Real Quiet will make a big splash

by William Nack

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Posted: Fri June 5, 1998

When a lean, racey bay colt named Real Quiet steps into the starting gate for the 130th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, he will be followed by a legion of vociferous knockers, but I will not be among them.

I've been watching Triple Crown candidates since 1969, when Arts and Letters thwarted Majestic Prince's bid to win racing's greatest prize by defeating him in the Belmont. I have seen more horses lose the Belmont Stakes—and hence the Triple Crown—than win it. Indeed, I've seen but three Triple Crown winners since I came to New York 30 years ago: Secretariat (1973); the most brilliant winner of them all, Seattle Slew (1977), the only undefeated horse ever to win the Triple Crown; and Affirmed (1978), whose rivalry with Alydar was easily the greatest in the history of the series. I've seen almost three times as many horses lose the Belmont and their drive for racing immortality; aside from Majestic Prince, there were seven others: Canonero (1971), Bold Forbes (1976), Spectacular Bid (1979), Pleasant Colony (1981), Alysheba (1987), Sunday Silence (1989) and Silver Charm (1997).

On Saturday afternoon, Real Quiet will attempt to do what those eight could not and join racing's most exclusive pantheon. The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner will face 12 potential spoilers when he appears in the 1 1/2-mile race. He is facing at least two formidable threats: Grand Slam was perhaps the generation's most talented racehorse until he was severely injured in last year's Breeders' Cup juvenile. His has been a long and difficult comeback, crowned with a victory in the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park on May 24. That two-length win, not incidentally, made him 4-for-4 lifetime at Belmont. He loves that racetrack. The other major contender is Victory Gallop, who finished second to Real Quiet in both the Derby and the Preakness.

Many veteran horsemen think that Grand Slam is going to turn Real Quiet into yet another Silver Charm. Yet I wonder whether he has sufficient seasoning and conditioning—not to mention pedigree—to win a competitive race going 12 furlongs. And there is no reason to hope that Victory Gallop will prevail after already failing twice. If Real Quiet is himself—if he is as good as the colt who won the Preakness Stakes three weeks ago—he will win the Triple Crown and that unclaimed $5 million Visa bonus.  

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