Charismatic Still Will Be Tough to Beat

Given the state of the class, it seems unlikely that anybody can wrest the 3-year-old championship from Charismatic.

Seeing how things have gone through the first half of 1999, the members of this so-so crop figure to take turns beating one another in the remaining major races for the division. And unless one of them steps to an entirely different level, which doesn’t seem probable, no 3-year-old is going to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

An unknown through almost the first third of the year, Charismatic blossomed at the right time, winning the Lexington Stakes, Kentucky Derby and Preakness in succession.

On the verge of history in last Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, he failed to become the 12th Triple Crown winner and first since 1978. But despite suffering a career-ending injury and running contrary to his style, he finished in front of all those who dared to run in the three Triple Crown races.

Even though he won’t be seen on the track again, the son of Summer Squall should be remembered at the end of the year, and none of his peers appear capable of making anybody forget him.

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Other thoughts and notes on the 131st Belmont:

* Even if Charismatic hadn’t shown the speed he did, Silverbulletday would not have had an easy lead in the race. Stephen Got Even was only a length behind her after the 47 3/5 half-mile and 1:12 six furlongs and he was also in front of her by a little more than 3 1/2 lengths at the finish.

Even if she had remained close running the first half in 50 seconds and six furlongs in 1:14, Silverbulletday would not have won the Belmont, because as many said before last Saturday, she wants no part of 1 1/2 miles. Nor, for that matter, probably 1 1/4 miles.

* After winning two-thirds of the Triple Crown in 1997 and again in 1998, trainer Bob Baffert failed to hit the board with his five starters in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont this year. In the three races, the average finish position for the Baffert brigade was eighth. Excellent Meeting was fifth in the Derby and 13th in the Preakness, General Challenge was 11th in the Derby, Prime Timber was fourth in the Derby and Silverbulletday was seventh last Saturday.

* Faring even worse than Baffert was Nick Zito. His duo of Adonis and Stephen Got Even both ran in the Derby, Preakness and Belmont and their average finish position was 10th. Adonis led the way by checking in 17th in Kentucky, sixth in Maryland, then 12th and last in New York last weekend, meaning he even finished behind the ridiculed Teletable.

* Menifee ran worse in the Preakness than he did in the Kentucky Derby and worse still in the Belmont. Those who spent weeks crying about how he was best in the Derby and still believed him better than Charismatic despite the latter beating him two times in a row should have noticed that Menifee was all out to beat Badge, a 58-1 shot, by a head for second in the Preakness. The Belmont marked the first time the son of Harlan had not finished first or second.

* The win on Lemon Drop Kid was not only the first for Jose Santos in the Belmont, but his first in a Triple Crown race.

Let’s see if Lemon Drop Kid, who will return in either the Jim Dandy or Travers at Saratoga in August, can win a stakes somewhere besides Belmont Park. His only victory elsewhere came in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park in his first start as a 3-year-old on Feb. 27.

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Entries will be taken this morning at Hollywood Park for Sunday’s $350,000 Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile, a race that will be part of the track’s $1-million guaranteed Pick Six.

Brave Act, who won the Inglewood Handicap last month, is the likely favorite in the one-mile turf affair, which is a Grade II.

Others scheduled to run in the Shoemaker, which was won by Labeeb last year, are Chullo, Ladies Din, Hawksley Hill, Lord Smith, Poteen, Silic and, possibly, Takarian and Fabulous Guy.

In addition to the Shoemaker, the Sunday program will include the $125,000 Super Diamond Handicap. Budroyale, who was second to Old Trieste in the Californian on May 29, will be heavily favored if he starts in the race restricted to California-breds.

The winner of the Mervyn LeRoy earlier in the meet and one of the best $50,000 claims in history, Budroyale could run in the Super Diamond, then return in the $1-million Sempra Energy Hollywood Gold Cup on June 27.

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Jockeys Iggy Puglisi and Chris McCarron each rode a pair of winners Wednesday at Hollywood Park. . . . Making his first start since the 1997 Hollywood Futurity, the once well-regarded Johnbill was fourth in an allowance race at Churchill Downs. . . . Corey Nakatani won the finale at Hollywood Park with Merhy and is within two victories of 2,000.