Columnist Ralph Siraco: Real Quiet, Victory Gallop could meet again

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Aug. 2, 1999 | 10 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday, and his Southern California selections run Tuesday through Friday on the scoreboard page. Write to him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 800 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107.

The last time Real Quiet and Victory Gallop met, the second largest attendance in Belmont Park history turned out and there was $5 million and a Triple Crown championship on the line. At the end of the 1 1/2 miles of the Belmont Stakes on that beautiful spring day in Elmont, N.Y., just inches separated the two in one of the most dramatic and exciting finishes in Triple Crown history.

Victory Gallop won by a nose and robbed Real Quiet the Triple Crown, Horse of the Year honors and the cool $5 million. It was the culmination of their now famous sophomore rivalry.

That was June 6, 1998.

The two have been on separate missions to meet as 4-year-olds, with the obvious goal being the Breeders' Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park Nov. 6 for another multi-million dollar payday and possible Horse of the Year honors on the line again.

But, they may be on a collision course in Southern California that may produce a 6.0 on the Richter Scale Aug. 29.

Triple Crown rivalries that carry over to the 4-year-old campaigns grow in legend and attraction.

One of the greatest rivalries in Triple Crown history never got a chance to renew. Affirmed and Alydar staged the most dramatic trio of races during their spring classic shootout, with Affirmed besting his nemesis in closer margins from the Kentucky Derby to the Belmont in route to the last Triple Crown championship of this century in 1978. Although Crown winner Affirmed went on to race at 4, he never faced Alydar again.

In 1989, Sunday Silence and Easy Goer wrote the last chapter to their heated battles in the Breeders' Cup Classic, with Derby and Preakness winner Sunday Silence getting the best of Belmont victory Easy Goer. They never met again.

In 1997 it was the thrilling finishes of Silver Charm and Free House that kept the fans wanting more, after the two California-based grays traded blows through their Triple Crown run. They did meet once the following year with Silver Charm beating Free House in the Goodwood Handicap at Oak Tree in the fall of '98.

Although Real Quiet and Victory Gallop have only met in last year's Triple Crown, their rivalry captured the imagination of an audience well beyond the throng that follows the sport of kings.

With the high profile Derby-Preakness-Belmont trio of nationally televised events, and the eventual quest for the Triple Crown, the pair -- with their one-two finishes -- became household words around the water cooler.

Victory Gallop went on to compete in the Breeders' Cup to finish a close-but- no-cigar fourth while Real Quiet was shelved for the year.

The return of these talented and potent runners to this year's racing terrain will certainly renew the interest in their rivalry that should carry to the Breeders' Cup showdown.

Each has taken a different route to the crossroads.

Victory Gallop returned to the racing wars with a smashing allowance score at Gulfstream Park in early March.

It seemed for a while as though their first meeting as 4-year-olds would come a half a world away in the $4 million Dubai World Cup. But as that late March race drew closer, it was obvious Real Quiet would not make the show.

Trainer Bob Baffert sent Silver Charm to test the world's best, that included Victory Gallop, while Real Quiet was sent to The Fairgrounds in New Orleans and the "easier spot" for his return to the races. Real Quiet would finish second as the odds-on choice, as Victory Gallop finished third in the desert while beating Real Quiet's stablemate Silver Charm.

Baffert wheeled Real Quiet back in another "easy spot" at Lone Star Park in Texas, and again Real Quiet would fail as the odds-on choice while finishing third.

A freshening was in order for both as Victory Gallop and Real Quiet returned to their Churchill Downs base to regroup. Victory Gallop was given recuperation time from the long Dubai trip, but Baffert was baffled by his Eclipse Award winner and cranked up "the Fish" for an assault of Pimlico.

Real Quiet would meet and defeat Free House in a spirited battle for his first victory of the year while annexing the Pimlico Special, to the relief of his silver-haired conditioner. That was May 8.

Real Quiet seemed to be back, but ...

The May 29 MassCap in Boston was the next stop for the Derby-Preakness champ. Behrens was said to be his only serious challenger, but nobody told Running Stag. Behrens would get up to beat Stag in the final jumps of the race while Real Quiet settled for a non-threatening third. It was back to the drawing board for Baffert.

Trainer Elliot Walden was methodically building a sound foundation under Victory Gallop and decided the June 29 Stephen Foster Handicap at his home base was the return start for his Belmont Stakes winner. Victory Gallop not only won the Stephen Foster, but totally annihilated his competition with a breathtaking move that sent home most who attended Churchill Downs that day convinced they had just seen the Breeders' Cup Classic winner. Advantage Victory Gallop.

Baffert knew he needed a solid bounce-back performance from Real Quiet in the June 27 Hollywood Gold Cup to keep pace with Victory Gallop. When only three others showed up to contest Real Quiet in the $1 million race, Baffert expected nothing less than a visit to the winners circle.

Jockey Jerry Bailey, who was deputized in the absence of Gary Stevens, made what was supposed to be easy a nail-biting win. Trapped at the rail surrounded by his only three rivals, Bailey saved what could have been an embarrassing loss into a rail-skimming victory. Love Real Quiet and Victory Gallop.

Victory Gallop returned to the races on Sunday at Saratoga. He came to compete in the Whitney Handicap to face Behrens in the Grade I contest.

Behrens beat Real Quiet in the MassCap and had amassed a four-race win streak to the Whitney and was expected to be all Victory Gallop wanted. Well, he almost was more than Victory Gallop wanted -- or could take.

Behrens got first run on the leaders turning for home and Victory Gallop needed his customary come-from-behind stretch run to get to Behrens. But when Victory Gallop got to his worthy challenger, Behrens dug in tenaciously to provide a thrilling stretch duel. Behrens fell a head-bob and inches short of Victory Gallop and jockey Jerry Bailey. That's right, Mr. Bailey again.

Now it's break point, Real Quiet.

While Victory Gallop was reaching down deep to beat Behrens on Sunday, Real Quiet was resting in his Del Mar stall in preparation for the $1 million Grade I Pacific Classic at the seaside course, his next start. A sparkling workout just days before signals Real Quiet's readiness for the possible challenge of Victory Gallop. Trainer Elliot Walden informed Del Mar officials that if Victory Gallop came out of his Whitney encounter in good shape, then a seaside visit is forthcoming.

Stand by. "Where The Turf Meets The Surf" may turn into the "War At The Shore" for the after-the-Triple Crown rivalry, Part One.

archive