Stevens spoils Real Quiet's Triple Crown bid

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Posted: Saturday June 06, 1998 08:25 PM

Gary Stevens won his first Belmont in 1995 aboard Thunder Gulch (AP)

ELMONT, New York (AP) -- Gary Stevens finally won his Belmont Stakes -- a year late for Real Quiet's trainer Bob Baffert.

Stevens came up three-quarters of a length short of winning the Triple Crown aboard Baffert's Silver Charm last year. On Saturday, Stevens spoiled his buddy's second bid for a triple when he rode Victory Gallop to a narrow nose victory over Real Quiet in the 1 1/2 mile Belmont.

"My heart goes out to the connections of Real Quiet," said Stevens, who took over the mount on Victory Gallop for the Preakness. "I know what it's like to come up short like that."

Indeed he does.

After winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness aboard Silver Charm in '97, Stevens thought he had racing's first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. But Touch Gold caught Silver Charm in the deep stretch for the upset. This time, it was Stevens and Victory Gallop who caught a tiring Real Quiet at the wire.

"We said we'd let Real Quiet make his move, and he opened up and was winning with authority at the eighth pole," Stevens said. "We just got wound up, split horses and saw daylight, and he threw me back in the saddle."

But Stevens still wasn't sure if his second ride aboard Victory Gallop would end in victory.

"I felt confident we could pick him up in the closing strides," Stevens said. "I didn't know I had him until we hit the finish line, but I had no idea. I knew it was very, very close."

In the stretch, Real Quiet drifted out and bumped Victory Gallop. Stevens told the outriders he wanted to put a "hold" on the race and the stewards' inquiry sign flashed on the toteboard.

After a five-minute, 41-second delay, Victory Gallop was declared the winner and trainer Elliott Walden, walking on crutches because of a fractured right ankle sustained in a basketball game last week, finally celebrated.

In the Derby, Victory Gallop ran second to Real Quiet with Alex Solis aboard, and Walden insisted his colt could have won if he didn't have to go five wide on the turn.

Stevens, meanwhile, was aboard Baffert's Derby favorite, Indian Charlie, who finished third. When Baffert declared Indian Charlie out of the Preakness, Walden quickly hired Stevens.

"When you have a jockey like that, you go for him," Walden said at the time.

Baffert's response was, "It's not jockey racing, it's horse racing."

But Stevens, who won his first Belmont in 1995 aboard Thunder Gulch, has to get a lot of credit for outdueling Real Quiet's jockey Kent Desormeaux down the stretch.

"I don't feel I'm the spoiler," said Stevens, who returns to ride Silver Charm next week in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. "I had one interest, and that was to win the Belmont. I had no interest in the Triple Crown."

That was last year.

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