:01. It was time for Baffert and Silver Charm to leave Camelot and head to New York and the Triple Crown.
After 10 days of being treated like a king by an adoring community, Baffert now found himself face to face with reality as he approached the Tex Sutton Boeing 727 that would take him and Silver Charm to their final battle in their quest for racing’s Triple Crown.
Earlier that morning, just before 6 a.m., Baffert, accompanied by his main client and longtime friend Mike Pegram, arrived at Barn 33, where he had nine horses stabled with trainer April Mayberry. After unloading his luggage from his rented Lincoln Town Car, Baffert said, “I feel like I’m going to camp.”
Baffert said he felt like the weight of Kentucky was on his shoulders, especially after seeing the huge turnout for the previous morning’s work. “I’m looking forward to getting up to New York and getting this thing done and coming back to Kentucky wearing the Triple Crown on my head,” he said.
Silver Charm was loaded on the plane and would be the only passenger, at great cost to Lewis. There among the many empty red stalls was the familiar gray face of Silver Charm digging into his hay rack. Mel Prince, who had worked for Tex Sutton for 34 years, said it was extremely rare to fly only one horse.
From the time Silver Charm boarded the plane to the time he arrived in New York he did not stop munching hay. By the end of the trip he had dug a large hole in the rack and was still pulling out hay with great vigor. All the while, groom Rudy Silva sat in a chair, holding the shank, his eyes fixed on his horse.
“Look at Rudy,” Baffert said. “Is he dedicated or what? He hasn’t left that horse’s side for two months.”
Also accompanying Silver Charm was his hotwalker Eddie Thomas, who, ironically, worked around the last Triple Crown winner Affirmed as a teenager.
“It’s scary how this horse has gotten stronger and kept his flesh,” Thomas said. “Usually, they back up, but he drank three buckets of water after the Derby and only a half to three-quarters of a bucket after the Preakness.”
As the plane made its descent, Baffert, who had been suffering with his allergies throughout the flight, said all he wanted to do was get Charm settled in, go to the hotel, turn off the phone, and go to bed.
The plane touched down at JFK Airport in New York at 8:50 a.m. after the hour and 45-minute flight. Silver Charm was led on the van, and with a police escort leading the way, the van meandered through the streets of Queens into Long Island, as pedestrians quizzically watched the procession.
As the van pulled up near Barn 9 at Belmont, a mass of humanity could be seen gathered in front of the barn. It was the largest assemblage of reporters, photographers, and cameramen I had ever witnessed. They surrounded Silver Charm as he walked from the van to the barn, and before long, Baffert was engulfed by the media. Kentucky was already a memory. There was a Triple Crown to be won.
Yes, I had bonded with Silver Charm. How could I not sharing a plane ride and van ride and being that close to such a magnificent horse on his way to the gates of racing’s pantheon. How could I not root for him and for his trainer, with whom I would write his autobiography two years later? Silver Charm and Bob Baffert were about to make history and I was right there with them all the way.
But that is only half the story.
We have to go back two years to the 1995 Keeneland July yearling sale. Back then, as national correspondent for the Daily Racing Form who covered the Saratoga yearling sale each August, I decided to try something different. I would play buyer, or at least bloodstock agent, and select one yearling from the Keeneland July sale whose pedigree intrigued me and then go to Lexington several weeks before the sale to do a background piece on him. I would then return for the sale and follow his every move right up through his time in the ring. I wrote the first part of the feature for the July 8 issue of the DRF and then part two the Sunday after the sale on July 23.
I figured this would provide readers with an inside look at the life of a sales yearling and what it takes to prepare him for the sale, and the pressures and uncertainty of actually selling him.
After careful scrutiny and studying all the pedigrees, avoiding the obvious high prices and looking for a mid-priced, affordable colt, I settled on Hip No. 65, a son of Deputy Minister, out of the Buckpasser mare, Passing Mood. I loved Buckpasser mares, and this colt had a good blend of speed and stamina, and was a half-brother to Canadian Triple Crown winner With Approval.
The colt was being pinhooked by bloodstock agent John Moynihan, part-owner of Walmac Bloodstock Services with John T.L. Jones, who had purchased him in partnership as a weanling for $180,000 from Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, owned by brothers John and Glenn Sikura.
Following his sale as a weanling at the Kentucky November mixed sale, the colt was sent to Bedford Farm, a 1,200-acre facility near Paris, Ky., which served s Walmac’s satellite farm. The farm, formerly owned by a French syndicate headed by Francois Boutin, was home to the broodmares, yearlings, and weanlings raised by Walmac for public auction.
For the yearlings, this was a time prior to the July sale for them to prepare for the most important journey of their lives. When I visited the farm in late June with Moynihan to see the Deputy Minister colt and learn about his background, the yearlings had already been prepping for the sale for a month, exercising on a lunging rein in a round pen, jogging for 10 to 15 minutes, then being walked by hand for 30 minutes.
Because “my” colt had been purchased as a weanling and wasn’t raised with the other horses he had been kept in a separate paddock ever since he arrived on the farm.
Farm manager Bobby Miller said this was done because it was difficult introducing him to the pack at such a late date, fearing he would wind up at the bottom of the pecking order and possibly get kicked or injured.
Moynihan said the Deputy Minister colt had always been easy to handle, but had a good deal of energy and was always full of himself. He said, although the goal was to sell him, he was not in a “do or die” situation, and would only sell him if they got a reasonable price. The colt was smallish to average size and was a May 28 foal, which is quite late, so he had a great deal of scope for improvement as he got older and matured physically.
Moynihan was also pinning his hopes on the fact that the colt’s full-sister, Daijin, was undefeated in four starts that year in Canada, racing in the colors of the Sikura brothers. Daijin had won the six-furlong Star Shoot Stakes before capturing the Selene Stakes.
After we arrived at the farm, Miller had the colt brought out. He made a splendid appearance, although nothing flashy. As I stroked his forehead, he cocked his ears and lifted his head, accentuating his well-conformed frame, complete with powerful hindquarters and a near-perfect hind leg (as Moynihan pointed out).
“He’s very correct,” Moynihan said. “He was correct when I bought him and he’s stayed that way throughout. With weanlings you never know if they’re going to stay the same as when you bought them. Of all the horses I looked at in the November sale, I thought he was one of the best physical specimens and the best pedigreed colt in the sale.”
I was happy to hear that an experienced bloodstock agent had seen the same promise in his pedigree as I had.
When they first bought him, the feeling was that he was extremely small, but they felt he had done a world of growing since the purchase. One of the reasons they went after him was his value as a stallion prospect. They didn’t buy him specifically to resell, but they were certainly prepared to if he brought what they felt he was worth.
Miller said several prospective buyers had already been at the farm to see the colt, and he expected to have about 15 showings before the sale. Passing Mood had died the previous June, shortly after foaling the Deputy Minister colt, and this was the last chance for buyers to obtain one of her offspring.
The Keeneland Sale
It was now several weeks later, and I was back in Kentucky for the July sale. What I found was a colt totally different than the one I had seen and played with back on the farm. On this particular morning he was a bit more ornery than usual, as the sweltering heat and humidity had buyers and sellers retreating into the air conditioned sales pavilion and buffet lunch in the Keeneland dining room.
Moynihan sat in one of the few shaded areas outside Barn 10, still trying to get a feeling of how this year’s sale was shaping up and how much appeal the Deputy Minister colt was going to have. He said he was afraid to even speculate, because no one was showing their hand on anything so far.
“It’s been feast or famine,” he said. “You either get the money or you don’t get any of it. All you can do is keep your fingers crossed.”
At 10:30 a.m., Frank Stronach, one of the leading owners and breeders in North America, stopped by to inspect the colt, along with his manager Mike Doyle. As the colt kept pulling hard on the lip chain and trying to turn his head, Cherise Gasper, head of sales for Walmac, explained to Stronach and Doyle that he has a habit of trying to bite the handler.
“He’s a nice kind of horse, though,” Doyle said nonchalantly, not wanting to tip his hand in any way.
Later that morning, the colt was given a heart scan, which measures the heart size and the intake of blood and oxygen. He was rated a “4,” which Moynihan said was “as good as it gets.”
That night, Hip No. 65 was the fourth horse scheduled to sell in the Monday night session. At 7:50 p.m., Greg Partain of Walmac was given instructions to bring the colt out and walk him prior to the sale.. As the colt was given a last-minute grooming outside his stall, he continuously tried to bite his handler.
“He can really get on your nerves,” Partain said. “But he’ll get over this when he gets older. Right now, he’s like a little kid who wants to play. But he’s been a real trouper. He’s been out hundreds of times and he’s stood up very well. When we first got him as a weanling he was just a little thing, but he’s really grown up. When John first bought the colt, people gave him a hard time because he was so small.”
The colt then was walked around near the back of the pavilion, where buyers could get one final look. Among those watching him closely were Stronach and Doyle. As they walked into the pavilion, Gasper gave Doyle some final words of encouragement and wished him luck.
I watched the sale on the TV monitor behind the pavilion. When the gavel fell, Stronach had bought the colt for $375,000, giving Moynihan a 100-percent profit on his initial investment.
Following the sale, I went to Stronach and asked him what he liked about the colt and what the plans were.
“He’s a little immature, but he’s a good-looking colt and I liked the whole family,” he said. “He’s a late May foal and we’re not going to hurry him. We’ll send him to our farm here (Adena Springs in Versailles) where he’ll be broken.”
Doyle added that the colt would then be evaluated along with the rest of Stronach’s young horses, and at that time a decision would be made where he’ll be sent.
“Letting him grow is probably the most important thing right now,” Doyle said.
Moynihan then stopped to congratulate Stronach. “You’ve got a really nice horse,” he said. “I’m glad you got him.”
Moynihan said he was thrilled with the price, feeling anything over $300,000 in the current market was a gift.
“I have mixed emotions about selling him,” he said. “I really believe he’s going to be a very good horse, but at the same time you have to take a profit when it’s there, and when you make a 100-percent profit it’s not a bad deal, especially when you’re buying at that level.”
Following his career
Naturally, I followed the colt closely, feeling as if I, in some way, had a vested interest in him, having picked him out and gotten to know him on a personal level.
Fast forward to June 1997. As lead writer for DRF covering the Belmont Stakes, I like most everyone was all prepared to witness the first Triple Crown sweep in 19 years after Silver Charm gamely captured the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. So, here I was at Belmont ready to witness history being made by a horse to whom I had become extremely close and writing about it. But there was a slight twist. Actually it wasn’t slight at all. One of the colts out to stop Silver Charm was my little Deputy Minister yearling, now named Touch Gold.
I had followed him as he demolished the speedy and classy Smoke Glacken by 8 1/2 lengths in Keeneland’s Lexington Stakes under Gary Stevens. There was brief talk about running him back in the Kentucky Derby, and when it was decided he wasn’t ready, the happiest person was Stevens, who was also the regular rider of Silver Charm. Stevens knew how good Touch Gold was and wanted no part of running against him in the Derby.
To this day, many believe Touch Gold was the best horse in the Preakness after he nearly went down at the start, his nose actually kicking up a cloud of dirt. How he stayed on his feet was truly remarkable. Then after dropping to the back of the pack, he got stopped three times in the race, including twice in the stretch when Free House came in and forced Chris McCarron to take up sharply, almost going into the rail. Despite all that, Touch Gold still was able to finish fourth, beaten only 1 1/4 lengths. His performance was even more remarkable when it was discovered he had grabbed his quarter severely, suffering a nasty quarter crack.
At Belmont Park, I watched each day as quarter crack specialist Ian McKinlay worked feverishly on the foot, trying to get Touch Gold to the Belmont Stakes. McKinlay said it was the worst quarter crack he had ever seen, with 2 1/2 inches of colt’s hoof having been ripped off, exposing raw flesh. The laminae had been exposed and McKinlay had to toughen up the tissue so an artificial acrylic wall could be put on. After 10 days of down time for the healing process to be completed, the horse needed to be able to train and the quarter crack had to be stabilized. Once the hoof got tough enough, McKinlay would wire it all together before the race.
“It’s not the patch that’s going to get him to the Belmont; it’s his toughness,” McKinlay said. “This horse is a monster. He’s so smart that when he wants to get away from you he’ll just drop down to his knees. He knows every trick in the book and you have to keep him busy with carrots.”
We all know what happened. Touch Gold set the early pace, dropped back to fourth, and somehow swung to the outside and ran down Silver Charm to deny the colt the Triple Crown, winning by three-quarters of a length, much to shock of Gary Stevens, who thought Touch Gold was finished after being passed by three horses down the backstretch.
When Stronach ran into Bob Lewis after the race he said, “In a way I’m sorry.”
Lewis reassured him. “No, don’t feel that way at all. It was a wonderful day for racing. It just shows what a tough job it is to win this. Someone has to run second, and we had a couple of wins. You’re a champion in every way.”
At the barn, Trudy McCaffery, co-owner of third-place finisher Free House, came over to congratulate fellow Californian Hofmans and to see how Touch Gold was doing. As she lavished affection on the colt, the tears began to flow, just as they did after seeing her own horse and recognizing the gallant effort he put in. She had nothing but praise and admiration for Touch Gold and what he had to endure.
A short while later, McKinlay showed up to check on the damage. He began by sanding and filing the hoof and then removed the patch with a drill. What he saw convinced him even more what a tough horse Touch Gold was.
“What we healed up he’s basically peeled right off,” he said. “It’s raw under there now. The tissue that we got tough enough to hold the glue, he jarred and busted it loose. He’s a very tough horse, believe me. He’s got so much heart. This is an amazing horse.”
An amazing horse. He was talking about my horse…well, sort of. There I’d been standing in the winner’s circle, trying to look as solemn as possible, along with most everyone else, while on the inside I was feeling as proud as a parent who had just seen their child accomplish something special. I could only think back to when Touch Gold was nothing more than a page in a sales catalog and a nondescript-looking yearling on the farm, and now he’s winning the Belmont Stakes and thwarting the Triple Crown attempt of one of the most popular horses in recent years.
No he wasn’t mine and I didn’t risk any money to buy him as a weanling as Moynihan did. But at least for a brief moment I got to experience what it would feel like if I had.
It is now 25 years later and Silver Charm and Touch Gold are in neighboring paddocks at Old Friends, living out their final years. I still feel as close to them now as I did back then.
Please be sure to view our Silver Charm link featuring original items from the Bob and Beverly Lewis Estate that will be available for purchase or auction.
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One of the owners of Flightline mentioned The Whitney at Saratoga and The Pacific Classic at Del Mar as the next possible races for the horse. The Whitney at a mile and an eighth would make sense to me. Flightline could run into Life Is Good at Saratoga. Would they want to go from the Met Mile to the mile and a quarter Pacific Classic? With none of the 3-year olds distinguishing themselves so far, a Horse of the Year award could be in Flightline’s sights if they choose the right races.
They’re going in the Pacific Classic .
Looking at the past performances of the 1997 Kentucky Derby contestants, I’m astonished by two things: 1) that the field was one of the most impressive in modern Derby history and 2) that Silver Charm went off at odds of 4-1 while Free House was at 10-1.
The ’97 field included
Captain Bodgit (3-1 favorite) – had won the Florida Derby and Wood Memorial by comfortable margins
Silver Charm (4-1) – had won the San Vicente and finished 2nd to Free House by close margins in the San Felipe and SA Derby
Crypto Star (9-2) – had won the La Derby and Arkansas Derby by close margins
Pulpit (5-1) – had won the FOY, finished 2nd in the Florida Derby, and won the Blue Grass by a comfortable margin
Free House (10-1) – had won the San Felipe and the SA Derby by close margins
All five colts earned BSFs between 105 and 110 in their final preps. In the end, Silver Charm and Captain Bodgit battled to the finish line with Silver Charm prevailing by a head. Free House, who along with Pulpit prompted the early pace, weakened and finished 3rd by 3.5 lengths. The bettors were smart.
Free House had a hard campaign, returned to win the Big Cap wire to wire, turning back multiple challenges….also had a tour de force win in the Pacific Classic over Gentlemen….had many battles with Silver Charm, trainedby Paco Gonzales when mentioning the best Cal breds Free House gets overlooked some he was a top horse..
The 1997 Derby was a cold day….I remember it looked like Captain Bodjit was going to win…but Silver Charm dug in, likely was toughened by his battles with Free House!
One more thing about Free House….his big Cap had no breathers, took multiple challenges, including Silver Charm…..when he passed so young it broke Trudy McCaffery heart…..
Free house and silver charm are next to each other on Arcadia’s horse racing walk of fame like the stars in Hollywood they’re all on the walk of fame free house silver charm silky Sullivan seabiscuit etc there’s one incredible name I had never heard of on this Santa Anita walk of fame a cheap claimer named malicious who made 185! Starts in the 1930s and who’s popularity is said was to have rivaled seabiscuit at the time. Steve have you ever heard of Malicious ? If not he’s an amazing read on Wikipedia
Was just at Old Friends last weekend. If you haven’t been take a trip out there. It’s about a 2hour tour of the farm walking and seeing some retired horses like Silver Charm, Touch Gold, Sarvana, Sun King, Ring Weekend, Barbaro’s brother Nicanor, Little Mike, Game on Dude and many more. A couple interesting notes…..Nicanor and Ring weekend share the same paddock with Nicanor being the dominate one. Game on Dude and Little Mike share a paddock with Little Mike being the dominant one. Little Mike was not named for his size is he is pretty good sized horse. Also Birdstone is right across from Bellamy Road and every time Bellamy Road came by Birdstone went nuts. Also, Bellamy Road is a huge horse! Go check it out!
Love this post!
The female sergeant who sang our national anthem at Belmont yesterday did a fine job. No fancy vocal display, just spot-on singing. If only my horses had done that well.
On the other hand, the guy who sang “New York, New York” was not as good as guys at your local karaoke bar. Which is pretty much how my horses ran. I couldn’t tell if this man had been on THE VOICE or if his nickname was “The Voice.” The announcers seemed to assume we knew who he was.
I was pleased that they had a real person instead of a tape. But I still miss “The Sidewalks of New York.”
Beyers….
Mo Donegal 98
Flightline 112
Jack Christopher 107
Clairiere 106
Regal Glory 103
Casa Creed 102
Thanks for sharing. Was wondering this morning what the Beyer’s were.
Flightline if he had a clean trip would’ve gotten a 120-122 beyer. Incredible…
Watch the head on….and then the pan…Flightline broke a step slow but was coming up the rail—Alvarado went hard left could have hurt that horse should get 10 days! What’s going on, that’s a generational talent it’s only a horse race don’t do that!
Matthew, the NYRA stewards need lessons from the French stewards, no matter who owns/trains/rides a runner, any infractions, no matter how minor, will be dealt with. I was surprised nothing was mentioned but Flightline won so easily they just ignored it.
I don’t think people understand, Davids…..just what an accomplishment Sadler has done with this horse…..6 months…..bucking in paddock, rank in post parade and then walks out of there…takes up behind a terrific horse, and then just dusts them! Actually has run all four races off the shelf! Like in another world…..
Couldn’t agree more. If Flightline was running like this in Europe, Japan, Australia et al he’d be front page news. Flightline just waltzes past Grade 1 winners as if standing still then simply extends the lead at will. Imagine, if Flavien Prat ever asked Flightline to extend himself.
Three different winners of the 3 Triple Crown races. None of the 3 really knock your socks off. My gut feeling is that
Early Voting turns out to be the top of the class in the long run. But, who knows? Ten different people will probably have 10 different answers.
Rich Strike was all “keyed up” before the race. If you like him, give him another chance to prove that he’s not just a “Churchill horse” and that his Derby win wasn’t a fluke caused by the insane pace set-up.
The U.S. turf division is WEAK. The Europeans should be licking their chops once again come Breeders Cup. Wesley Ward has some nice turf sprinters though.
Where does Flightline top out at distance-wise? Looks like he could be one of the greats if he can string some races together. Unbettable though. We’ll probably never see him above odds-on.
I’m not sorry that the Triple Crown is moving from NBC to Fox. I’ve never been a fan of their coverage. Yesterday, their main commentators(Tirico, Moss, & Bailey) were not even on site. They were broadcasting from the NBC studio.
Mike Tirico commented that there were 46,000+ fans in attendance. Which means that they didn’t reach their cap of 50,000. It must have been a late arriving crowd. For most of the day, I noticed plenty of empty seats. As big a fan as I am, I have to admit that there was definitely a lack of “buzz” around this year’s Belmont.
Maybe one of the 3-year olds steps up in The Travers. The Travers could be really interesting with all of the Triple Crown winners, Zandon, Epicenter, Messier, and some of Kenny McPeek’s “disappointments”. Maybe one of the horses from today’s Matt Winn at Churchill steps up. You have to figure that Brad Cox will come up with a runner or two.
I always get sad at the end of the Triple Crown. Saratoga and Del Mar will be time to start looking for some 2-year olds. Only 5 months until the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager on Thanksgiving weekend. More importantly, we’ll have to wait until January or February for Steve Haskin’s 2023 Derby Rankings to start.
Well, like I said previously without personalities such as baffert the buzz was nowhere (tracks just hurt themselves with a dumb decision). But I agree with what you said, early voting or Tiaba (once baffert controls the reins) will end up the best out of this generation. The rest including yesterdays winner will be G2 or G3 horses at best.
Absurd!
Three years in a row three different winners….
At this stage, Jack Christopher would get my nod as champion 3 year old.
Davids:
He was very impressive Saturday. I hope to see him in the Jim Dandy next.
Ms Blacktype, the connections might decide to stretch Jack Christopher out but he looks a miler to me. Classy milers make excellent sires.
Yes, Davids, they do! I read just this morning on drf that Jack Christopher’s summer target is the mile and an eighth Haskell in late July. Chad Brown has Zandon penciled in for the Jim Dandy/Travers slot, with Early Voting to race in one of the three. Should be interesting.
I’m a pushover for a white-faced horse, and I love Jack Christopher. But I’m not yet convinced of his distance ability. I hope he can do it, but I need to see more.
Quite a few Munnings progeny have been effective when tried over a mile but their pet distance appears to be 7 – 8f.
I too am not sorry that the Belmont is moving from NBC to Fox. (I understand the Derby and Preakness will remain on NBC.) I have not been happy with NBC’s coverage, and I particularly dislike the way they handle the post-race moments. At that time I want to watch the horse and rider as they pull up and enjoy their victory, I want to see how the horse reacts to the blanket of carnations, and I want to watch them come into the winner’s circle. NBC denied us all of that. As soon as Mo Donegal crossed the wire, they switched to an endless interview with one of the many owners, which could better have been handled a few minutes later in the winner’s circle. When they finally turned their attention to the three individuals who did the winning–the horse, the jockey, and the trainer–Mo Donegal had already left, and Todd Pletcher and Irad Ortiz already had their trophies. We didn’t see much of the carnations which are synonymous with the Belmont. At the Preakness, NBC wasted those post-race minutes analyzing a possible foul, which they admitted didn’t happen. I think Fox can do a better job with all of the coverage.
All Fox have to do is show “America’s Day at the Races – Belmont Day.” Perfect.
Nest was gallant and courageous, never gave up. She stumbled, got stuck behind horses a bit, never gave up. Did she not get as good a trip as Mo? I choose to think so, from my heart if not my head. What a race, what a filly! Thanks for doing that wonderful piece about her.
So agree!
I watched the replay again today and noticed she was still closing in the final yards. What a filly!
Indeed she is!
Gutsy race for the Filly Nest in the Belmont. The bad stumble at the break may have cost her the win. She angled out in the stretch from 4th to finish a clear second to Mo Donegal. Glad to have hit the Exacta and would have had the TRI if not for the stubborn Skippy. Glad to have a winning day and am looking forward to attending the Ohio Derby in a couple of weeks at Thistledown.
Congratulations to Mo Donegal, the real, real deal and fast closer. Today was his best race and he ran easily. I hope he goes in the Travers. The final time was faster than Touch Gold and many others. Irad O. delivered and has maintained his healthy lead in the jockey standings, over $2 million more than Rosario and Prat, despite losing on Arrest Me Red after dueling with a no hoper and letting Casa Creed pass him. Other duels today resulted in the best horse losing, most importantly, Letruska. An uncontested lead led to a subpar Manhattan finish. Mo Donegal is the real deal though.
Hey Steve….since the 2022 Derby was so anticlimactic, because of the pace collapse …you outta have a “Travers Watch”! And there’s one to watch, name of HOPPER….I was impressed by his maiden breaker where he was 4 wide and bursted away down the lane and then drew way off on the gallop out…..he did it again today in the Affirmed, galloping our a half furlong clear, after winning by five in his first start vs winners and first two turn try…..horse has MOXIE!
Well Steve the 5-weeks of Rich Strike are over, there have been many Derby winners that did not win another race, some because of injury, some burnout…..but Rich Strike may not win again on a major racetrack because he’s just not good enough…..but he won yhe 3022 Kentucky Derby, he did, and he won it well…..
Er….2022……
Congratulations to Mo Donegal, Donegal Racing and Repole Stable, Todd Pletcher and Irad and to Nest staying in there for second.
Trainer Eric Reed said in an interview after the race that he made a tactical error when he told Leon to keep him off the rail. If you watch a replay, you will see the colt keep turning his head to the rail. Not knocking Mr Reed, but one thing I learned from horse racing years ago is that you do not try and change a horse’s running style. Looking forward to watch him race again this summer.
Nest is a feminine looking filly but she ran a strong race the entire way. Now someone please remind me why the girls should not run against the boys?
Good race other than I think Mo Donegal having to check because of Skippylongstocking
Hope everyone did well with their bets!
Next up..The Royal Ascot!!
That’s the spirit, Lynda. Royal Ascot, here we come. Opening day highlights being the Queen Ann Stakes – Baaeed; King’s Standard Stakes – Golden Pal; and a cracking St James’s Palace Stakes – Maljoom. Good luck.
No need in crying over spilt milk, LOL. I did do pretty well over the two days picking winners and HA, also picked a couple of losers too! All in fun though.
As far as I know, all of the horses came out of the races OK, however no status report yet on Echo Zulu other than the x-rays did not show anything (Per Steve A).
I am quite sure that we will see more of these colts and fillies and the older stallions and mares between now and the Breeder’s Cup. Contrary to some opinions, I think this is a fine crop of 3 year old colts and fillies. You know these 3 year olds do not reach their peak until they are 3 and a half and into four.
Have to say I was so impressed by the filly Nest. Maybe another Beholder in the making? And of course Flightline!
Just curious, who are you liking in the Royal Ascot. Will of course be cheering for Golden Pal. Just srted looking over the race cards for next week.
Hope Her Majesty feels well enough to make an appearance at least one day next week.
Lyndia, ‘if’ The Queen attends I would say it would be on Thursday to see her horse Reach the Moon run in the Hampton Court Stakes. What a cheer should Reach the Moon win. Allez Reach the Moon, Frankie can do the business.
The above three I’m looking forward to watching on opening day. Wednesday, Bay Bridge and Shahryar in the Prince of Wales Stakes; Thursday, the Norfolk Stakes too many ha ha, Emily Upjohn in the Ribblesdale Stakes; Stradivarius in the Gold Cup; Friday, Inspiral in the Coronation Stakes; Saturday, Home Affairs in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes but these are just the marquee races.
Weather, inevitably, plays it part on who runs and who doesn’t but it’s just so much fun who cares. Enjoy and fingers crossed for Reach the Moon.
P.S. The Queen also has King’s Lynn in the King’s Standard Stakes but is not likely really.
Two reasons to cheer for King’s Lynn; Her Majesty and “King’s Lynn”. Lyn King. (me).
Ha ha Good for you. With the weather basically so dry the Australian runner Nature Strip could be dangerous in the King’s Stand Stakes.
I do too, Lynda. Horses are one thing in the Queen’s life that gives her pure enjoyment.
Pletcher runs one-two. Congratulations to all the connections.
Hey Eddie F: you may be on to something with betting Monopoly Money. I made $90 bucks that way today, betting last minute from my sofa.
LOL. I bet real money on 7 Belmont races…all single win bets. Won just one: Casa Creed who paid $10.40. As it turned out, CC was my lowest-odds horse all day. Congratulations on your winnings. You should use the profits to enjoy one night at a hotel on Baltic Avenue.
Maybe I can spring for St. Charles Place. It’s on a better part of the block.
6 mo layoff…..facing a real good miler (Speaker’s Corner)…bucking in paddock, rank in post parade…..slow first stride….cut off by jockey on Speaker’s (should get days he was not clear)….annd wins by six NO WHIP……
Flightline, the champion racehorse in the world. Nothing else compares.
David’s I’m just fortunate I got to see his Malibu, top of stretch acceleration was breath taking! Huge stride, I commented about his size he is larger than when I saw him in December, nobody going to beat that horse..
Matthew, you’re a lucky guy. I’m just awed watching the performances and I’ve seen so many historic racehorses run the world over. Flightline is just phenomenal, just hope he retires undefeated.
I ended up betting Mo Donegal.
$125 Win
$125 Place
Good luck to all.
Wow, you cashed a big one! I had good (virtual) luck today, but nothing like that.
Thanks Ms Blacktype! Made up for the derby and Preakness losses. Nice to end on a positive. 🙂
Echo Zulu, lame on left front. Was not warming up right per jockey. She was scratched. Good catch by the jock.
There appears to be a “speed bias” on the dirt after the first 2 races today at Belmont. Things can change.
Hey Steve Morello is 9/2 at 7 fur today….big favorite (Jack Christopher) drew inside . . Morello hit the gate and was not a factor, In the Wood. .good price…….
Morello is my Best Bet of the card.
Seems like Morello is not able to break well anymore… Jack is a monster!!!!
Brown should try him at longer distance going gradually.
Should’ve run in Met Mile! Three year olds have won the Met Mile. .Conquistador Cielo crushed the Met Mile and then five days later won the Belmont by over 10 lengths and paid 4-1 go figure!
Correction: Worst Bet of the card.
Echo Zulu – Acorn
Wankanka – Longines Mile Turf
Max Player – Brooklyn Stakes
Jack Christopher – Woody Stephens
Letruska or Malathatt – Ogden Phipps
Arrest Me Red – Jaipur Stakes
Flightline – Met
Cufo – Manhatten
Belmont Stakes – We The People, Nest, Rich Strike
Safe racing everyone!
I made an exacta box with Gufo and Adhamo, who was spinning his wheels on the (awful) Churchill turf, and could run much better today, and at a decent price….
I think Highland Chief also has a good chance to win this race or at least be in the money. Last time he and Cufo met up in the Man O War Stakes, Highland Chief won.
This is only his second race in the United Sates. His sire is the highly successful Gleneagles.
We’re on the same page Lynda
I played a small Pick 6 ticket ($36.00)
6th. Jack Christopher (1)
7th. Letruska/Malathaat (1/3)
8th. Casa Creed/Arrest Me Red/Scuttlebuzz (4/5/8)
9th. Flightline/Speaker’s Corner (1/2)
10th. Gufo (2)
11th. We the People/Rich Strike/Mo Donegal (1/4/6)
Good luck
Good luck to you too, Bill!
I believe Nest will win the Belmont. She should sit a good grip and get first run on the closers. I will box Nest with MD and WTP in EX box and will use these 3 in a Trifecta . I will also use Rich Strike in The third slot in the TRI and Barber Road in the 4th spot in a SF with Nest winning for the SF bet.
2022 Met Mile is missing two horses….#1 Jackie’s Warrior, who dusted overrated horses yesterday, and eschewed the Met ….Life Is Good went to Saudi Arabia for the money, and sits out the Met Mile, the “Sire Maker”—a race that has built in breeding value….and Horse Racing is the big loser! WHAT a race it could have been, and I’ll just close with this: Buckpasser…Dr Fager.. Damascus.
1967 Woodward..
The weather is looking good for Belmont. They’ve already scratched all the MTOs.
Ok, took my last look. Feel at peace with my analysis.
#1 – We The People – has everything in his corner. Should win comfortably (on paper).
#2 – Rich Strike – (THE PLAY) the clear second choice imo. He would have won the derby by 4 lengths if not blocked for so long on the far turn. Think he earns his due respect here. I’ve turned into a big fan the last 24 hrs.
$200 Place – Rich Strike
$20 Exacta – We The People > Rich Strike
$5 Exacta – Rich Strike > We The People
Thanks Steve for another great historic story of the Belmont Stakes. That, and to be the truth said, this has to be to most uninspiring Belmont Stakes in years….a big yawn.
In fact, Friday’s Grade Stakes held more drama….BUT….wait for tomorrow….Flightline, Echo Zulu, Jack Christopher, Letruska/Malathaat etc….with apologies with others.
Can’t get excited for BS for other than an ex-claimer (Rich Strike) wins but the undercard is clearly the news and headlines for tomorrow’s card at Elmont, NY.
Congratulations Jackie’s Warrior.
Congratulations Bleecker Street!
Did anyone see the 6th at CD today? A 5f MSW with a 1-2 favorite. His name is Gulfport and he’s by Uncle Mo out of Fame and Fortune by Unbridled’s Song. Gulfport won by 7 lengths in 56 4/5 sec. I don’t know if that’s a track record, but it looked like it could be. Gulfport was a 5-2 ML favorite. The post-time odds no doubt were the result of his bullet workout 10 days ago at Keeneland (4f, 46 sec). Asmussen trains.
One for the list, Eddie! I’ve already got one going for 2023, but so far there are only two horses on it.
Who’s the other, Ms B? Forte?
The field…
Pretty impressive this son of Uncle Mo … his time of 56.85 was very close to the track record (56.41 by Wilbo since September 2016). Gulfort’s time was a full second faster than that logged by Two of a Kind in his Churchill debut.
As you know Two of a Kind won the Tremont at Belmont yesterday rather easily. Gulfport could have won the Tremont with what he showed in his debut… I hope he develops to be more than a superior sprinter… he is the watchlist of many many people now….!
Thanks, Nelson. I had a feeling it was close to the record. Derby winners don’t usually have a debut this early, but that’s not etched in stone. Gulfport’s second dam, Stop Traffic, was a two-time G1 winner who produced G1 Whitney winner Cross Traffic.
Yes EddieF… Gulfport’s dam is full to Cross Traffic and turf stayer Bianco Tartufo.
A lot to like there indeed…!
Just watched race six at Belmont….track and turf are beautiful, Belmont is truly beautiful!
Command Performance ran in today’s first race at Belmont which was a Maiden Special Weight. Today he finished 6 of 7. I’ve had him on my “bet against” list since his 2nd place finish to Fenwick in a MSW at Keenland 2 races back. The horse just doesn’t accelerate anymore. One paced. As a 2-year old, Commandperformance ran 2nd in his debut at Saratoga after a ton of trouble in the race. He then ran 2nd to Jack Christopher in the Gr1 Champagne at Belmont before a pretty good 4th behind Corniche, Pappacap, and Giant Game in last Fall’s Breeders Cup Juvenile. But, he just hasn’t moved forward as a 3-year old. In fact, his numbers had gone down in each of his 4 races before today. What’s wrong? Is it the classic case of too much, too soon or did the other horses catch up to him? Jose Ortiz was really working on him around the turn without getting much response. I have tremendous confidence that trainer Todd Pletcher will figure it out if anybody can. But, my feeling is that Commandperformance will need Claimers or another racing circuit to finally break his Maiden. Mountaineer, Thistledown, and Indiana Grand(or whatever they call it now) come to mind. Record after today: 6 0-3-0 $238,900. Pretty good earnings for an 0 for 6 Maiden.
Los Al 1000 yard?…….
Ruh roh. If CP doesn’t improve, he’s gonna get clipped. I hate that.
Just stopping by to wish the best of luck and safe racing today (Friday) to everyone.
Will be cheering for Bella Sofia in the Bed o Roses; Outbox with Hollie Doyle up in the Gold Cup; Jackie’s Warrior in the True North. Could be a 1,2,3 sweep by Chad Brown in the New York Stakes with Rougir, Bleeker Street and Virginia Joy.
Both Rougir and Beeker Street go back to Secretariat via Gone West. I have long thought that Gone West (Mr. Prospector x Secrettame, by Secretariat) has not been given his due recognition as a sire in the United States. I guess that is because he was primarily a turf sire and there is not much interest in the United States in turf racing. The Jockey Club credits him with 707 winners (55.2%) and 94 stakes winners (7.3%) from 1281 named foals of racing age.
Highly recommend reading 6/11/19 – Belmont: Part II under the #TurcotteTuesday tab on this webpage.
Steve I’m obsessed with your great columns and love for horse racing ! I enjoy everything you write but I couldn’t bring myself to read about silver charms Belmont loss again but I finally read it and so glad I did ! Amazing story how you picked touch g! But still I was all team silver charm and all these years later it hurts hopefully you didn’t pick birdstone as a baby too ! Team smarty jones ! Any steve your the best and we can’t thank you enough for your amazing articles and the brilliant people who comment on them
Thank you so much, Nick. That is very kind of you to say and I really appreciate it. Part of me was sad that day because I was so close to Silver Charm as well. Ironically, John Moynihan, who bought and sold Touch Gold was not not happy after the race because he was working as a bloodstock agent and advisor to Bob and Beverly Lewis. Crazy game, crazy emotions.
For some reason I seem to like Mo Donegal. I believe he is sitting on a big performance.
I will bet him to win and play the Super Fecta’s
My four will be No Donegal, We the People, Creative Minister & Rich Strike. I will include Barber Road on a couple trifecta’s
as he has an uncanny ability to get a piece of the action.
Good luck to all………..
The postings regarding breeding, Belmont history and other various info is pleasing to read. Thanks to all for sharing.
I second that. Good community, great host. It’s been fun.
Mo Donegal………. my bad
Three-time champion sire Tapit has become synonymous with a genetic license to winning the Belmont Stakes. No other sire, except for the matchlessly nineteenth-century icon, Lexington, got a bigger hoof-print on the Test of Champions. Both champion stallions share the record of four (4) Belmont Stakes winners.
Putting aside any immaterial comparison between Lexington and Tapit, we could just look at the last 122 years to find that only Fair Play and Man o’War had three Belmont winners.
Tapit’s progeny is not only the winningest but also flaunt the best placings as seen below:
2014 Tonalist (1st)
2015 Frosted (2nd)
2016 Creator (1st) Lani (3rd )
2017 Tapwrit (1st )
2018 Hofburg (3rd)
2019 Tacitus (2nd) Bourbon War (10th)
2020 Tiz the Law (paternal grandson of Tapit, 1st) (9 furlong) Tap it to Win (5th)
2021 Essential Quality (1st)
Obviously, Essential Quality did much more than winning the last leg of the TC but he had been labeled as a “Belmont Stakes horse” right after his impressive debut just because of his sire’s dominant affinity to that 1 ½-mile Classic.
This year there is no Tapit in the Belmont but his prowess is still felt with his grandsons: We the People (by Constitution by Tapit), Creative Minister (maternal grandson of Tapit) and Barber Road (by Race Day by Tapit).
Another elite stallion, Curlin, also gained very early the status of a stamina source after Palace Malice, from his first crop, won the Belmont Stakes. Since then his offspring has done well there as their numbers suggest:
2013 Palace Malice (1st)
2015 Keen Ice (3rd)
2016 Exaggerator (11th) [1.5 to one favorite]
2017 Irish War Cry (2nd)
2018 Vino Rosso (4th), Tenfold (5th)
2021 Known Agenda (4th)
This Belmont Stakes stages three Curlin descendants in Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator by Curlin), Nest (Curlin) and Rich Strike (Keen Ice by Curlin).The filly Nest is an honest card for Curlin to win his second Belmont.
Only Mo Donegal and Golden Glider don’t have Tapit or Curlin in their pedigrees.
The last leg of the TC might not be extremely appealing to the bettors but it has a distinct flavor thanks to the stamina match between Tapit and Curlin.
Nice analysis, Nelson. Someone on this blog tipped Creative Minister as a longshot pick (EddieF?) so I looked up his pedigree. There’s the Tapit connection, yes, but his dam has produced SIX stakes placed horses, four of them graded. Ironically, none have broken through as stakes winners. Maybe Creative Minister can be the one.
Thanks Ms Blacktype. Creative Minister got great affinity (maternal side) to the Belmont Stakes not only from Tapit but also via Deputy Minister and Wild Again. As you may remember Deputy Minister is the damsire of 3 Belmont winners and Sarava was one by Wild Again.
It takes a very good horse to do what he did in the Preakness … finishing 3rd behind probably the best 3-year-old horses so far in his first Grade I experience …!
In theory he should like going long. I will have him in all the exotics.
Interesting post. Thanks Nelson.
My pleasure Lil E. Tee
The forecast is improving for Saturday at Belmont. That’s good news.
The 2 best races to wager on at Belmont on Saturday might be two turf races. The Jaipur & The Manhattan. 13 runners in the Jaipur and 10 for the Manhattan. Arrest Me Red is the 5-2 ML Favorite in the Jaipur and looks tough coming off a career high matching 100 BSF in his last race. He’s 3 for 3 at 6 furlongs. Trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Irad Ortiz, he’s sure to attract plenty of attention. Maybe he “bounces” off that big number in his last. Maybe not.
Gufo is the 3-1 ML Favorite in the Manhattan. Gufo is a very popular horse around New York. I’m even a fan. Gufo has one win at a mile and a quarter which is the distance of the Manhattan. Gufo is a mile and a half horse IMO. It takes that big fella a little while to get going. I’m also a fan of the up and coming Santin. Trained by Brendan Walsh for Godolphin, Santin is still on a rising numbers pattern as he stretches out to a mile and a quarter for the first time. The always dangerous Chad Brown has 3 runners in the race. I really don’t like any of them. I’ll have to watch them beat me. One interesting longshot is In Love for Paulo Lobo. He’s a Miler who was “hot-stuff” going into last Fall’s Breeders Cup Mile. Too far for him? Maybe. But, Paulo Lobo is crafty and In Love ran in “distance” races in Argentina before going to Paulo Lobo.
Quite a few heavy favorites drew the rail on the Saturday Belmont Card: We the People, Flightline, Letruska, Jack Christopher, and distance specialist Lone Rock. Let’s see if they all can overcome their #1 posts. With the “short fields” it probably won’t matter. Call me crazy, but, I’m going to try to beat all of them. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.
I think Skippylongstocking could get a great setup! We The People and (maybe) Creative Minister doing battle, and Skippy pouncing on them!
Tomorrow (Friday) marks 44 years since Affirmed win that ding-dong stretch battle with Alyday—a medium sized chestnut staving off a large red chestnut!
Alydar!….and what a race! I saw Affirmed up close many times, to quote Laz Barerra he was a “Elluva Horse”…..
As usual they will keep up hopping around to watch Saturday’s Belmont races.
FS2 11am-2:30pm, CNBC 3pm-5pm, NBC 5pm-7pm, and back to FS2 7:15pm-8:30pm.
I don’t think that TVG is involved at all other than replays.
Just some Belmont Stakes trivia.
Average number of entries in the Belmont Stakes race in the Triple Crown wins is 5.4 starters.
Average number of entries in the Belmont Stakes race in the Triple Crown losses is 9.2 starters.
Post #1 has proven to be the most successful position in Belmont Stakes history, producing a total of 23 winners. The top five winning post positions are as follows:
Post 1: 23 Wins
Post 3: 13 Wins
Post 5: 13 Wins
Post 2: 11 Wins
Post 7: 11 Wins
With over 101 wins between them, bay and chestnut colored horses have been most successful in the Belmont Stakes.
Bay: 51 Winners
Chestnut: 50 Winners
The horse that has come the closest to Secretariat’s winning time was Easy Goer in 2.26 flat. Secretariat averaged 37.5 mph the entire race.
Since 2000 the track conditions have been fast every year but 2003 (sloppy) and 2011 (sloppy sealed).
The first female jockey to ride in all three Triple Crown races was Rosie Napravnik. Julie Krone is the only female jockey to win the Belmont Stakes (1993 – Colonial Affair).
Before 1921, the horses ran in a clockwise manner, as they did in English racing.
James G. Rowe Sr. is the trainer with the most Belmont wins (8). He was also considered the best jockey in the U.S. from 1871-1873. He won this race twice during that stretch. He is also the youngest trainer to ever win the Kentucky Derby.
Sarava is the biggest underdog to win at 70/1 odds in 2002.
The only US President to present the trophy for the Belmont Stakes was President Dwight Eisenhower in 1961.
You people are amazing. Thanks for all that trivia
Your are welcome, though I must admit that you have been my inspiration!
Since I have been following you at both BH and now here, I have learned so much about this sport.
The Belmont Stakes has been my cash cow, my bread and butter race. Gonna try to keep the streak going with Barber Road. He ran way wider than Mo Donegal in the derby and I think the jockey upgrade is a big deal.
Up +$340 on the derby trail so I’ll bet $240 and leave $100 for a nice dinner. 🙂
$175 Place – Barber Road
$25 Win – Barber Road
$20 Exacta – We The People > Barber Road
$10 Trifecta – We The People, Rich Strike > We The People, Rich Strike > Barber Road
Scratch all that, I’m off Barber Road.
Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of Pillory’s Belmont Stakes win. The evocative name Pillory has roots in his dam’s name (Hester Prynne) and his granddam’s name (Witchcraft). Ahh…the good old days.
I am wondering if the Belmont this year will become the Curlin Belmont. Hoping that Nest and Rich Strike come out on top. And then Curlin and his descendants would together have won the Triple Crown. I would be so happy for Barbara Banke, the most influential woman in horse racing and breeding. I congratulated her when Rich Strike, the grandson of Curlin, won the Kentucky Derby and she graciously acknowledged my comment. I know the spirit of Jess Jackson will be having his own celebration up in heaven.
When Gulfstream first had the Curlin Florida Derby, Known Agenda, his son won the Florida Derby.
One never knows what will happen in horse racing. This might be a banner year for Curlin.
Also, Skippylongstocking is a grandson of Curlin, through sire Exaggerator. But how would there be a Curlin TC? Preakness winner Early Voting doesn’t have Curlin in his pedigree. Or did I misread your comment?
Hi EddieF, I forgot to add that Curlin won the Preakness. He doesn’t need a Preakness winner from his progeny, as he won the Preakness. I made a presumption that everyone knew that Curlin won the Preakness.
Best of luck with the wonderful racing at Belmont Park on Saturday.
The 2-day wagers from Friday Belmont to Saturday Belmont are confusing to say the least. It’s gotten out of hand IMO.
2-Day $2 Pick-4: 10th Fri, 11th Fri, 10th Sat, 11th Sat
2-Day $.20 Pick-6: 9th Fri, 10th Fri, 6th Sat, 8th Sat, 10th Sat, 11th Sat
2-Daty Belmont Gold Cup/Belmont DD: 8th Fri, 11th Sat
2-Day Sprint DD: 9th Fri, 8th Sat
2-Day NY/Met Mile DD: 10th Fri, 9th Sat
2-Day Filly & Mare DD: 11th Fri, 7th Sat
If that’s not enough “exotic wagering” for you, there’s also a Saturday Met Mile/Belmont DD and a Saturday $3 Triple Play which is basically a pick-3 made up of 3 turf races: 4th, 8th, and 10th.
That’s in addition to all of the usual wagers. Yikes!
The 4th race Just A Game at Belmont on Saturday looks like a showdown between 2 Chad Brown/Peter Brant horses:
Regal Glory and Speak of the Devil. Both have won 3 in a row. Speak of the Devil was VERY impressive winning at Churchill on Derby Day. Another short field with not much betting value. A “watch” race because both horses should be “players” in the female turf division the rest of the year.
Have we finally given up on Pappacap who shows up in the 7th race Woody Stephens on Saturday at Belmont? He cuts back again to 7-furlongs this time after finishing 2nd to Jack Christopher in The Pat Day Mile at Churchill. Flavien Prat sees a reason to ride him back. “Jack” draws the rail this time and will have to use his speed to flee the 1-hole. Maybe Prat can secure the “catbird seat” right off “Jack” and turn the tables with the shorter distance. I’m probably dreaming. But, I’ve been chasing Pappacap for what seems like “forever”. Trainer Mark Casse has not had much success on the biggest days so far this year. But, I just have a feeling that Pappacap is going to jump up and win when we least expect it one of these days. BTW, a guy could go broke chasing horses like Pappacap who won his first two races and has lost 7 in a row since.
What about Morello in the same race? He was building up quite a reputation when winning 3 races at Aqueduct easily and impressively to start his career before “laying an egg” as the favorite in The Wood Memorial that was won by Mo Donegal over Preakness winner Early Voting. 7-furlongs could be just what the doctor ordered. Morello broke horribly that day and lost all chance at the start.
Wit is the one horse that has been pointed to The Woody Stephens all along.
I like Morello. I’d be overjoyed if he went off at his ML (9-2). Belmont is the perfect track for his 7f running style.
Casse has a 20-1 horse in the Jaipur….South American…..too early to dismiss….
Casa Creed and Gear Jockey seem like the same horse to me. Casa Creed is already a Millionaire at 6-years old and
Gear Jockey can become a Millionaire on Saturday at 5-years old. They both seem better at 6 or 7 furlongs on the turf than at 5 or 5 1/2 furlongs. Arrest Me Red is 3 for 3 at 6-furlongs on turf and has the potent turf sprinting combo of Wesley Ward &
Irad Ortiz. Scuttlebuzz is a New York bred that loves 6-furlongs on the turf at Belmont. The 8th race Jaipur is an excellent betting contest on Saturday at Belmont.
Vegas has fixed odds on Nest at 10-1 I think that’s worth a big stab!
That’s right, get into the spirit.
Hey Steve:
I also tried picking out one yearling once at the Saratoga summer sale. She went on to be a GIII winner. I still have the catalog page. Yet another great story. Thanks so much.
Thanks Larry. It does make you feel good doesnt it?
Certainly does. Just looking, can’t find the pedigree. I know she went to Bob and Bev Lewis for $550K. I watched her go through the ring. Exciting to say the least.
Steve are they running the Belmont at Santa Anita this year? The Jaipur drew full, every other grade1 has a small field…..
The dirt races have four 5-horse fields and one six-horse field. Yes, looks more like SA. Pretty disheartening
And possible heavy rain in the forecast.
O/U on attendance: 42,500
Forecast I saw this morning was light rain in the morning and afternoon with a high of 74. 40% of light rain at 6:pm.
I personally GUARANTEE a fast track on Saturday.
Sing along with me, Lynda!!
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You’ll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don’t take my sunshine away…
Have you ever seen the movie “Bound For Glory”? Great film. When good films were great.
Excellent, and nearly forgotten, film.
Hal Ashby’s best film and, arguably, the finest cinematography of any film. If you ever see “Bound For Glory” being shown in a cinema treat yourself. An absolute gem.
The dust storm approaching a small town and the shot on top of a freight train when Woody Guthrie and a fellow hobo exchange philosophies while the train moves are simply breathtaking.
I’ve seen it three times, including once on a big screen at a classic-film festival. Hal Ashby also directed “Being There,” which I put right up there with BFG.
Good for you. “Bound For Glory” is as relevant now as it was then, perhaps even more so.
“Coming Home” is my other favorite Hal Ashby film. The brilliant soundtrack weaves so beautifully throughout the various scenes while continually pulsing the theme of “time” throughout.
The Chambers Brothers’ “Time Has Cone Today” chants loudly as Robert Carradine decides to end his misery, one of the most disturbing scenes in cinema. While The Rolling Stones’ “Out of Time” begins and ends the film. Masterpiece.
That song was written by a dermatologist…
Hello Davids.
I remember “You Are My Sunshine” well. We sang it in grade school.
Have not watched “Bound For Glory”. The only thing I really know about it is that coal powered steam railroad engines aficionados have given high praise to the cinematographer, Haskell Wexler who was the chief cinematographer for the movie. The movie was shot using vintage engines from that era and on the Western Pacific Railroad in California around Bakersfield and Stockton.
The movie was nominated for a number awards and won several
Academy Awards Best Picture Robert F. Blumofe and Harold Leventhal Nominated
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium Robert Getchell Nominated
Best Cinematography Haskell Wexler Won
Best Costume Design William Ware Theiss Nominated
Best Film Editing Robert C. Jones and Pembroke J. Herring Nominated
Best Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score Leonard Rosenman Won
Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or Hal Ashby Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Drama Nominated
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama David Carradine Nominated
Best Director – Motion Picture Hal Ashby Nominated
New Star of the Year – Actress Melinda Dillon Nominated
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards Best Cinematography Haskell Wexler Won
National Board of Review Awards Best Actor David Carradine Won
National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Cinematography Haskell Wexler Won
New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Actor David Carradine Runner-up
Society of Camera Operators Awards Historical Shot Garrett Brown Won
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium Robert Getchell Nominated
Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” was nominated to the AFI 100 Years, 100 Songs list. Interesting enough is that Guthrie took the melody from the song from the Carter Family’s “”Oh, My Loving Brother”.
In addition to my lifelong passion for horses, I have a passion for trains particularly the coal powered steam engines.
Lynda, do try and see “Bound For Glory.” Bound For Glory has aged much better than all the other nominated films that year besides, perhaps, “Seven Beauties.”
Davids, I did search for the movie on Amazon, Starz and TCM (Turner Classic Movies).
Sometimes I can find these older movies to rent on Amazon. However, this movie is only available to purchase.
Not listed on Starz. TCM has aired the movie in the past but is not available on demand.
Lynda, just going through the maze from Film to dvd/video distribution Turner has the rights of UA Films from 1973 to 1982 which “Bound For Glory” fits into. Truthfully though, you miss so much on Television perhaps there may be a Hal Ashby Festival in your local Art House Cinema.
Steve, with the graded races having such small fields where are the owners who are supposedly sportsman willing to take a shot at getting some black type in there resume. for me this is a new low. The fans of racing are supporting the game. It seems like the trainers and owners are not!
One more thing Where’s Aidan O’brian this weekend?
I’m always whining about “short fields” and I did again yesterday. But, today at DRF, Brad Free points out that the problem has spread nationwide and is mostly limited to “dirt” Stakes races. I hadn’t really noticed that it was mostly on dirt, but, after thinking about it, I think that Brad Free is absolutely right.
I try not to be too hard on Santa Anita. They are dealing with all sorts of issues out there and doing so in a climate that seems “unfriendly” to Horseracing.
A lot of the major tracks: NYRAs, Woodbine, Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park etc offer good prize money outside stakes races these days and there aren’t that many colts that will become sires thus requiring Graded Stakes wins.
Easier money drains the numbers from the stakes fields in dirt races.
If your life depended on it… We The People is probably the play.
If you want to take a chance on an upset… I think Creative Minister is the play.
* Think he should get the distance?
* Won on a wet track.
* Preakness was a good race and he ran pretty well in it. Made a very early move for some reason and still stayed on well.
* He clearly had ribs showing in the Preakness and I don’t see them now.
* Quality horse on the improve.
$200 Total
$100 Win – Creative Minister
$50 Exacta – We The People > Creative Minister
$20 Exacta – Mo Donegal > Creative Minister
$10 Trifecta – We, Mo > We, Mo > Creative
$5 Exacta – Creative > We, Mo
$1,000 Win* – Golden Glider
*Monopoly money
My favorite kind for betting! Sometimes I even win.
Drinks on you!
You bet, especially since they’d be virtual.
Retracting my comment on Creative Minister. Don’t like that he’s hot/lathered in his gallops.
Steve, what a happy memory to reflect back on while we await this year’s Belmont Stakes. Silver Charm was such a charismatic colt, as was Bob Baffert at the time, and Silver Charm’s battles with the beautiful Free House in California had already built up a rivalry which the Triple Crown races could exploit advantageously. Free House had beaten Silver Charm in the Santa Anita Derby.
As much as you adored Touch Gold, many were somewhat disappointed that Silver Charm couldn’t have pulled it off but that’s racing. A. P. Indy, a few years earlier, had he been able to have competed in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes would, in most people’s minds, have won the Triple Crown and broken that spell which plagued racing for so many years but, it wasn’t meant to be.
There seems to be some ‘couch potato’ grumbling about this year’s Belmont Stakes, not from me. I’m as enthusiastic as ever waiting for the big day of racing at Belmont Park. Thursday and Friday cards are too bad either. Hopefully, We the People puts in a good performance but he’s not the best tempered colt around so it might be worthwhile monitoring how he ebbs and flows prior to the start.
Best of luck to all, I’ll be up in the wee hours of the morning to watch the full card with Flightline the highlight. The forecast is predicted to be sunny – perfect.
Did they change the forecast? I heard showers.
Steve, I’m taking the optimistic outlook that comes up first on the iPad. But you know the weather… Hope over experience.
Great backstory. Thank you so much. I’ve visited Old Friends last May. And saw these two among many other racing royalty. It just doesn’t get better.
Let’s have a safe Belmont weekend.
So…the Summer three year old races will determine the Eclipse winner—unless Rich Strike wins Sat it’s wide open! I’m not sure who is the leader at this point, Epicenter?….
Wouldn’t Epicenter have to win The Travers or Breeders Cup Classic to win the award? I’m horrible at picking those things.
If Jack Christopher were to win the Woody Stephens Stakes this Saturday, doesn’t he float to the top? Undefeated.
Thanks Steve.I remember that race like it was yesterday. It was a thrilling day and race.
Nice remembrance of two great members of the 3-year-old crop of 1997. Silver Charm was the 3-year-old champion and his brilliant career (1996-1999) led him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame (HoF); and Touch Gold is in the Canadian HoF since 2011. Many remember some of their most accomplished peers like Free House, Captain Bodgit, Pulpit, Frisk Me Now, Deputy Commander, Concerto, Behrens, Anet, Crypto Star, Wild Rush, Awesome Again and Blazing Sword.
I am appreciative learning about Touch Gold’s (very late) foaling date, his hoof crises and that he got Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) as a 4-year-old. No wonder he finished last as the 2-5 favorite in the Pegasus Handicap at Meadowlands. As Steve stated, Touch Gold was not the same after that flop prior to a last place again in his first Breeder’s Cup Classic. He reappeared 7 months later with an impressive Allowance win at Churchill in 94 seconds flat for the mile. It was a spark of his great talent, but he was not that good in the Pacific Classic (5th), the Fayette (2nd) and in the Breeder’s Cup Classic (8th), his final race.
Touch Gold has been a relatively successful sire with his progeny earning more than $47 million. His first two crops included the Grade 1 winners Composure, Seek Gold, Midas Eyes and Mass Media.
I always thought that Touch Gold was primed to be a great Broodmare sire emulating his sire Deputy Minister and damsire Buckpasser. However, he could not reach the stature of those two giants.
Touch Gold’s Broodmare stats reads 1314 starters with 549 winners including 29 Black Type winners accruing more than $86 million.
Touch Gold is the damsire of Upstart who’s had a promising start as a sire producing nice Stakes horses like Masqueparade, Reinvestment Risk, ZANDON and Kathleen O. in his two first crops. The second dam of Steve’s favorite, Vino Rosso, is by Touch Gold.
Seems like Touch Gold’s sons Upstart, Commissioner and Hofburg will be preserving his legacy for a long time.
Unfortunately Nelson, Commissioner has been sent to Saudi Arabia, and Hofburg is in Brazil but arguably they may thrive there better than in the US. By the way, who do you like in the Belmont Stakes?
There is a lot of excitement around Hofburg in Brazil… his current farm Santa Maria de Araras was able to lead a sire like Put It Back to be one of the greatest sires in Brazil the last 15 years and to produce a horse like Bali Bali. The important Brazilian breeding institution was looking to replace Put It Back after his death last year and has great expectations with the son of Tapit.
Reg. the Belmont, in principle, We The People looks openly favored by the lack of speed in the race. His successful experience at Belmont (i.e. the relevant Peter Pan) on a likely similar track condition makes him very tough especially assuming that he should cherish the distance.
Mo Donegal and/or Nest will very likely be in the Trifecta as Pletcher is the boss in Belmont.
Hopefully, Hofburg does well in Brazil. Pedigree for Classic runners, and there’s a nice blend of speed.
Thirteen races on Belmont Day. The nine Stakes races run from the 3rd race to the 11th race Belmont. Short fields carry the day. Of those 9 Stakes Races, four have only 5 entrants, one has 6, one has 7, The Belmont has 8, 13 for The Jaipur, and 10 for The Manhattan. This small fields in Stakes races thing seems to be sweeping the country.
I can’t help but wonder if Martin Panza leaving NYRA last Fall is having a negative effect on Belmont Super Day. If it is, I would expect the same on Travers Day.
Flightline got another obstacle when he drew the rail in the 5 horse Met Mile which also drew a surprise entrant in
Todd Pletcher’s Happy Saver. Flightline will have to beat four really good horses. A good race to watch despite the short field.
I take that back. He’ll have to beat 3 really good horses and what I call a “moon-shooter”. No disrespect. Hey, an 80-1 “moon-shooter” won The Kentucky Derby. As Al Michaels would say: “do you believe in miracles?”
I wonder if Mr. Stronarch named the horse after the brilliance of Steve’s writing, which always has a touch of gold! Steve, I rarely post but have been reading your work for decades and my love of the sport and enjoyment I experience following it has been very much influenced by your great writing and passion for the athletes and their back stories. You also have helped me with a few nice paydays, my favorite of which was my Monarchos/Invisible Ink $10 exacta in the 2001 KY Derby. I will never forget how you described Invisible Ink as a horse that will never quit, and when the temps were in the mid 90s, I figured a Florida based horse that always gives his all was worth a shot.
Thanks for all of your great work.
That is so kind of you, Greg. Thank you very much. You really do go way back. That was a big hit for me too but with only $2 exacta. $10 exacta…wow! So happy to hear you made out big. Makes me feel good and happy for you.
Too bad I spent it all on races where I wasn’t privy to your intel! Seriously though – I hope you know that there are probably thousands like me who have loved your writing while silently in the background for many years.
Its good to know there are some silentt ones out there. Always looking for interaction but I understand many dont like commenting. Thanks again
Steve, what an incredible back story on Touch Gold. As a former newspaper reporter, I’m amazed that you still seem to have access to all your old notes, complete with lengthy quotes. How do you do it!?
I went to the Belmont for the first time in 1997. My husband and I drove down from Boston, scalped tickets on the backside of the backstretch (for $7 each!) on our way to the main gate, and nearly froze in our seats on the 16th pole in the top tier. After the race, one handicapper under the grandstand took one look at me as I watched the replay and said, “That face says it all.”
I had a chance to actually introduce myself to Bob Baffert as we were leaving (didn’t do it, I’ve regretted it ever since) and saw Penny Chenery on the way back to the car. We drove all the way back to Boston that night after dinner somewhere in Connecticut. I’ve been to other Belmonts, but tickets increasingly cost more (even buying in advance) and those $7 seats were the best we ever had.
Thanks. Some stuff I’ve written about years ago and take snippets from that.
Everything sounds as fresh as if you gathered the material the day before you wrote it.
I try to keep it fresh. No use writing new material when I’ve written everything there is about the subject. But I always add some new material and new angles.
Thank you Steve for the wayback machine and especially the view through your eyes. Those were great times. I sincerely hope there’s a hard copy of your works. Losing it would be like losing the Great Library of Alexandria
LOL, thanks derek. Only hard copy is in the archives of Bloodhorse and Secretariat.
Only 8 entered in The Belmont with We the People as the 2-1 ML Favorite from the rail. He looks to have a pace advantage and has a win over an “off” track at Belmont. But, I think an “off” track would be favorable to 5-2 second choice Mo Donegal as well.
Only 8 for the $1.5million Belmont and I see Howling Time, Rattle N Roll, Trafalgar, and Cyberknife listed as “possibles” for Sunday’s Matt Winn at Churchill. They should all be running in The Belmont. I think that all 4 of them could be competitive against this year’s Belmont field. A person could say that maybe they have distance limitations. But, when has that stopped anyone from entering before? “Belmont Winner” means a lot more than “Matt Winn Winner”. No disrespect intended.
17 of 20 Derby starters…most of whom skipped the Preakness….not running in The Belmont!
That’s bad for the sport IMO.
Lots of short 5 horse fields in Grade 1’s lined up on Belmont Day. The 6 horse field in the Woody Stephen’s with many 3yo’s fit and ready to roll, as evidence by the road to the Derby preps, is a head shaking turnout, IMO.
In this century there were as few as 3 Derby runners in the Belmont in 2004, 2005, 2010, and 2012. The most was 10 — in the 2013 Belmont. I’m not sure that the 2013 Belmont was three times better than the four editions with just 3 Derby runners. 😉
Looks like Bobby Flay is going to luck into another last minute Belmont purchase — only speed, rail, possible off track. He will be all alone on the lead. ZZZZ
Most uninteresting Belmont ever. Pass.
1955
In !955 the Derby featured Swaps (great horse) by Khaled winning the Kentucky Derby, with Nashua 2nd. Nashua by the great sire Nasrullah won the Belmont Stakes in a pedestrian 2:29 flat.
The 2nd & 3rd runners were both by Count Fleet, speaking of Blazing Count & Portersville.
Swaps went on to set many track & world time records. Swaps unfortunately was not a real sound horse. That Derby featured some nice horses including Summer Tan & Honey’s Alibi.
Swaps was my dads favorite horse along with Ruffian. The 1st live race I ever saw was the 1955 Santa Anita Derby.
I would agree with your assessment on the Belmont Stakes that year.
My 2 personal favorite Belmont Stakes were Rags to Riches & American Pharoah.
All your posts are very good, I wanted to say that.
Thanks, Deacon. Much appreciated. I enjoy your posts, too…wish they were more frequent. I like your two favorite Belmonts. They were great for very different reasons. My favorite was the 2010 edition won by Drosselmeyer … because it was my biggest Belmont Stakes score. 😉
No, no. The most boring Belmont Stakes is a toss-up between 1911 or 1912.
You are correct, sir. LOL
That’s because they weren’t run in those years. Quite ominous for the racing world at the time, especially in New York. All the hot shots fled to Kentucky, Canada, or France.
It’s a bit curious that the Early Pace ratings of several runners are better than We the People’s numbers…particularly Creative Minister, Nest, and Skippylongstocking.
Amazing story.. with all the horses in that crop.. that these two would intersect and a common thread that you were in this tale..if you do not retell these , people are not going to know.. there was nothing too “Long ” about this.. im so appreciative for your doing this
Thanks Marc, I’m always afraid of going too long
Steve Haskin thanks for such a great article. I was fortunate to be able to go to my first Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks this year. The greatest part of our driving trip from California to Kentucky was that my wife and were able to go to the horse farms and see many great race horses. I know and have bet on many of the horses that we saw. I have been betting and watching horse racing since I was twelve years old. I am currently sixty eight years old now. The best part of visiting Kentucky was when we went to Old Friends two days before the Derby. My wife and I and our friends Ron and Sandy were able to meet Michael Blowen Founder of Old Friends,Dave Grening from DRF and Butch Patrick better known as Eddie Munster of The Munsters. You would have thought we all knew each other for years and years. They offered to take pictures with us and of course we had to oblige. Then came my chance to see Silver Charm. I ducked to the fence rail told my wife Cheryl that’s Silver Charm and was the first of our tour group to pet and feed him carrots. Normally I wait my turn patiently but not that day. Of course we have great pictures to show it. Steve Haskin again thank you for another great memory.
Thank you Steven and for sharing your memory. What Michael has built at Old Friends is truly remarkable,
A great read along with the perfect title. Thank youi.
Thanks Liam
So THAT’S why Churchill Downs has such animus towards Baffert these days! Imagine, Baffert had the audacity to invite the public to CD for Silver Charm’s workout.
Seriously, loved this column, Steve. Congratulations on “picking out” a classic winner.
Thanks Amy
Good Luck readers for weekend! RS for home run! For me, Anchorage Alaska calling in a few hrs from now.
Loved the article as a huge fan of Touch Gold. Silver Charm got lucky in the Preakness with the trouble TG had. Heard from someone close to Stronach that after the Belmont when Frank saw the hoof and that trainer Hofmans was going to run TG on it Hofmans was done training for Stronach. TG’s career compromised by Preakness injury. On talent TG was head and head with Ghostzapper as Stronach’s best ever. Steve great article as usual – maybe you had a career as a bloodstock agent you missed out on.
Thanks. Stronach was not happy with TG running at the Meadowlands on a wet abrasive track. That was the beginning of the end
Great Article Steve!! I was at the Preakness in 1997 (the single worst betting weekend of my life), & had a huge win bet on Touch Gold who I LOVED in the 97 Preakness. My friends & I had our seats (chairs) right at the fence near the starting gate. We watched in horror as you perfectly described the start of the race. Then Touch Gold was stopped multiple times as he was gaining at the top of the stretch, losing by less than 1 1/2 lengths. I told anyone that would listen to me, that Touch Gold would win the Belmont, & to this day is the single largest win bet I have ever made. After he won the Haskell that Summer, something went wrong in the Pegasus at the Meadowlands over a very wet track. He ran poorly in BC Classic that year in California, as anyone could see, something was amiss. Even though, his 4 year old year was so-so, I will never forget those 4 races in a row from the Lexington, Preakness, Belmont, & Haskell. He was amazing!! His Belmont Picture is proudly framed in my office. Next to Forego, Touch Gold was my favorite horse of all time. Thank you for the informative story!!
I saw him after the BC and a third of his hoof was ripped off. He never should have run. You could see him bearing out in his final work. At 4 he was suffering from EPM, a neurological disease.
Steve, I remember the 97 Belmont and Silver Charm’s Derby and Preakness wins.
The Triple Crown races that year were the first ones that I watched live on TV since 1975 when Ruffian broke down in the match race. I was watching the race live on TV. I was so traumatized by it that I swore off watching live racing from 1975 to 1997 even though I still followed the sport.
All new players including owners, trainers and jockeys.
I quickly became enamored with Silver Charm and was of course disappointed when he lost the Belmont.
Bob Baffert was new to the scene but even then he was a bigger than life presence!
Thank you so much for sharing the backstories on Silver Charm and Touch Gold and your story about covering the Belmont and the photos!
Your stories and your experiences across the years takes me not only to the races but makes me feel like I was actually there that day.
Hopefully the race coverage will include a tribute to these two grand old gentlemen who are still with us!
I really appreciate that Lynda. Thank you very much.
What a great feeling that must have been to pick out a yearling from hundreds of others and then see him become a Belmont Stakes winner. This was a fascinating story about two outstanding animals, with an added dimension of personal experience. And that particular Belmont Stakes was also historic and meaningful because four of the seven runners went on to win G1s: Touch Gold, Silver Charm, Free House, and Wild Rush.
Thanks again, Steve, for your outstanding journalism with a heart.
Thats very kind of you Eddie. Thank you
As always Steve very informative read & exciting back story to this. What makes your writing so special is that we get a glimpse of what goes on with a horse behind the scenes. Stuff the public would never know without folks like you.
You do tell a story so eloquently, I usually feel after reading your blogs that I was there experiencing all of it.
Staring with Majestic Prince losing the Belmont Stakes, then Sunday Silence, Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Charismatic & Smarty Jones (among others) I felt that we would never see another Triple Crown winner.
Thank you for making my Monday extra special….
Thank you Deacon. I appreciate it.
Thanks for sharing this amazing history Steve. Another great story from your great career.
I appreciate it, Kenny. Thank you
I had the privilege of taking my Dad to his first Kentucky Derby and first visit to Churchill Downs in 1997. We were both fans of Silver Charm and Gary Stevens so we were not disappointed. My Dad had retired to Arizona and didn’t bring the proper clothing for a cold and drizzle day. I bought him a cap, then a sweatshirt, then a jacket. Then I was cold and damp so I bought a coat. Needless to say I was out $600 before the first race. All worth it for the memories.
I’m sure it was. Has you reminiscing 25 years later
The 1997 Preakness is one of the best races of my lifetime, that was a good crop..
I was unaware of the quarter crack TG had suffered. An amazing piece of blacksmithy along with the heart of a champion. And fun to know they’re sharing a fence. Another great job (along with picking a winner!)
Another great story from Steve Haskin. Steve Haskin was right in the middle of that 1997 Belmont. But, the truly amazing part of the story is that Steve Haskin really got involved 2 years earlier at the 1995 Keenland Sale. Was it luck or skill that had Steve Haskin pick out the Colt that would later be named Touch Gold? Whichever, great job! I never heard about Touch Gold’s severe hoof issue. I wonder if that later led to a rather dull performance in The Breeders Cup Classic at Churchill? A race that was won by his coupled stable-mate Awesome Again. I’ve always thought that Touch Gold was the better half of that entry. How about that picture of Steve Haskin with Silver Charm? The depth of Steve Haskin’s photo collection never ceases to amaze me. Like all grays, Silver Charm’s coat really lightened as he got older.
The story also reminds us how much the sport misses BB on it’s biggest days. I won’t comment about if he’s being dealt with fairly or not because I really don’t know. But, 25 years later, BB is still the biggest name in the sport. He is missed.
BTW, I noticed that BB has a possible entry at Santa Anita on Sunday. His Newgrange could face Tim Yakteen’s Doppelganger. That sounds weird.
That race is actually on Saturday. I thought that BB’s suspension ran until after Belmont Day. Who knows anymore?