1997 Belmont Stakes - Silver Charm Denied Triple Crown

[@TitanicHorseRacingLover]

I just saw both SC and TG at Old Friends about 2 weeks ago. Both are in good shape at their ages. They are loved and well cared for.

[@brucegibson3018]

This race breaks my heart to this day. I fed Silver Charm carrots at Old Friends last March. It is truly one of the happiest moments of my life.

[@tdward23]

Touch Gold was there at Old Friends Kentucky, too? Good on you for supporting Old Friends!

[@tonyv3427]

Touch Gold backed off in the backstretch and when he made his stretch run Silver Charm never saw him coming.

[@4orrcountry]

Amazing how excruciatingly similar the '97, '98, and '99 Belmont Stakes were. All three favorites in the lead late, all three denied the Triple Crown!

[@JoeKoOhNo]

4orrcountry Baffertt denied twice before winning with Pharoah and Justify.

[@JoeKoOhNo]

@Nate Cottrell True but he was his own worst enemy in the Belmont and lost all chance at the break.

[@DanielSong39]

@@JoeKoOhNo Maybe War Emblem got hurt, you never know Otherwise it's like saying Twice a Price could have beat Secretariat with a better break LOL

[@bandovreal22]

Chris McCarron knew better, and went outside of Silver Charm, so Charm wouldn't be able to spot him. Had he gone inside.... You would have had a twelfth triple crown winner.

[@DanielSong39]

Too many what ifs I mean Crypto Star could have turned on the jets and won by 5 You never know in horse racing

[@paulveneziano4082]

I knew 🥰 Dave Johnson in the 1980s and 1990s from the famous 🍺🍻 bar restaurant " PJ Clarke's" on East ➡️ 55th and 3rd avenue and he was one of the nicest friendliest most engaging guy you'd ever want to know ! Just a great 😃👍😁🎯 terrific 🤠 guy and I hope he's doing well !

[@rickjannings7689]

It was a masterful ride by mccarron he knew he did not want to be eye to eye with charm. Needed to sneak up on him

[@2taggs2]

Why don't they mic the jockeys anymore? That was very interesting to listen to.

[@CNep99]

Nick Jasper "Holy shit!"

[@louisgraham9959]

We woulda heard Chris say Gary bring your ass here.

[@latinostallion94]

@@louisgraham9959 😂😂😂

[@Bigrosty44]

Great race!! That was real good crop that year. Free House Later beat Silver Charm in the Santa Anita Handicap. As they got older, I believe Free House became the class of the crop though. Touch Gold made the mistake of tackling the amazing Skip Away later in 97. Was`nt much after that. Free House and Silver Charm, one of the best of the sports all time rivalries for sure. I believe they met 6 times with 3 wins a piece

[@erosram2]

Chuck Mills . Read about Damascus - Dr. Fager rivalry. They met only 4 times, and Damascus needed a rabbit to beat The Doctor. These 3 from above were really good horses, but Damascus and Dr. Fager are among the U.S. greatest ever.

[@marthaworthington6060]

Gotta remind you silver charm finished 2nd in the classic breeder's cup beating skip away.Gary Stephens told me at the Bob Lewis Belmont party he lost the race on Silver Charm.He was paying attention to Free House while Touch Gold came on the outside.

[@nedsdad25]

i agree 100% when silver charm see another horse he always found another gear Chris mcCarron knew that having faced him gret ride by Chris

[@danb1168]

Best ride I've ever seen he let the stable mate go at silver charm and took back it seemed very well planned.

[@Dynamic0NE]

Did you see how alpha Silver Charm was. The entire race he was legit worried about the other horses rsther than winning the race. You could see Silver Charms head was tilted the entire race. That's some Alpha shit to almost win the race without even staying focused on winning

[@mrpapagiorgio3620]

Free House was a bad ass

[@ken45y]

I agree- SC was not overrated.

[@rugger104]

Would have loved to hear Tom Durkin call that finish

[@pugskins]

The greatest

[@JoeKoOhNo]

No thanks. He would have called it wrong or not at all. Have the time he sounded drunk and the rest of of the time he sounded dyslexic.

[@donaldcassidy1592]

TD by far the GOAT!!!

[@mallorys728]

Gary, the jockey of SC, said he was the one who cost Silver Charm the TC, because he sent him to fast too early.

[@keywestsunset3897]

1:13.4 was walking to the half. Reason SC got beat was because with Freehouse next to him,SC didn't see TG coming until it was too late.

[@mallorys728]

key West SUNSET I was just quoting Gary, he may have meant sending him to the leaders wasn't the best idea. But that's what he said in the post interview. But when he went to see him at Old Friends, he still blames himself for it.

[@blaisearwyn3405]

And bc he rode him soo wide!

[@myphone2965]

Sent him to soon and to wide!!!

[@bnegs521]

Thats the same bullshit Baffert and Stevens have been trying to say for years now never giving TG his credit for running right by them. But after they made all these excuses I'm glad they didn't win the Triple Crown and I'm glad Touch Gold shoved this one right down Baffert's throat!

[@chrisdukefields9868]

Steven's threw this race. 8 wide first turn

[@Vprb68618]

Chris McCarron was the best jockey 🏇 on the best horse Touch Gold🥰

[@bradsteiner1322]

At that point in his career, Baffert had to be thinking, "Man, I'm never gonna put these three races together."

[@radjedi2010]

At that point in his career, Baffert had to be thinking, "I'm gonna have to triple the dose of PEDs."

[@bandovreal22]

Funny you should mention the Santa Anita Derby.... If memory serves correct, Silver Charm had dueled with the speedy filly Sharp Cat through opening fractions of 22 flat (1/4mile) 45 flat (1/2mile) 1:09 flat (3/4mile) 1:34 2/5 (mile) . Sharp Cat gave it up just before a mile, Silver Charm was passed by Free House by 1/2 length with about 75 yards to go, Silver Charm comes back at Free House and finishes 1/2 a head behind at the wire, with a final time of 1:47 3/5.

[@joefederico]

Heart breaking that Silver Charm couldn't hold on. That damn Free House was a game horse as well. Not sure about the comments if SC had seen Gold he would have won. SC was a battler though much like Sunday Silence and Forty Niner were. You better run by them quickly or else they're coming back at you.

[@MoMoMyPup10]

Great race. Like Real Quiet you thought SC had it on the home stretch. That extra few hundred yards is a killer for the TC challenger. Belmont is a tough row to hoe after the two shorter races. They're just not bred for distance, the ones that are fast in the Derby and the Preakness.

[@brenthachmann5655]

Real Quiet got a brutal ride as Kent moved him way way too early. Silver Charm just wasn't good enough. Way to go AP !

[@knaankos]

same thing for Smarty Jones in 2004. Pipped at the end by Birdstone

[@myphone2965]

No

[@eddiedeleon2425]

the four horses in front are almost even, however horse # 1 save so much ground right from the start because of his starting position ... silver charm and the yellow silk jockey are watching each other while the two stable mates have their own stragedy ... when at the top of stretch going home silver charm and the yellow silk jockey unleashed the horse full energy and the distance was a punishing one, the winning horse rested a little bit by the winning jockey is just enough to be an spoiler to the triple crown of silver charm ... that small chance is enough to win the race ...good morning and thank you

[@tylermorro1747]

Great freakin’ race!!!

[@steventesta6782]

Was at Belmont that day ,gary Steven's did nothing wrong on silver charm. McCarron gave touch gold the ride of his life to keep him out of silver charms sight. You can see silver charms ears prick back up when he sees touch gold and dig back in but it was to late.

[@wryanbailey822]

BS, Steven's allowed him to get wide in the 1st turn. May not seem like much, but in the longest race of your career a yard or two of extra track matters.

[@jasonryan1942]

Dave Johnson and down the stretch they come is the best

[@boswindle9050]

Silver Charm was always a go getter. Had he seen Touch Gold he would have got him. Touch Gold went outside. Great strategy.

[@markc6378]

horrible ride by gary stevens to take SC 6 wide on the first turn when he had the lead and the rail allowing TG to come on through inside that lost him this race and also in the BCC again floating SC wide in the stretch.

[@rainymoon9848]

bando v'real is right... Silver Charm took after his grandsire Buckpasser. Like Buckpasser, Silver Charm was competitive, but, not "interested in exerting himself unnecessarily". Silver Charm was involved in multiple photo finishes. 13 of Buckpasser's victories were by "margins of less than a length". Buckpasser also had a dead heat finish once. Which Silver Charm also did, against Wild Rush, in the Kentucky Cup Classic. So, yeah, Silver Charm definitely took after his Grandpa Buckpasser. Touch Gold was also a Buckpasser grandson.

[@Bigrosty44]

+Rainy Moon And Free House had virtually no breeding. Even though, if Remember correctly. I did see some To Market in his line. And Spectacular Bid. But was considered a cheap purchase. And he turned out to be the best horse of that crop. Well either he or Event of the Year. The Tom Fool line has been magnificent over the years. And Buckpasser was truly his best!! I remember a quote about Tom Fool, "That damn horse even has muscles in his eyebrows" fit well,!

[@richardhayes7964]

man that was hard to watch

[@jctorontojctoronto]

Dave Johnson at his best again

[@Infinityxxxxxx]

Darn you Touch Gold!! Everyone here in Lexington wanted Silver Charm to win so badly...He and Free House finally got him when it mattered the most!!

[@RealJackHQ]

Sometimes gold can fool you. Silver will always be in my heart though. 🤗✨

[@mrpapagiorgio3620]

god i love youtube

[@HannaBostic]

Lol, "Free House is right here. Now it's on." -Gary Stevens

[@johnpettibone2453]

Dave Johnson wasn't the perfect race caller, but man he made it exciting. "Silver Charm and Freehouse, there at it again!"

[@akhnatonfoster4529]

John Pettibone Dave Johnson was great

[@victoranthony9037]

"They're at it again"

[@johnpettibone2453]

@@victoranthony9037 ...and it's "Doctor Douchebag" by a nose!

[@watchgoose]

@@johnpettibone2453 so you don't WANT to learn what's correct? what does that make you?

[@johnpettibone2453]

@@watchgoose What should be capitalized.

[@guardiaguardia3017]

Just before the quarter pole, Gary Stevens and Jerry Bailey, had this conversation. "Gary Stevens asked how much horse do you have Jerry,? He response. Not a hell of a lot. Then Gary said. Free House is here. The race is on". Then we all saw what happen.

[@bigpapasmurfz6252]

This was a PULSE RACING.....race. I didnt see Affirmed/Alydar live. To me, this was the mist exciting race I ever saw. Watching the Charm lose his lead, drip by drip by drip, is the most heart-wrenching thing Ive ever seen on a track. I wanted so badly, badly for him to capture the Crown. Oh, man. You think you can live forever watching this stuff. Just grand!

[@DuyPhan-wg5wn]

Free House was one heck of a horse even though he didn't win any legs of the triple crown. And Paco Gonzalez, how underrated was he as a trainer? He had mane minister finishing third in all three legs , free House, and also trained Bien Bien.

[@fuchsiaswing8545]

Freebie was one of the best I have ever witnessed. He and Silver Charm had legendary battles at San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby. I'll never forget those races.

[@tizfrreecharm]

this is was a California sweep of the Big Apple - colts, riders, trainers; only shame was that the Captain didn't make it, else it would have been the greatest Triple Crown campaign ever! Oh, yeah, whatever happened to the 'Sidewalks of New York'? :)

[@myphone2965]

Stevens gave a Horrible ride!!!!!

[@DanielSong39]

Silver Charm was all out to beat Free House, there was always a decent chance of an outside horse coming with a late rush. It was Touch Gold but it could have just as easily been Crypto Star. No excuses and Touch Gold was the best in this race.

[@DanielSong39]

Free House had a worse trip than Silver Charm

[@pugskins]

Why did he whip charm 20plus times

[@jameslarvin9712]

@Floyd Gibson Nah He did that all the time

[@DanielSong39]

He was trying to hold off Free House

[@MichaelRenteria-mh8zg]

@@DanielSong39 he’s not trying to hold a free house. He’s daring free house to pass him. The only reason why touch gold won this race was because silver charm never saw him.

[@DanielSong39]

@@MichaelRenteria-mh8zgOh well it still counts LOL

[@didadida1000]

At the 1:46 it seems that Gary Stevens aboard Silver Charm, ask Jerry Bailey on Wild Rush, How Much Horse he has? and he responded, Not a lot! and then Gary Stevens said, That Free House is here, and let the race begin!...Maybe I hearing wrong...

[@Pre-op8ut]

Any body remember lucky shot 1997 1998???

[@howl_with_the_wolves]

Chris McCarron gave touch gold. A brilliant ride

[@timothyhollywood2130]

C'mon Free House! What a great finish! What a legacy.

[@louisgraham9959]

Chris told Gary not to today you dont.

[@mallorys728]

First rivalry I think of when people talk about them in US racing history is Secretariat and Sham, then Sunday Silence and Easy Goer. Just my memory though, so no haters.

[@emmabrown2224]

Mallory S another rivalry being alydar and affirmed

[@poppopartist3870]

Real Quite Victory Gallop

[@sophiaschommer7337]

In 1957 Bold Ruler, Gallant Man, and Iron Liege. In the 1930s it was Equipoise and Twenty Grand for multiple years. And Damascus and Dr. Fager in the late 1960s.

[@DanielSong39]

Alysheba and Bet Twice

[@saveus228]

SIlver Charm's somewhat overrated because McCarron said it and everybody believes it. Bottom line is the inside was like quicksand. Horses were dying all day on the rail, the middle of the track was the place to be. McCarron knew it. SC spotted Free House in the SA derby with the length of the stretch to go and couldn't outrun him.

[@Dynamic0NE]

That's not what lost him the race. Just stare at silver charm on that back stretch. He kind of went on cruise control when he got Free House to give up like 200 yards out. As Touch Gold came storming by you could see Silver Charm make an umph posture like "why didn't I see him" the horse like humans and all other animals got cocky in the moment when he made the other one submit and all it takes is a half second lapse of judgment to lose the race.

[@laceycraft125]

You guys know a little about handicapping I see....It was all of Gary Stevens's fault...Sorry great jockey but he had the setup but lost it....Saveus228 is some what right about the inside lanes but here is the rest of the story; Belmont is ALL turns, one huge oval. This is how the long mile and 1/4 is created. Silver Charm drifted outside and was unable to get that nice racing lane he had which was then occupied by FreeHouse; go figure. FreeHouse had the ground saving(energy saving) trip while Silver Charm was pushing it from the outside of FreeHouse but not necessarily from an "outside" lane. If a rule in horse racing was that you could not which lanes the sport would probably die.

[@Bigrosty44]

Lacey Craft I have no idea what race you were watching?? Free House a ground saving ride??? he was 7 wide on both turns.

[@erosram2]

Lacey Craft . It wasn't Gary Stevens' fault. The miler Wild Rush (the colt inside of Silver Charm) and Touch Gold were Frank Stronach's horses. Wild Rush's jockey wouldn't have let Stevens get close to the rail, and when he felt Wild Rush went empty at the 3/8 mile pole, he drifted wider so that Touch Gold had room but McCarron didn't took the rail. I think the track wasn't good in the inside lanes that day, because the first three jockeys angled out at the top of the stretch.

[@santoshchavan5572]

I agree with you Craft and respect you a lot. It was jocky's fault...I dont understand why people dont accept it...afterall he is a human being....the final verdict is a clear indicative of his mistake in initial running and that did cost him dearly...

[@david1044]

Silver Charm pushed Free House 7 wide on the first turn. The House was the best horse in this race

[@bandovreal22]

That was hardly "overrated"

[@jasonryan6191]

Dave Johnson is the best

[@richardk6196]

Not only the best at what he does, but a damn good and down to earth guy

[@bigpapasmurfz6252]

Hes the GOAT. Definitely.

[@Caroni100]

Touch Gold (May 26, 1994 - ) * Sire: Deputy Minister * Grandsire: Vice Regent * Dam: Passing Mood * Damsire: Buckpasser * 15 Starts * 6 Wins * 3 Seconds * 1 Third * U.S.$ 1,179,907 earned * Owners: Stoneside Stable & Frank Stronach * Trainers: Daniel J. Vella David Hoffmans (At age 3) Greetings from Venezuela. Touch Gold (26 de Mayo, 1994 - ) * Padre: Deputy Minister * Madre: Vice Regent * Abuelo: Passing Mood * Abuelo Materno: Buckpasser * 15 Salidas * 6 Primeros * 3 Segundos * 1 Tercero * U.S.$ 1,179,907 producidos * Propietarios: Stoneside Stable & Frank Stronach * Entrenadores: Daniel J. Vella David Hoffmans (A la edad de 3) Saludos desde Venezuela.

[@21Sarabi]

Stevens mistake. Was to focused on Free House.

[@4orrcountry]

Silver Charm swinging so wide on the first turn may have been the difference.

[@myphone2965]

Yep

[@erosram2]

Touch Gold would have won this race any way Chris McCarron wanted. After slow 23 3/5 and 49 1/5 fractions, McCarron let the other 3 colts took the lead (he could hold the lead on the rail and still win easily); just before the half mile pole he checked (I don't know why but he did) and after that he didn't have racing room. He had to angle out to 7 wide at the top of the stretch, and even so he won the race. Again, Touch Gold didn't have a good trip, but this time he showed he was the best in the Preakness and the Belmont.

[@waynelennon2844]

Who snort the damn Silver Charm

[@bandovreal22]

People need to check facts before making a judgement.

[@danieldobrosky8378]

Silver and free all year long what a great year

[@boswindle9050]

After cheating in the Kentucky Derby to block Captain Bodgit i'm glad this fucking horse didn't win

[@eliaatempa8016]

This always happens

[@ТемирланАбдылдаев-щ3ъ]

Срочно надо выучить англиский

[@laceycraft125]

No mics please. Thanks ! "Too interesting" If you think about it the track is the jockey's place of employment. Sometimes with permission but should never be mandatory.

[@jerryeyler4181]

Stevens Blew it!!!!!!!!!!