Silver Charm leads Hall class
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Bob Baffert may have faster horses than Silver Charm, but he doubts he'll get one any more courageous.
"That's what made him so special," said Baffert, who trained Silver Charm for Bob and Beverly Lewis. "You could always count on him. He ran on any surface, he trained on any surface; he was a very solid horse. When I led him up there - sometimes you have that fear they won't show up - he just showed up every time. Those are the great ones. He was a very noble horse, he loved to be in the fight."
Silver Charm, who counts the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness and 1998 Dubai World Cup among his 12 career victories, is one of eight inductees into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Joining Silver Charm as this year's inductees are equine stars Mom's Command and Swoon's Son, jockeys Jose Santos and John Sellers, and trainers John Veitch, Henry Forrest, and Frank McCabe.
The induction ceremony will take place 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion. The event is open to the public.
Perhaps the only time Silver Charm didn't show up was in the 1998 San Diego Handicap, a race in which he finished last as the 3-10 favorite. A veterinarian diagnosed that one-third of Silver Charm's lungs were covered with scar tissue and advised that he be given six months off.
"Bob Lewis turned to me and said 'What do you think?' " Baffert recalled. "I said, 'We're going to Turfway Park.' "
Silver Charm went to Turfway and dead-heated for win with Wild Rush in the Kentucky Cup Classic. He completed his career with earnings of $6,944,369.
Mom's Command won 11 of 16 career starts and was the champion
3-year-old filly of 1985. She swept New York's Filly Triple Crown and also won the Alabama. Owned by Peter Fuller, trained by Ned Allard, and ridden by Abigail Fuller, Mom's Command earned $902,972.
Swoon's Son, a colt who raced in the 1950's, won 22 stakes and defeated champions such as Round Table and Needles. He was owned and bred by
E. Gay Drake and trained by Lex Wilson.
Jose Santos enters the Hall of Fame one week after announcing his retirement due to spinal cord damage suffered in a Feb. 1 spill at Aqueduct. Santos, 46, won 4,083 races after coming to North America in 1984, including seven Breeders' Cup races. He won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness with Funny Cide. He led all jockeys in money won four times and won the Eclipse Award in 1988.
John Sellers, 70, won 2,797 races during a 22-year career. He was the regular rider of 1961 Kentucky Derby winner Carry Back.
John Veitch, the son of Hall of Famer Sylvester Veitch, trained four champions and played a key role in the revitalization of the legendary Calumet Farm, for whom he trained Alydar. He also had success for Darby Dan Farm, training stakes winners Proud Truth and Sunshine Forever.
Frank McCabe, who trained three Hall of Fame runners, and Henry Forrest, who trained Kentucky Derby winners Kauai King (1966) and Forward Pass (1968), also will be inducted.