Is Real Quiet the real deal?

Jockey, trainer say he's proven his worth; Critics say no

Click here for more on this story

Posted: Friday June 05, 1998 10:02 PM

History in the hooves? Real Quiet can be the first horse to win the Triple Crown since 1978 (AP)

ELMONT, New York (CNN/SI) -- It was a sun-splashed Thursday morning in New York when Real Quiet stepped onto the Belmont track for the first time in his life.

Meanwhile thoughts of Triple Crown glory were dancing in the mind of the jockey who sounded convinced he's on the horse that can't be denied.

"I'm very confident," jockey Kent Desormeaux said. "I think if Vegas were to make a book on anything it would be a matter of how far.

"I really think he's going to win and that's why we're here," Desormeaux said. "And, you know, the added distance only increases the margin of defeat for the rest of them."

But others have come here with Derby and Preakness victories in their saddlebags and stumbled on this final leg of the Triple Crown journey. Most recently Silver Charm only last year.

"I learned last year from Silver Charm. After the Preakness he was pretty tired. But he was tired before the Preakness. Silver charm won the Preakness on blood and guts."

But the marathon nature of the Belmont has chewed up and spit out 13 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners who couldn't close the deal, including the brilliant stallion Northern Dancer, the seemingly insurmountable Spectacular Bid and the horse full of heart, Sunday Silence.

Affirmed was the last to blow through the rigors of the Triple Crown and win it in 1978. The year another extraordinary colt, Alydar, had to settle for second in all three thrilling races.

This year, Victory Gallop has beaten everybody in the Derby and the Preakness -- except Real Quiet. But trainer Elliot Walden isn't surrendering just yet.

"I think he's a very good horse and I think that a lot of it hinges on what he does on Saturday," Walden said. "And, hopefully, we can turn the table on him and mark our place in history."

Meanwhile, there's 11 other horses who, along with Victory Gallop, will take their shot at Real Quiet. Some fresh, some battle tested. But trainer Bob Baffert says bring them all on. He knows what he's got in his barn.

"Maybe some of 'em are believing some of the press that some of these guys are talking about the horse," Baffert said. "Maybe it's a bad field and all that. But it's a very good field. I can compare. I've had great horses and he's one of the great horses I've had."

All anyone can say about Real Quiet at this point is that he's a horse that's come up big in crunch time -- first in Kentucky and then in Baltimore," Baffert said. "At the very least he's an over-achiever. At the very most he's a great one. And why should anyone care what the denizens of the press box -- or other assorted skeptics -- have to say two-thirds of the way along the Triple Crown trail.  

Related information
Stories
Real Quiet's history The Belmont Curse How Belmont favorites performed Belmont favorites throughout history Chasing history: Can Real Quiet win the Belmont and take the Triple
Multimedia
Click here for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI on cable 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI.