Columnist Ralph Siraco: Silver Charm proves there’s no such thing as a cinch bet

Ralph Siraco

Monday, July 27, 1998 | 10:44 a.m.

WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY defines the CINCH as: a thing easy to do or sure to happen; to make sure of.

Until Saturday at Del Mar, racing defined CINCH as: Silver Charm.

The 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner had NEVER been worse than second in any of his fourteen lifetime starts which saw eight victories with six Grades triumphs.

Silver Charm always fired his shot and had been a CINCH in the quinella.

But, in the Grade III San Diego Handicap, America's marquee horse wound up beached at the seaside spa.

After his quest for the Triple Crown fell short by less than a length in the June Grade I Belmont Stakes, Charm did not return to racing competition until late December of last year. A runner up effort in Santa Anita's opening day featured Malibu Stakes, he quickly rebounded with back-to-back victories in the San Fernando and Strub to complete the series exclusively for four-year-olds.

Rumors, however, started brewing when Silver Charm defected from a showdown with Gentlemen in the Santa Anita Handicap on the first Sunday in March.

Rebounding from a short setback, the Bob Baffert-trained son of Silver Buck traveled halfway around the world to compete in the $4 million Dubai World Cup. Silver Charm would prevail in the sands of Arabia and headed back to the heartland of the good old U.S. of A. at Churchill Downs for a well deserved rest.

The rumors continued when Baffert decided to skip the $1 million Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup and a showdown with Skip Away to contest the much easier Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill. Easy turned into war and after a stretch long bumping match with stablemate Semoran, Charm settled for a tiring second to Awesome Again. And the rumors continued...

Saturday's San Diego Handicap at Del Mar was supposed to have been the re-establishment of Silver Charm's position as one of the top handicap horses in this year's division. Instead, it may have been the premature swan song for the charismatic gray. Mud Route, a horse Silver Charm handled with ease in the San Fernando and Strub, took the lead in the San Diego while the 1 to 5 odds-on Silver Charm stalked in second. When they turned for home in the 1 1/16th miles race, Mud Route was switching gears and Silver Charm was laboring. As Mud Route kicked away with a daylight victory, while Hal's Pal finished second and a late arriving no-threat Benchmark check in third, Silver Charm was eased in last place.

A phantom plunger, attempting to get some "free money" swelled the show pool on the silver cinch to over $145,000, but, instead of getting the five per-backers of Mud Route, Hal's Pal and Benchmark with overlay show prices. Mud Route's win mutuel of F$8.40 paled to his $11. show price and the same held true for Hal's Pal's $12.80 place return to his $16.20 to show, while Benchmark paid more to show at $10.20 than he would have to win.

Preliminary scopes on Silver Charm find no major excuses for his shocking worse-than-second performance, but, a full head-to-toe examination is forth coming.

The CINCH now joins the LOCK of Gentlemen's Santa Anita Handicap bomb at five cents on the dollar (he also finished last) and Anet's SURE THING in the Lone Star Park Handicap at twenty cents on the dollar when he beat one horse to the finish in Texas.

SPEAKING OF FALLEN FAVORITES: The New York racing scene shifts to upstate when historic Saratoga opens on Wednesday. Known as the spa, the popular summer Big Apple getaway is famous for burying favorites and has staged upsets that have seen even the great Secretariat suffer. Saratoga joins the left coast spa, Del Mar, with a six-day racing week with Tuesdays as the only dark days.

GAMING BOARD WORKSHOP: The Nevada Gaming Control Commission ordered a workshop for race book operators and other interested parties on several regulations proposal that affect race players in the Silver State. At the Thursday meeting, Commission members listened to testimony by a Control Board auditor that would eliminate any rebate program, creative or otherwise, for race players. In addition, bets on races or sports would be cash-only transactions and gaming chips no longer accepted under another proposed regulation changes. After a rebuttal by council representing Coast Resorts properties, the Commission decided to order the workshop for additional debate to resolve or modify the proposed changes and should make a final decision on the new regulations by September following the workshop input.

TOAST AT THE COAST: The fourth edition of the Coast Resorts handicapping challenge to eight of Southern California's top professional prognosticators has begun with a bang. Through Sunday's Del Mar races (where five picks per day are required) half of the players are in the black. Steve Pollack, of the Thoroughbred Hotline radio show, leads with a positive bankroll of $856, closely followed by Brad Free (Daily Racing Form) with $790 to the good. Each player has a mythical $20 win wager on each selection. You can follow along by obtaining a picks score sheet free of charge each Del Mar racing day at any Coasts race book. Saturday's "Toast" host is five-time tournament champion Mike Labriola, of the Starting Gate radio program, conducting a Saturday seminar at the Orleans race book, at 9 a.m.