In Training, Silverbulletday Wins

At 5:55 a.m. Tuesday, Charismatic and exercise rider Joanne McNamara, accompanied by trainer Wayne Lukas aboard his pony, Sage, circled in front of the gap leading to the track at Churchill Downs. They were waiting for training hours to begin.

At 6 a.m., a gate man lifted the bar that was blocking the gap, and Charismatic went out for his final workout before Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. The chestnut colt needs a win in New York to become the first Triple Crown champion in 21 years.

Most of the time, Charismatic is not an aggressive workout horse. But on Tuesday, he went five furlongs in 1:00 2/5--a sharp time considering the horse.

Two-and-a-half hours later, Silverbulletday, known for her blazing workouts, completed five furlongs in :59 1/5.

Silverbulletday is trying to become the first filly to win the Belmont in 94 years.

“It was a good move,” Lukas said of Charismatic’s workout. “I don’t own a stopwatch, and wouldn’t know what his time was if you didn’t tell me, but I could tell that this was what we had in mind. Now all we have to do is get him to New York and get him settled.

“We’re not dealing with Secretariat, but we’re dealing with a horse who’s had a real good spring. I think he might be ready to run his best race.”

Charismatic, who won the Derby here May 1 and the Preakness win at Pimlico on May 15, and Silverbulletday, who has never run against colts, will be part of a 13-horse shipment to New York this morning. The flying time is an estimated 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Trainer Bob Baffert brought Dana Barnes in from Santa Anita to ride Silverbulletday in her work.

Baffert swept the last two Derbies and Preaknesses, with Silver Charm and Real Quiet, but both horses were beaten in the Belmont.

“We’re not going in as a spoilers, we’re going in to win it,” Baffert said. “We want a Belmont trophy. We’ll find out how good this filly really is. I don’t think the mile-and-a-half distance will be a problem. She’s got a great lung capacity. How she does will depend on how she likes the Belmont Park surface and whether she has a good trip.”

With Lead Em Home apparently out of the race, there are 12 probables: Charismatic, Silverbulletday, Adonis, Best Of Luck, Lemon Drop Kid, Menifee, Patience Game, Pineaff, Prime Directive, Stephen Got Even, Teletable and Vision And Verse. Post positions will be drawn today.