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Interview With Nick Charles

Aired June 06, 2003 - 14:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Nick Charles, hunched over as well.
NICK CHARLES, SHOWTIME SPORTS: It is a difficult thing to explain.

O'BRIEN: The art of gelding. Good to have you back.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: This has happened only 12 times in history. We just checked it. Started in 1919 with Sir Barton. Why is it hard for it to happen?

CHARLES: Well, first of all, you have got to win three races in five weeks. That's a big, big mouthful for a horse. They're developing at this point. They are all three years olds. They are getting better, you'd think. The fatigue factor, these horses could hit a wall, and anytime they get screaming crowds like they've never heard before, they are creatures of habit, they got to go different tracks, train on different surfaces, be in different barns. And they don't like it, a lot of them. They don't take to it. And then you have fresh horses constantly coming at, well rested, new ammunition, firing at you along the way. It is a mine field out there. So that's why it is such a tremendous achievement.

O'BRIEN: And if, for some reason -- it is probably a coincidence -- it goes in spurts. So there was a spurt from '41, '43, '46 and '48, triple crown winners all those years, then a 25-year hiatus. Then Secretariat comes in at '73, then Seattle Slew (ph) and Affirm finally at 1978. It's been 25 years, I should point out, since Affirm. Now, why the spurts, do you think? Just coincidence?

CHARLES: No it's just a total coincidence.

O'BRIEN: Just a fluke?

CHARLES: Again, there are so many things that could happen. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) one misstep in training along these five weeks, it sets you back fatally sometimes. Horse doesn't feel good, breaks a fever, has a misstep, as we say, isn't improving, isn't eating up, isn't gaining weight by the time he gets to the Belmont it's pooped, just hits a wall. It's tough.

O'BRIEN: And that last race, of course being the longest, makes it all the harder. What are the factors that work on Funny Cide's side here? CHARLES: Well, a lot of things. The ease in which he put away the favorite in the Derby. I mean, he looked Empire Maker in the eye and inhaled him down the stretch. Then in the Preakness, he got another clean trip and beat a weaker field, but his tractability and his tactical speed. He's like a push button horse. He wants to be near the lead. He is not uncontrollable. And he settled down very nicely, but you can move him quite easily and place him. And he's not going to be compromised. There are only five other horses in this Belmont. Big, wide, sweeping turns. We're looking at other races here. But when you're at Belmont, it is the only race track in America, it's mile and a half, one time around. That's it. Longest race, yes, but very wide, gradual turns. You are not going to get slammed against the rail, you're not going to get compromised.

Usually horses run to form, and the best horse wins. That brings us to his workout this week, which was absolutely blistering. In fact, the exercise rider maybe couldn't get ahold of this horse, he wanted to run so badly, and it was faster than the trainer, Bartley Tagg (ph), really liked. But I happen to like it. I think this horse is on the muscle.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. So what could derail the effort here?

CHARLES: The workout. He could have hit a wall. The fatigue factor could just kick in all of a sudden. But again, I like this horse so much, simply because it would be easier to pick other horses and say that they, yes, he's run his best, he's a fraud, and he very well could be. He had very humble breeding. That's one of the reasons he was gelded, of course, or the big reason.

But again, with the field, there are some fresh horses in there. Empire Maker, who was the Derby favorite, is well rested, taking aim. There is a couple of other decent horses. But I just like the way this horse trained. I just think that's disaster for the rest of the field. He just again -- I use the term on the muscle. He looks ready to win. He is a very good horse at a very good time. Saturday, I think he's going to be prove to be a great one.

O'BRIEN: All right. You're fairly far out into the limb now?

CHARLES: I'm fired up. No, he's a four to five favorite in the daily racing form. That's not going out on a limb.

O'BRIEN: Nick Charles, all right, always a pleasure to have you drop by. Thanks.

CHARLES: What's going on with the news guys don't wear the jackets us sports guys do?

O'BRIEN: You know, we're in the newsroom, we don't need to be dressed up for this. We're working here. We're working here. Nick Charles, thanks for dropping by.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired June 6, 2003 - 14:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Nick Charles, hunched over as well.
NICK CHARLES, SHOWTIME SPORTS: It is a difficult thing to explain.

O'BRIEN: The art of gelding. Good to have you back.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: This has happened only 12 times in history. We just checked it. Started in 1919 with Sir Barton. Why is it hard for it to happen?

CHARLES: Well, first of all, you have got to win three races in five weeks. That's a big, big mouthful for a horse. They're developing at this point. They are all three years olds. They are getting better, you'd think. The fatigue factor, these horses could hit a wall, and anytime they get screaming crowds like they've never heard before, they are creatures of habit, they got to go different tracks, train on different surfaces, be in different barns. And they don't like it, a lot of them. They don't take to it. And then you have fresh horses constantly coming at, well rested, new ammunition, firing at you along the way. It is a mine field out there. So that's why it is such a tremendous achievement.

O'BRIEN: And if, for some reason -- it is probably a coincidence -- it goes in spurts. So there was a spurt from '41, '43, '46 and '48, triple crown winners all those years, then a 25-year hiatus. Then Secretariat comes in at '73, then Seattle Slew (ph) and Affirm finally at 1978. It's been 25 years, I should point out, since Affirm. Now, why the spurts, do you think? Just coincidence?

CHARLES: No it's just a total coincidence.

O'BRIEN: Just a fluke?

CHARLES: Again, there are so many things that could happen. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) one misstep in training along these five weeks, it sets you back fatally sometimes. Horse doesn't feel good, breaks a fever, has a misstep, as we say, isn't improving, isn't eating up, isn't gaining weight by the time he gets to the Belmont it's pooped, just hits a wall. It's tough.

O'BRIEN: And that last race, of course being the longest, makes it all the harder. What are the factors that work on Funny Cide's side here? CHARLES: Well, a lot of things. The ease in which he put away the favorite in the Derby. I mean, he looked Empire Maker in the eye and inhaled him down the stretch. Then in the Preakness, he got another clean trip and beat a weaker field, but his tractability and his tactical speed. He's like a push button horse. He wants to be near the lead. He is not uncontrollable. And he settled down very nicely, but you can move him quite easily and place him. And he's not going to be compromised. There are only five other horses in this Belmont. Big, wide, sweeping turns. We're looking at other races here. But when you're at Belmont, it is the only race track in America, it's mile and a half, one time around. That's it. Longest race, yes, but very wide, gradual turns. You are not going to get slammed against the rail, you're not going to get compromised.

Usually horses run to form, and the best horse wins. That brings us to his workout this week, which was absolutely blistering. In fact, the exercise rider maybe couldn't get ahold of this horse, he wanted to run so badly, and it was faster than the trainer, Bartley Tagg (ph), really liked. But I happen to like it. I think this horse is on the muscle.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. So what could derail the effort here?

CHARLES: The workout. He could have hit a wall. The fatigue factor could just kick in all of a sudden. But again, I like this horse so much, simply because it would be easier to pick other horses and say that they, yes, he's run his best, he's a fraud, and he very well could be. He had very humble breeding. That's one of the reasons he was gelded, of course, or the big reason.

But again, with the field, there are some fresh horses in there. Empire Maker, who was the Derby favorite, is well rested, taking aim. There is a couple of other decent horses. But I just like the way this horse trained. I just think that's disaster for the rest of the field. He just again -- I use the term on the muscle. He looks ready to win. He is a very good horse at a very good time. Saturday, I think he's going to be prove to be a great one.

O'BRIEN: All right. You're fairly far out into the limb now?

CHARLES: I'm fired up. No, he's a four to five favorite in the daily racing form. That's not going out on a limb.

O'BRIEN: Nick Charles, all right, always a pleasure to have you drop by. Thanks.

CHARLES: What's going on with the news guys don't wear the jackets us sports guys do?

O'BRIEN: You know, we're in the newsroom, we don't need to be dressed up for this. We're working here. We're working here. Nick Charles, thanks for dropping by.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com