Victory Gallop Belmont Stakes 1998 - Thrilling finish - Triple Crown lost by a nose

[TicinoParadise]

All the people around the finish line were all celebrating ...lol. Tough loss for a real great horse(rip Real Quiet!) great great run by Victory Gallop.

[liljkm12]

did real quiet give at the streach or did the jockey slow him down thinking he was well clear pls respond

[mortimerdf]

V-Gallop..what a horsey!

[RuffianZenyatta15]

If Real Quiet's head had been lower at the finish he would have made it a dead heat or won. That had to have been the most exciting Triple Crown upset in history!

[HorseRacingVideo]

love this race!

[ilovezenyatta]

where's lesley visser's interview with baffert??? cause she interviewed him after the race but her mic didnt work and i wanted to hear what he had to say because didnt it get fixed i thought it did

[MrRccube]

pre mature move by kent; if u notice fe never rode again for baffert



[johnpmorrissey1]

you can hear Jerry Bailey aboard Grand Slam at 1;24 and 1:35. he's tracking Desormeaux and Real Quiet. then Bailey and Grand Slam conveniently lose steam during the stretch. didn't Bailey do the same to Smarty Jones?

[dxtrfn80]

painful loss for Real Quiet.

[magnetism98]

what a finnish!!!!

[coffeecat73]

what was Gary Stevens doing at the end, he wasnt even riding him that hard near the end?!! He was a little too confident he was going to get there.

[RuffianQueenOfRacing]

you ran the better race real quite! you were a true champion!

[stevetriplecrown]

man, what a call, still has me thinking he's gonna do it, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, goose bumps all over, fantastic !

[bnegs521]

Kent D. tried to cheat and block Victory Gallop's way to the line. A typical bush-league move. Gallop deserved this one and even if RQ had crossed the line first he would have been taken down. Kent D. is a bush leaguer and always will be. Last year he pulled the whip and finished third in the derby. Bush leaguer.

[MrRccube]

@bnegs521 its called race riding nothing dirty bout that u ever watch a big race there are no favors or holes

[bnegs521]

@MrRccube It was bushleague. Kent never rode for Baffert ever again after this race for all you know. And he is only on the fringe of elite riders nowadays. Like I said the stewards were ready to take him down even if Real Quiet had won. I know what you are saying those guys ride to win but there is the code of the game as well in every sport.

[MrRccube]

@bnegs521 mr bnegs . do u really believe that the stewards would have taken down real quiet for drifting over inside the eight pole with gary stevens never taking hold of the bridle and finishing in a drive ? part of racing is making every attempt to give your charge every option to win and you have every right to that track and drifting out is acceptable and condoned as long as u dont IMPEDE THA FOWARD PROGRESS of anybody. it was a pre mature move by kent wha has riden for me a mp.

[MrRccube]

@bnegs521 mr bnegs . do u really believe that the stewards would have taken down real quiet for drifting over inside the eight pole with gary stevens never taking hold of the bridle and finishing in a drive ? part of racing is making every attempt to give your charge every option to win and you have every right to that track and drifting out is acceptable and condoned as long as u dont IMPEDE THA FOWARD PROGRESS of anybody.

[MrRccube]

@bnegs521 i totally respect your point of view just cant agree with your synopsis

[8ceofspades]

real quiet u r still a champ rip kenneth h

[datrubronxtale2]

and thats why victory gallop is one of the best closers over the last 15 years

[datrubronxtale2]

everytime i watch this race i still root for that wire to come sooner

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

"Real Quiet Takes Command!!!"

[dxtrfn80]

painful to watch most heartbreaking triple crown miss ever

[JosephDillon57]

What type of drums does this video feature?

[BigBrown2332]

Wow, I forgot hw good this race was. It literallygave me chills when he came into the stretch and the roar of the crowd was unbelievable.

[BlackCamaro728]

Even now when I watch this race, I STILL think Real Quiet is home free when he turns for home.

This has to be the cruelest defeat of any horse in racing history.

[TheTzdope]

i still think real quiet won this race!!

[chuckiechaxx]

wow from last to first

[carlykaiser]

I've never heard this call before. Even though I knew the finish I got really excited.

Even as a huge Durkin fan, I like this call way more!

[keenanrussel]

Oh the agony! lol I remember that day so very well. RIP Real Quiet....a great career and some very memorable races!

[queenluciaa]

Ahh, The first Belmont I've ever watched. I was rooting for Limit Out, a friend of mine was his excersize rider, and I got to meet him up close and personal :) A sweet horse he was, liked to nip at you for peppermints. But I was torn when Real Quiet died a few days ago. Only 15 years. Horses should live till their mid 20s or their early 30s. Like Citation he lived to be 25.

[Pari28]

RIP Real Quiet: yours was the most thrilling Belmont Stakes ever :) :)

Save for Secretariat's, lol.

[109367]

You tried so hard Real Quiet, RIP

[AccentAigu05]

@109367 I just found out that he passed away...so sad :-(

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

This was the craziest race I ever watched. Rest in peace, Real Quiet.

[susannreno]

One of the great heartbreakers in racing history. Rest in peace, Real Quiet.

[melchizidak]

To Real Quiet: Goodbye my old friend - you always looked me in the eye and let me know you were the real thing, but I never thought you were happy. You deserved to be galloped in full tack. We tried my friend.

Cast a cold eye

On life On death

Horseman pass by

...

William Butler Yeats’ epitaph

[bubblinbrownsugar616]

I remember Real Quiet but I was so young I forgot all about it. Unbelievable. By a freakin NOSE!

Wow.

[megjonaslove333]

Has any 3-year-old lost a Triple Crown bid any narrower than Real Quiet? My goodness, Victory Gallop practically came out of nowhere to nail him at the wire. Incredible race! What tension there had to be waiting for the photo. With an inquiry to boot.

[N2GEMS]

I think one of the most incredible things is if you look into the history of Real Quiet. He was thought to have absolutely no promise for anything big! He was nicknamed "The Fish" by Bob because of his narrow frame. His final racing earnings..$3,271,802, not bad for being purchased by Mike Pegram at a yearling auction for the low price of $17,000! The price was so low due to his having crooked knees. What an incredible horse!

[chiptastrophe]

good quality video

[lovedbysweetie]

I remember this like it was yesterday , wowowow

[DanielSong39]

The classic win by a head bob... Victory Gallop was ahead for maybe, 30 feet. He was behind until his head came down and fell behind again when his head came back up.

[rusinrockt]

Watching this video some 12 years later still hurts. I am reminded of it once a year as the Triple Crown comes up. Easily the worst defeat as a horse racing fan I have ever experienced.

[ChoKolateNUPE]

I remember sitting in front of the TV waiting...waiting...waiting. The a few tears came down.... dont tell anyone.. I wasnt crying... it was just a lil dust in my eye.

[LightingInvoker]

@ChoKolateNUPE I cried. I was so mad. I still hate Victory Gallop to this day. watching it again brings tears to my eyes

[DanielSong39]

Desormeaux made his move before the 3/4 pole! Simply ridiculous and there was no way to sustain a run for that long. Desormeaux miscounted poles and urged Real Quiet two furlongs too early. If you look at the Derby and the Preakness, he makes his move closer to the half mile pole.

[Zooropa420]

Shit I went to my first and only Belmont in 2008 to see Big Brown go for the Crown. I'd have been happy if he had lost in a duel like this one. My buddy and I agreed before the race all we wanted was an exciting race. Instead, all 94,000 of us got a DNF. Makes me sick....

[Horsechick4ever2496]

this kinda makes me want to cry cuz i have meet real quiet and the owners of the stable i ride at own one of his sons who is the most beautiful horse and i love his son and it makes me kinda sad lol

[wizman3791]

Yeah stevens won it that prick! I'll never see a triple crown winner in my time!

[Tampaslice]

Real Quiet...aka "The Fish" had his nose on the way to the line, a few more inches!!!! Better to lose by 20 than like this.

[BIGRED224FOREVER]

GOTTA DISAGREE....................if­ he lost by 20 we would not even be talking about it today!

[DanielSong39]

@Tampaslice Do you know what would've been worse? To actually nose out Victory Gallop and then have his number taken down by the stewards.

Real Quiet impeded Victory Gallop twice in the stretch and would've been placed second regardless.

[zXSwordXz]

@DanielSong39 Are you watching the same race?...Get your eyes check...where did real quiet impeded victory gallop. The two horse was no way near one another until the end.

[DanielSong39]

@zXSwordXz The head-on shot made crystal clear. Real Quiet ducked in for a stride at around 2:36 then bumped Victory Gallop as he was going by at around 2:40.

[zXSwordXz]

@DanielSong39 ...you're funny...Real Quiet jockey did nothing wrong. He held his lane when they all turn for home. What you want him to do? Jump the rail so Victory Gallop can run straight? It is Victory gallop jockey who have to guide his horse to go around RQ if he wants to past him. Impeding is when you deliberately obstruct the progress of another horse by shifting left or right. NOT BY HOLDING YOUR LANE.

[joefederico]

If I recall though, Real Quiet was the weaker entrymate in the Derby and the fact he lost the TC by only a nose in the Belmont is a testament to his resilence. I'm not proclaiming him as a super horse or anything but you all know the TC is a grinding set of races. Anyone can look back in hindsight and say if only he waited a few seconds longer to make his move but the jock rode him well throughout this series and shouldn't be condemned.

[DanielSong39]

In the end, the top 3-year-old that year was Coronado's Quest, and the best sire of the crop was Grand Slam...

Funny how things work out. Remember that the next time some bozo pays up $100 million for a stud deal with a Triple Crown hopeful.

[saveus228]

LMAO, Coronado's Quest? HAHAHAHA. He won, what 2 races all year? He was the biggest bust of the year. They made him out to be secretariat, but he was not better than Real Quiet, Victory Gallop or even Lil's Lad.

[DanielSong39]

Coronado's Quest won, like 5 stakes races in a row after undergoing surgery to repair an entrapped epiglottis. He defeated Victory Gallop twice in the big fall races.

He was the bookmaker's favorite in the Preakness Stakes, but was scratched due to temperament issues. He was also favored over Victory Gallop in the fall races and had the smallest price of any 3-year-old in the Classic.

[cbaldwinjr]

I was actually happy here because I think Bob Baffert is a royal dick. It was 2004 and Smarty Jones that killed me. Jerry Bailey's unscrupulous running of Eddington (same for Alex Solis on Rock Hard Ten) and the bad ride by Stewart Elliott...just heart breaking. The whole country loved Smarty Jones

[saveus228]

unscrupulous as in trying to win? What a jerk, he had no right to try to win =/

[cbaldwinjr]

If you knew anything, you'd know that Eddington had no chance of winning...he was used as a pace car is in auto racing or a rabbit in track to tire Smarty Jones out and inhibit him from winning. It was tacky and low class

[DanielSong39]

If you knew how the track was running that day, you'd know that the track was rock hard and frontrunners were having a field day and running fast times. The Belmont Stakes was really an aberration.

As for Victory Gallop, he rated nicely behind a hot pace and was able to run down a tired Real Quiet, who made a premature move before the six furlong marker.

[saveus228]

@cbaldwinjr

nobody forced Smarty jones to run with him. It's called racing.

[MrRccube]

@saveus228 in his defense bailys sole purpose was to get that horse beat. even the owner was outraged at the ride. u know very litttle about the game

[betuski89]

Other than Smarty Jones losing to Grindstone in the belmont a couple of years ago this is the closest a race horse was at winning the triple crown

too bad maybe next year hopefully but since steroids were banned that might make it harder

[betuski89]

correction birdstone

[Greg00015]

This was a closer race than the '04 Belmont Stakes.

[brady10187]

Smarty Jones lost to Birdstone in the Belmont

[Hixboy67]

We will probably never get to see a Triple Crown hopeful this close again.

Real Quiet, youre one of Best !!!! I will never forget you.

[TheShipin]

It was for sure the worse case of " snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" in any sport that I can think of. They say that if Kent would have waited just 3 seconds more before he made that back stretch move to the front, he would have won by a nose. A comparable moment was the Red Sox in 86' game 6 up by 2 runs with 2 outs and 2 strikes in the bottom of the 10th with no one on to win their first series in 80 years ( and blew it)

[squad741]

That is very true the jockey moved real quiet a little to soon

[MrRccube]

@squad741 wow what a great anylasis u think so genius

[GBeret83]

I never really thought about it until now, but that must have really sucked for Bob Baffert having a chance 2 years in a row, 97' Silver Charm and 98' Real Quiet to have a chance to win the triple crown and lost both. Finishing 2nd both times. But you know what they say, "finishing second is like kissing your grandmother."

[GBeret83]

I'll stand corrected if I'm wrong, but of all the horses that have won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness since Affirmed's triple crown in 1978, this is the closest we've come to having a triple crown winner since then. No other horse in a position to win the triple crown lost by this close of a margine.

[texas4life45]

I can watch this over and over! This bring chills to me every time! I love to watch the fans inside the rail when the horses hit the wire! You can feel the excitement! Maybe one year it will happen! Until then this is the next best thing!

[Dingerz]

You're right, seeing everyone jump in the air at the wire behind the horses is something I always noticed too. :)

[steevzstubs]

I was there....I have been to the Super Bowl, The World Series, and The NBA Finals, and nothing compared to the excitement I felt this day.

[WSBT960]

The photo wouldn't of mattered, Real Quiet would have definitely been dq'ed and pushed behind Victory Gallop. The replay clearly showed Real Quiet coming across toward Victory Gallop's path, which forced Gary to check and move out.

[Astock1983]

He did veir out but your outta your mind if you think the stewards, NYRA Stewards mind you, would take down a triple crown winner for the first time in 21 years. An accident would have had to occur for him to be taken down.

[Dingerz]

I do, you mean where they were showing the bumping? If you need it, I can't get it to you until I get back from Germany on June 15th. Message me then to remind me.

[carlykaiser]

Dingerz, you edited it as they showed the head-on view... do you still have it?

[carlykaiser]

I am almost happy I wasn't a fan at the time. I think I would have been on suicide watch.

[ThirtytoOne]

11 years later, this race still deflates me every time I watch it.......

[MJKDTJ]

just before the finish victory gallop. almost touch real quiet from behind he move a little to the right and got him by a nose

[whatitis117]

What a stretch run. Goosebump city. Kent D and his charge did everything they could but got beat by a flaring nostril. The sport of kings baby

[JUNIORWHOPPER]

That 10 second or so pause after the race ended said it all. Even Al Michaels did not know what to say.

[Astock1983]

Its not Al Michaels, its race calling legent Dave Johnso. Known for his call "And down the strech they come"

[JUNIORWHOPPER]

I know that. Al was the host that day and usually does not leave the air quiet for that long.

[rusinrockt]

I cried after this race. He was so close. Even watching the replay, it looks like no one could touch him. He was all alone. No one was seemingly moving forward. It is deceptive every time.

[jesusthroughmary]

At 2:36, after VG had closed it from four to one, he fell back a quarter length and it looked like RQ was going to hold him off. Then VG turned it on again and caught him. Unbelievable finish.

[tugboat2030]

reason I watch golf--Phil Mickleson vs. Payne Stewart at Pinehurst No. 2

reason I watch NASCAR (when I do)--Earnhardt's unfortunate death in 2001 Daytona

reason I watch horse racing--this race

[d9y8l7a6n5]

Man this drains me every time I watch it. I get that same adrenaline rush watching Real Quiet 4 clear and having it in his grasp then getting it taken at the last second. I remember watching this at the track.

[BlackCamaro728]

This one still gets me every time. It's a tough thing to swallow after seeing him turn for home all alone. Same thing with Smarty Jones. They both should have had it.

[JUNIORWHOPPER]

This would have been one of the craziest events in sports history if Real Quiet would have won. He would have been bumped down to second and had the Triple Crown stripped. This was the third year in a row for huge heartbreak in between Silver Charm and Charismatic. Pioneerof the Nile could be this year's hope.

[joshb729]

You think the stewards would have the guts to strip Real Quiet if he won the bob? I've seen some let more go.

[irishadam1978]

Amazing!

[gvlaker9]

This was an awesome race. I was only 12 when I was watching this but damn was this a battle.

[DanielSong39]

Look on the bright side; at least you didn't have to suffer from seeing Real Quiet hit the wire first and then being taken down. Little doubt as to how the steward's inquiry would have gone.

[MrRccube]

@DanielSong39 you really belive that he would have been taken down. gary stevens never steading or missed a beat and finished in a drive. it wasnt dirty you have every right to that trck as long as you dont impede the foward progress of your foe. drifing out is callled race riding your giving your charge every chance to win and makin you opponenet work arder to get by you. you dont know alot about the game . dq in the belmont triple crown winner. for drifting inside the eight pole hmmm

[Ninety2q]

I remember my father and I were screaming at the top of our lungs digging for Real Quite. So much infact that my Mothers relatives were visiting from out of town and god kind of freaked out as to how passionate we were getting. Ha, damn i was pulling for him. Probably more then any other horse that won the first two legs in recent years. Smarty Jones plays a close 2nd. But i figured 20 years from the last triple crown, this is destiny.

[ewd76]

And now likely 32. Between the fragility of the horses and PETA, we may have seen our last TC. Luckily I can say I was alive, though too young to remember the last two.