Real Quiet ready to join elite company

Steve Carp

Friday, June 5, 1998 | 10:57 a.m.

BELMONT, N.Y. -- His career began about as prosperously as a $1 goldfish in a plastic bag. Given his 0-for-6 start, you might have bet that the goldfish would have had a more productive life than the bay colt had on the race track.

Today, thoroughbred racing's Fish stands on the verge of greatness, ready to take his place in some very special company.

If Real Quiet can negotiate the trip around Belmont Park's mile-and-a-half oval Saturday and get to the finish line first, he will do what hasn't been done in 20 years -- win racing's Triple Crown.

Who would have thought that was possible a year ago when the horse, nicknamed "The Fish" for his narrow features, was getting beat in a seven-furlong race at Santa Fe Downs in New Mexico?

But that inauspicious start as a 2-year-old has given way to a maturing, professional at 3 who has won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness and needs only get the job done in the 130th running of the Belmont Stakes to join the likes of Citation, Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed -- the latter being the last horse to earn the Triple Crown when he outdueled Alydar in 1978 in one of racing's greatest head-to-head rivalries.

If Real Quiet wins Saturday not only does he pick up the first-place share of the $1 million purse, worth $600,000, but his connections will earn a $5 million bonus for winning the Triple Crown. He already has just under $2 million in the bank despite just four wins in 14 lifetime starts.

A crowd of 70,000 is expected for the race which is expected to be run under ideal weather conditions. The Belmont will be shown live on KTNV Channel 13 beginning at 1:30 p.m. Post time is 2:27 p.m.

"I wish the race was tomorrow," trainer Bob Baffert said after Thursday's post position draw at Belmont which saw Real Quiet draw the No. 8 post in the field of 13. He immediately was installed as the 6-to-5 morning-line favorite.

"When you're at this point, all you can hope is your horse is training awesome. And he's training awesome."

Real Quiet has been headquartered at Churchill Downs in Louisville throughout his amazing Triple Crown run. Prior to shipping to New York Wednesday, the bay colt worked a snappy 1:00 4/5ths for five-eighths of a mile at Churchill Tuesday.

"The horse is great," Baffert said. "I think the Triple Crown gods are looking down on us."

It appeared to be that way a year ago when Silver Charm had the lead in the stretch with a quarter-mile remaining in the 1997 Belmont. But Baffert's dream of a sweep ended in the final 100 yards when Touch Gold rallied on the outside to keep the number of Triple Crown winners at 11.

As for who can keep Real Quiet from being No. 12, Victory Gallop finished second in both the Derby and the Preakness. Classic Cat was a fast-closing third in the Preakness after skipping the Derby. He's a relatively fresh horse and he has drawn inside of Real Quiet with the No. 6 post position.

Then there's Grand Slam, who passed on the first two legs of the Triple Crown and is a perfect 4- for-4 over the Belmont oval. The D. Wayne Lukas trainee is coming off an impressive win in the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes but will be asked to carry 126 pounds for the first time and go longer than he ever has.

Obviously, this is Real Quiet's race to lose. Upsets have taken place in the Belmont over the years but there is a not-so-quiet confidence among Real Quiet and his connections.

Owner Mike Pegram, who paid just $17,000 for Real Quiet, is enjoying the ride.

"We always knew this was a talented horse," he said. "People were trying to buy this horse last year. But to come to Belmont Park and run for the Triple Crown, it don't get any better than this."