Trainer Bob Baffert blew his California cool yesterday over reports that led Bob Lewis, owner of Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner Charismatic, to propose a $200,000 side bet in the Belmont Stakes between Charismatic and Baffert’s champion filly Silverbulletday.
“There will be no side bets,” Baffert said. “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s dead.”
Lewis threw down the gauntlet Tuesday night after Baffert said Silverbulletday was eyeing a Belmont run, which could thwart Charismatic’s bid for the Triple Crown.
“I decided to offer Bob a challenge,” Lewis said. “We’d each put in $100,000, winner-take-all, no matter where we finished. It would all be donated to (an equine charity).
“If he is of the opinion he has best 3-year-old in the country, as owner of Charismatic I certainly want his entry. I don’t want people saying he could have been beaten if Silverbulletday had run.”
The issue is a touchy one for Baffert because Lewis is one of his top clients; two years ago they just missed a Triple Crown sweep with Silver Charm.
But Charismatic is trained by Baffert’s arch-rival D. Wayne Lukas.
“(The bet story) ticked me off,” Baffert said. “It all started with a misquote from the Thoroughbred Daily News that turned into a ridiculous deal.
“(Monday) I told the guy Silverbulletday was the best 3-year-old filly in the land. He said I called her the best 3-year-old. It was taken out of context.”
The Thoroughbred Daily News stands by its story and reports in today’s edition that Baffert said, “I want to retract the statement.” (That Silverbulletday is “the best 3-year-old.”)
“(Lewis) saw the deal and got upset,” Baffert continued. “I can’t blame him. Bob wants Charismatic to get full respect. He’s going through what (owner) Mike Pegram did last year with Real Quiet (who won the Derby and Preakness but lost the Belmont by a nose), who didn’t get respect (in the media) because he ran in New Mexico.
“Now (Charismatic) isn’t getting respect because he ran for $62,500 (in a claiming race). But to win the Derby and Preakness, he’s got to be a good horse.
“(Lewis) doesn’t want people to think I would stay out of the Belmont because of him. That’s the message he’s sending. He would love to see us run. He doesn’t want people to say the Triple Crown is tainted, because it’s not.”
“That’s true,” Lewis said. “They finally respected (Charismatic) after the Preakness, but the media couldn’t do enough to sell him down the river after the Kentucky Derby.”
Charismatic’s jockey, Chris Antley, threw more fuel on the fire. Antley, a stock-market whiz, posts daily investment tips on the internet and added this nugget to yesterday’s e-mail:
“I read through a recent fax that Mr. Bob Lewis is willing to challenge Mr. Bob Baffert to a $200,000.00 wager as to who is the best 3 year old this year … Mr. Bob Baffert is in thoughts of running Silverbulletday in our 3rd leg of the Triple Crown … Silverbulletday vs. Charismatic.
“And I say that the amount of $200,000.00 should be raised to $300,000.00. Just don’t like stopping with the 2 number…! So I am adding to the challenge my $100,000.00 beans to participate in maybe one of the greatest moments that may come to pass in the running of the last leg of our ‘TRIPLECROWN!’
“That’s good. Who’s he betting?” Baffert responded. “This thing is getting out of control. If I run it’s because she’s doing good. I just left the door open a little bit and won’t make that call for two weeks.”
“If he doesn’t want to accept my challenge I respect his right to do that,” Lewis said. “I still want him to have Silverbulletday in the race.”
