Silver Charm Being Treated Like Royalty

ELMONT, N.Y. — With a police escort, Silver Charm arrived at Belmont Park on Wednesday morning after flying from Louisville, Ky.

One win away from becoming the 12th 3-year-old in history to win the Triple Crown, the gray son of Silver Buck is traveling in finer style than he did a little more than a year ago.

After being purchased for $85,000 by trainer Bob Baffert for owners Bob and Beverly Lewis, Silver Charm made his first cross-country trek, from Florida to California. “I put him on a van,” said Baffert. “It builds character.”

Nobody is questioning the colt’s character these days after wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness have him on the verge of making history in the Belmont Stakes. For the first time since 1989, the Belmont has Triple-Crown meaning.

That year, Sunday Silence was denied in his quest for the Triple Crown by Easy Goer. Two years earlier, Alysheba was a distant fourth when he tried to become the first to complete the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.

“I think he can do it,” Baffert said of Silver Charm. “It’s possible. I’ve put him in the position to do it. Now it’s up to the racing gods. Free House [third in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Preakness] is the horse to beat. He’s the one who probably worries me the most.”

*

Touch Gold, fourth in the Preakness after a nightmarish trip, had a new patch put on the left front foot he injured when he stumbled badly at the start of that race.

“I’m not concerned about the foot at all,” said trainer Dave Hofmans. “He’s doing fine. The foot won’t be a factor at all.”

*

Entries will be taken this morning, and expected to join Silver Charm and Touch Gold in the field are Wild Rush, the likely pacesetter who will race coupled with Touch Gold because they are both owned by Frank Stronach; Free House, Crypto Star, Mr. Energizer and Irish Silence.

Owner Robert Perez, who seems to love to overmatch his horses, paid a $50,000 supplementary fee to enter Mr. Energizer in the Belmont. The Texas-bred has rattled off six wins in a row in Panama.