BELMONT STAKES FIELD AT A GLANCE

Times staff writer Bob Mieszerski takes a look at the starters in the 129th Belmont Stakes, in post position order:

FACTS

* Post: 2:30 p.m. PDT. Weights: 126 pounds. Distance: 1 1/2 miles. Purse: $721,000 if 7 start. First: $432,600. Second: $144,200. Third: $79,310.

* TOUCH GOLD: Jockey--Chris McCarron; Trainer--David Hofmans; Owner--Frank Stronach and Stonerside Ltd.

* SILVER CHARM: Jockey--Gary Stevens; Trainer--Bob Baffert; Owner--Bob and Beverly Lewis.

* CRYPTO STAR: Jockey--Pat Day; Trainer--Wayne Catalano; Owner--Darrell and Evelyn Yates.

* WILD RUSH: Jockey--Jerry Bailey; Trainer--Richard Mandella; Owner--Frank Stronach.

* MR. ENERGIZER: Jockey--Manuel Ortega; Trainer--Alfredo Callejas; Owner--Robert Perez.

* FREE HOUSE: Jockey--Kent Desormeaux; Trainer--Paco Gonzalez; Owner--John Toffan and Trudy McCaffery.

* IRISH SILENCE: Jockey--John Velazquez; Trainer--Leo O’Brien; Owner--Austin Delaney.

1. TOUCH GOLD

Starts: 7 1st: 3 2nd: 2 3rd: 1

Earnings: $243,027

He had one of the worst trips in Triple Crown history in the Preakness, when he stumbled badly at the break--his nose almost touching the ground--and jockey Chris McCarron was fortunate to stay aboard. He was also forced to steady while in traffic on the backstretch. Still, he was fourth and beaten by only 1 1/2 lengths. . . . He had a patch replaced on his left front foot Wednesday for a problem akin to a torn toenail, and trainer David Hofmans is confident the colt is ready. . . . A $375,000 yearling, he is half-brother to the stakes-winning With Approval. . . . His only stakes win came in the Lexington at Keeneland this year.

2. SILVER CHARM

Starts: 8 1st: 5 2nd: 3 3rd: 0

Earnings: $1,632,000

He will try to become the 12th Triple Crown winner and the first since Affirmed in 1978. . . . He has been tough in close finishes, winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness by a head. . . . Jockey Gary Stevens, who won the Belmont with Thunder Gulch in 1995, has guaranteed victory. . . . Purchased for $85,000 by Bob Baffert for owners Bob and Beverly Lewis last year, the Florida-bred trained well in Kentucky before shipping to New York on Wednesday. . . . If he wins, Silver Charm will move into second place behind Cigar on the all-time earnings list with $7,064,000 because of the $5-million bonus.

3. CRYPTO STAR

Starts: 7 1st: 4 2nd: 1 3rd: 1

Earnings: $592,030

He was fifth, beaten by almost seven lengths, in the Kentucky Derby. Before that, he had won the Louisiana and Arkansas derbies in succession. . . . Trainer Wayne Catalano says the Kentucky-bred will be helped by today’s distance, though deep closers usually do little more than pass tired horses in the Belmont. . . . Body sore after the Kentucky Derby, Crypto Star was treated by an acupuncturist. . . . Owners Darrell and Evelyn Yates turned down lucrative offers for him after his victories in Louisiana and Arkansas. . . . Rain might help. He won an allowance race at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans by 10 lengths in January.

4. WILD RUSH

Starts: 5 1st: 4 2nd: 0 3rd: 0

Earnings: $374,200

Like Touch Gold, he is owned by Frank Stronach, so the two will race coupled in the betting. . . . He figures to be the Belmont pace-setter. Sent to the front in the Illinois Derby, he responded with a record-setting performance, easily defeating heavily favored Anet by nearly four lengths. . . . The weight assignment of 126 pounds is seven more than he has carried. . . . A $430,000 yearling, he is trained by Richard Mandella, who played spoiler last year when his Dare And Go ended Cigar’s 16-race winning streak in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

5. MR. ENERGIZER

Starts: 10 1st: 6 2nd: 1 3rd: 1

Earnings: $17,825)

What would a Triple Crown race be without an overmatched horse owned by Robert Perez? A Texas-bred, this colt has feasted on small fields of slow horses in Panama and enters this with a six-race winning streak and an average margin of victory of more than eight lengths. However, Mr. Energizer’s battery figures to run out before the field is halfway home. The main hope is that he doesn’t get in anybody’s way. . . . He was supplemented to the Belmont for $50,000 by Perez. . . . Since 1994, he has started nine horses in the Triple Crown races and eight have finished fifth or worse, usually at enormous odds.

6. FREE HOUSE

Starts: 11 1st: 4 2nd: 3 3rd: 1

Earnings: $1,038,401

Going into the Triple Crown, the California-bred had beaten Silver Charm in two of their three meetings. . . . Free House had the lead entering the stretch in the Kentucky Derby, but weakened to finish third, then lost by a head in the Preakness. . . . David Flores, the jockey in the Derby, and Kent Desormeaux, who was aboard in the Preakness and will be riding today, were both criticized by trainer Paco Gonzalez, probably without good reason. Of the legitimate contenders, Free House seems the most suspect at 1 1/2 miles.

7. IRISH SILENCE

Starts: 8 1st: 2 2nd: 2 3rd: 0

Earnings: $60,910

The only thing this New York-bred has in his favor is that he’s the only Belmont entrant with a victory over the track. He broke his maiden by nine lengths at Belmont last Sept. 11. . . . Don’t expect him to add to that total today. In his most recent start, he couldn’t even defeat an allowance field of New York-breds as the 3-5 favorite. . . . In his one try against graded company, he was eighth in a field of 12 at 77-1 in the Champagne over this track last Oct. 5. . . . He’s trained by Leo O’Brien and will be ridden by John Velasquez, O’Brien’s son-in-law. . . . He and Mr. Energizer could have quite a battle for last place.