Silver Charm Is a World-Beater in Dubai Victory

Silver Charm did what he was expected to do Saturday in the United Arab Emirates, but it was far from easy.

Silver Charm, the first Kentucky Derby winner to run outside the United States since Carry Back ran in France in 1962, repelled three different challenges through the long stretch on a humid night and won the $4-million Dubai World Cup by a nose.

The odds-on favorite in the United States (there is no wagering in Dubai), Silver Charm fought off Loup Sauvage and Santa Anita Handicap winner Malek, then finally held off 23-1 shot Swain to win in 2:03 4/5 for the 1 1/4 miles.

Owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis and trained by Bob Baffert, Silver Charm won for the eighth time in 13 starts and the $2.4-million payday pushed his career earnings past $4.6 million.

Forced to miss the Santa Anita Handicap earlier in the month, reportedly because of a foot bruise, Silver Charm completed a memorable--and rewarding--evening for jockey Gary Stevens, who did a flying dismount from Silver Charm much the way Frankie Dettori did last weekend at Santa Anita.

Forty-five minutes before the World Cup, Stevens rode Annus Mirabilis to a decisive victory over Intikhab in the $500,000 Dubai Duty Free. The final time for the 6-year-old son of Warning was also 2:03 4/5.

“Silver Charm acted up in the gate all week long because the gates over here are smaller and that was the thing we were a little concerned about,” Stevens said. “But he broke like a bullet and I was able to get a good position. I think Swain actually put a head in front of him just before the wire, but galloping out after the race he never did let that other horse get by him.

“For $4-million, you don’t leave anything in the tank. I’m going to sleep well tonight. I felt that I had won [at the wire] and galloping out, [jockey] Mick Kinane [on Swain] looked over at me and said, ‘Congratulations.’ ”

Making his first start on dirt, Swain earned $800,000 for running second. Loup Sauvage, who was also making his main track debut, was third, then came Malek, Behrens, Kyoto City, Luso, Borgia and Predappio.

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The $600,000 Jim Beam Stakes at Turfway Park was rescheduled for today after a major power failure caused racing at the Florence, Ky., track to be canceled Saturday.

The cancellation was announced in the morning after high winds caused three utility poles to go down. This means the entire Saturday card at Turfway Park, which, besides the Beam, included five other stakes, will be run today and the races originally scheduled for Sunday will be run Monday.

Horse racing fans who also happen to enjoy college basketball in the area were the ones most hurt by the cancellation.

As a promotion to get people to attend the races Saturday, Turfway Park was offering free passes for the 1998-99 season to anybody provided Kentucky defeated Stanford--which it did--in the first of the two Final Four games at San Antonio Saturday. An admission stub to the track would have been traded in later for the pass, which has a value of about $300.

Event Of The Year, who has won all three of his starts in Northern California, is the favorite in the Beam, which is run at 1 1/8 miles.

Daniel My Brother, who was the second choice on the morning line and scheduled to be ridden by Chris McCarron, was scratched Friday because of a fever. He could return in the $500,000 Wood Memorial on April 11 at Aqueduct.

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On paper, Praviana couldn’t lose the $79,350 Santa Lucia Handicap at Santa Anita Saturday, and the 7-10 favorite didn’t disappoint on the race track.

After running in a Grade II race and two Grade I events in her first three starts in the United States, the 4-year-old Chilean-bred filly rolled to a three-length victory over Passion Flower and three others in the restricted Santa Lucia.

Owned by Gary Biszantz’s Cobra Farm and trained by Mike Puype, Praviana completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45 2/5 on track surface listed as good under jockey Jose Valdivia.

“You can tell by watching her run that the farther they go, the better she’ll run,” said Biszantz. “There’s a nice race for her at Keeneland [the Bewitch on April 23] that is a mile and a half.

“She is a filly that a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half will be good for. [Valdivia] just rode her today, never went to the whip. She just wants to run all day. I’m pretty proud of her.”

Passion Flower finished half a length in front of Kimba.

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Artax, who will be looking for his third consecutive victory in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday, is scheduled to have his final workout for the race this morning.

“I don’t want to work him over a sealed track, so I may ship him to Hollywood Park,” trainer Randy Bradshaw said. “I’ll make a decision in the morning when I see what the track looks like here.”

A field of seven is probable for the Derby. Besides Artax, the others considered likely are Orville N Wilbur’s, Indian Charlie, Real Quiet, Nationalore, Classic Cat and Skeaping. Sea Of Secrets and Hanuman Highway are considered possible starters.

Horse Racing Notes

There is a Pick Six carryover of $134,823.16 today. . . . Trainer Ron McAnally was fined $300 for a medication violation on Mud Route, who won the seventh race on March 7 and, earlier, was second to Silver Charm in both the San Fernando and Strub Stakes. . . . Slew Of Damascus, who won the 1994 Hollywood Gold Cup, made his first start since June 15, 1997 Saturday at Bay Meadows. The 10-year-old gelding finished third in the six-furlong sprint while carrying an $80,000 claiming price. . . . Trainer M.L. Stevenson won his first race at Santa Anita when Ruffaffair posted an $89.40 surprise in the final race. The 5-year-old gelding was ridden by Paul Toscano. . . . Laffit Pincay, who was scheduled to ride Yarrow Brae in the Jim Beam, will be back at Santa Anita today to ride Old Topper in the $75,000-added San Pedro Stakes.