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Real Quiet wins Kentucky Derby
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- There was a lot of noise about Indian Charlie, but at the end of Saturday's Kentucky Derby, it was Real Quiet.The colt that trainer Bob Baffert called his insurance policy took over from his favored stablemate and gave Baffert his second straight victory in the Derby.
While Baffert was not shocked by Real Quiet's win, he was a little surprised about how he felt about it.
"I never thought after winning with Silver Charm I would feel that emotional, but it gets better every time you win," he said.
"I almost started crying when he hit the wire," said the 45-year-old Baffert, who became only the sixth trainer to win consecutive Derbies.
What may have surprised Baffert was the way Real Quiet won. The colt who usually makes a big stretch run took the lead with a quarter-mile remaining at Churchill Downs and then held off hard-charging Victory Gallop, bred by Toronto's Ivan Dalos, by a half-length.
Indian Charlie, unbeaten in his four previous starts, finished third, 2 1-4 lengths behind Victory Gallop and a head in front of Halory Hunter, which was Boston Celtics' coach Rick Pitino's first Derby horse.
Favorite Trick, the second betting choice, finished a disappointing eighth. It was the second straight loss for the 1997 horse of the year and two-year-old champion who had won his first nine races, eight of them last year.
Real Quiet's victory continued three long Derby jinxes. Spectacular Bid in 1979 was the last two-year-old champion and last betting favorite to win the Derby. No Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner -- Favorite Trick won last year -- has won the Derby.
Before the race, Baffert had predicted, "Real Quiet is going to run his best race ever, and that could be good enough to win this thing."
After Real Quiet swept across the finish to the roar of 143,215 spectators, the third-largest crowd in the 124-year history of the race, jockey Kent Desormeaux said, "This is one high cloud! My hat's off to Kentucky!"
The 28-year-old jockey, winning his first Derby in his seventh try, then lifted his helmet in triumph.
"My first feeling was of shock," Desormeaux said in the winner's circle. "When I hit the wire, I wanted to laugh a little while and cry a little while."
Winning owner Mike Pegram said: "There's a lot of beer to drink tonight."
Real Quiet was sixth entering the backstretch, then moved off the rail, but did not get into serious contention until the final turn.
Old Trieste, ridden by Robby Albarado, took the lead from Rock and Roll entering the backstretch with three-quarters of a mile remaining. He then led Rock and Roll, Chilito, Favorite Trick and Indian Charlie down the backside to the half-mile pole, when Indian Charlie, ridden by Gary Stevens, moved into second place behind the pacesetter.
Then on the turn, Real Quiet moved to challenge, and he swept by Indian Charlie and took the lead from Old Trieste with a quarter-mile to go. He then opened daylight and withstood the furious charge of Victory Gallop, ridden by Alex Solis. The runner-up, who was last on the backstretch, passed horses on the outside on the turn and swept down the stretch to just miss.
Real Quiet, winning for the third time in 13 starts and the first time in four races this year, hit the end of the 1 1-4 miles in 2:02 1-5 and paid $18.80, $8.80 and $5.80 in earning $700,000 to boost his career bankroll to $1,281,123.
Victory Gallop returned $13 and $7.60 in losing for the first time in three starts this year. Indian Charlie paid $4.20 to show.
Completing the order of finish after Halory Hunter were Cape Town, Parade Ground, Hanuman Highway, Favorite Trick, Nationalore, Old Trieste, Chilito, Robinwould, Artax, Rock and Roll and Basic Trainee.
The 46-year-old Pegram, who grew up in Evansville, Ind., and owns 21 McDonald's franchises in the state of Washington, said before the race he was going to get his $30,000 worth. That's what it costs to enter and start a horse in the Derby.