On DVD or VHS: SILVER CHARM's quest for the Triple Crown in 1997.

 

The year is 1997 and the troubled world of horse racing is about to find its lucky charm...or rather its SILVER CHARM. Attendance has been falling dramatically; down almost $20 million in fifteen years but in 1997 as the Derby approaches, horse racing is about to make a comeback! SILVER CHARM along with TOUCH GOLD, FREE HOUSE and CAPTAIN BODGIT are about to share in a cherished, "Run for the Crown", and SILVER CHARM's trainer, BOB BAFFERT comes to the Derby hoping to reverse his fortunes; still suffering from the heartache at Churchill Downs the year before when his horse, CAVONNIER, lost the Derby by a hair at the wire to D. WAYNE LUKAS' GRINDSTONE.

One year later BOB BAFFERT did have another chance for the roses with his Florida-bred gray, SILVER CHARM; however, an intense rivalry would develop with SILVER CHARM and FREE HOUSE. Both had tremendous heart and desire but more important...neither one liked to lose and this nwas never more apparent than in their Santa Anita Derby showdown. While BOB BAFFERT was confident of SILVER CHARM's chances in the Derby the memories of CAVONNIER's heartbreaking loss still lingered.

SILVER CHARM's Triple Crown races are shown in their entirety from start to finish: watch his tenacious run in the Derby, digging in deep in the final strides of the stretch to just hold off the hard-charging CAPTAIN BODGIT to win in a photo finish; BOB BAFFERT could finally forget about the nightmares of CAVONNIER as SILVER CHARM had given him his first Kentucky Derby victory, but more important, he had taken his first step toward an even more elusive prize - the Triple Crown.

As sweet as his Derby victory was, BAFFERT knew that both, "THE CAPTAIN", and FREE HOUSE would still pose a threat to SILVER CHARM in the Preakness. What he did not know was that a third horse who opted out of the Derby named, TOUCH GOLD, would emerge from the pack and prove to be an equally formidable challenge. The Preakness was packed with excitement as SILVER CHARM again barely held off the competition hitting the wire by the narrowest of margins in an almost blanket finish with, "THE CAPTAIN", and his nemesis, FREE HOUSE, and TOUCH GOLD closing rapidly in fourth. The 1997 Preakness featured its closest three-horse finish since 1932 and now entering the Belmont, SILVER CHARM is only one victory away from winning the first Triple Crown in almost two decades.

With, "THE CAPTAIN", prematurely retired due to a career-ending injury, it looked as though only two horses could prevent SILVER CHARM from achieving achieving horse racing immortality: his arch rival, FREE HOUSE and the gritty competitor, TOUCH GOLD. Unfortunately for SILVER CHARM in the Belmont, TOUCH GOLD caught up to him in the final strides and drew away by a length...so SILVER CHARM joined a growing parade of Triple Crown once-hopefuls.

Since AFFIRMED's successful Triple Crown campaign back in 1978, five horses have managed to win the first two legs only to falter in the challenging 1-1/2 miles of the Belmont - long considered the true test of champions. But SILVER CHARM's near-miss had won admiration in defeat and in so doing revived the sport; he revealed himself to be not only a colt of exceptional physical gifts combining speed and stamina but also an appealing, gritty street fighter. On that June day in Belmont, 70,000 had come to see him win - the largest crowd to attend a race in New York since SEATTLE SLEW's Belmont in 1977 and though was no SLEW, he had done enough to earn a standing ovation at Belmont for turning back the clock and for bringing some magic back into the sport.

A very uplifting documentary that also features such notables as PULPIT, FRISK ME NOW, DEEDS NOT WORDS, WILD RUSH, CONCERTO, PHANTOM ON TOUR, CRYPTOSTAR and CELTIC WARRIOR.
 

AS AN ADDED BONUS... three superbly produced mini segments on SILVER CHARM as featured on horse racing channel, HRTV's, "Inside Information", series is included after the main feature ends in addition to another mini-piece on crowd favorite FREE HOUSE and a "Past the Stands" segment on SILVER CHARM.  

 

 

40 Minutes.

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