Triple Crown Bid Tarnished Touch Gold Nips Silver Charm In End

In the closing strides of the Belmont Stakes, Silver turned to Gold. Once again, racing was left without a Triple Crown winner.

Silver Charm was straining toward the wire Saturday when Touch Gold flashed by him on the outside and beat the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner by three-quarters of a length.

Instead of a 12th Triple Crown champion and first since Affirmed in 1978, thoroughbred racing had to settle for a 13th near-miss in its most prominent series.

“You get the highest highs in this sport and the lowest lows,” said Gary Stevens, Silver Charm’s jockey. “You keep on an even keel, but it’s kind of hard right now.”

Touch Gold, who had finished fourth in the Preakness after falling on his face at the start, carried Chris McCarron past Silver Charm and Free House in the final 70 yards. That dimmed the roar of the crowd of 70,682, which had come out to see history.

“This is probably the best race he’s run throughout the Triple Crown and to have him come up a bit short is hard to take,” said Stevens, who guaranteed a win just a few days earlier.

“You never take anything for granted in the Triple Crown.”

The defeat cost Silver Charm and his owners, Bob and Beverly Lewis, a $5 million bonus offered by Visa.

“It’s not a great feeling to be the spoiler,” said Frank Stronach, who owns Touch Gold.

“Racing does need Triple Crown winners, but competition - that’s what it’s all about.”

Silver Charm finished a length in front of archrival Free House, who was 14 lengths ahead of Crypto Star. Completing the order of finish were: Irish Silence; Wild Rush, Touch Gold’s Stronach-owned stablemate; and Mr. Energizer.

Bob Baffert, Silver Charm’s trainer, and the Lewises were gracious in defeat.

“We’ve had a magnificent trip,” Bob Lewis said. “It’s been a thrill all the way through.”

“I wanted to pull this off so bad for you guys,” Baffert said. “But I think we got something done. I think we brought racing back.”

He paused.

“I’m too emotional. I’m going to cry.”

David Hofmans, the winning trainer, gave McCarron a lot of credit for the win. He said the plan was to have Touch Gold sneak up on Silver Charm, then make a closing rush to the wire.

“That’s why we bring in smart jockeys like Chris McCarron that think a lot.”

McCarron wasn’t just smart, he was experienced, too. Ten years ago, he was aboard Alysheba, who had won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, too. That day. Bet Twice spoiled McCarron’s bid for racing glory.

“How long does it take to get over it? I don’t know the answer to that question,” McCarron said. “I haven’t gotten over it yet.”

But this win may go a long way to help. Touch Gold won despite a quarter crack in his left front hoof, suffered in the Preakness. He raced Saturday with a Fiberglas patch on the crack, repaired so expertly that Baffert joked he wanted to hire the specialist who applied it.

The crack didn’t slow the bay at all when it mattered most.

Silver Charm broke on top while Touch Gold got off slowly. After the run into the clubhouse turn, Touch Gold was in front with Wild Rush second and Silver Charm third. Entering the backstretch with a mile to go, Touch Gold still led, but then faded to fourth.

At the half-mile pole, Wild Rush, Silver Charm and Free House were vying for the lead, with Touch Gold just behind. On the final turn, McCarron moved Touch Gold to the outside and placed him well off the rail for his final run.

At the same time, Stevens sent Silver Charm into the lead, while Free House moved to challenge. With a quarter-mile to go and the crowd roaring, Silver Charm put his head in front of Free House. But Touch Gold was only a half-length farther back.

With 70 yards left, Touch Gold went into overdrive and swept past Silver Charm, finishing in 2:28-4/5.

The fractions were 23-3/5 for the quarter mile, a dawdling 49-1/5 for the half, 1:13-4/5 for three-quarters, and the mile was reached in 1:38-4/5.

Touch Gold, also owned by Janice and Robert McNair, paid $7.30, $3.30 and $2.60. Silver Charm returned $3 and $2.40, and Free House, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, who was third in the Derby and second by a head in the Preakness, paid $2.70 to show.

It was the third-largest Belmont Stakes crowd, behind 82,694 when Canonero II failed to win the Triple Crown in 1971, and 71,026 when Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown in 1977.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: BELMONT STAKES CHART 9th Race at Belmont Park. Saturday June 7, 1997. 1-1/2 Miles. Purse $500,000-Added 3 Year Olds. Stake Value Of Race $721,000. Value To Winner $432,600; Second $144,200; Third $79,310; Fourth $43,260; Fifth $21,630. Mutuel Pool $10,362,477; Exacta Pool $6,157,371; Trifecta Pool $4,850,723.

Horse Wgt PP 1/4 1/2 1M 1-1/4 Str Fin Jockey To $1 a-Touch Gold 126 1 1-1 1-1 4-4 3-1/2 3-8 1-3/4 McCarron 2.65 Silver Charm 126 2 3-1-1/2 3-1/2 2-1-1/2 1-hd 1-1/2 2-1 Stevens 1.05 Free House 126 6 5-1/2 4-2-1/2 3-1/2 2-1 2-1 3-14 Desormeaux 4.40 Crypto Star 126 3 7 7 7 6-10 4-1/2 4-1-1/2 Day 4.20 Irish Silence 126 7 4-hd 5-2 5-6 5-1-1/2 5-1-1/2 5-9 Velazquez 34.25 a-Wild Rush 126 4 2-1-1/2 2-1/2 1-1/2 4-4 6-20 6-18 Bailey 2.65 Mr. Energizer 126 5 6-9 6-6 6-1/2 7 7 7 Ortega 45.00

Time: 23 3-5; 49 1-5; 1:13 4-5; 1:38 4-5; 2:04; 2:28 4-5.

1 Touch Gold 7.30 3.30 2.60 2 Silver Charm 3.00 2.40 5 Free House 2.70

Off 5:31 EDT. Start: Good. Won Driving. Clear. Track: Fast. $2 Exacta (1-2) Paid $13.60. $2 Trifecta (1-2-5) Paid $23.80. a-coupled. Winner-B c, 3, by Deputy Minister-Passing Mood by Buckpasser. Trainer-Hofmans David Bred by Hill ‘n Dale Farm & Holtsinger Inc (Ky). Scratched: None. Overweights- None