No Real Candidates Around to Steal ‘Quiet’s Thunder

With victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness preceded by a second-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby, Silver Charm and Real Quiet have similar resumes.

Real Quiet’s wins in the first two legs of the Triple Crown have come more easily than they did for his gray stablemate, but the competition--especially in the Preakness last Saturday--hasn’t been nearly as stiff. There is no 3-year-old around now who compares to Captain Bodgit or Free House.

That’s why, come June 6 at Belmont Park, Real Quiet will do what the more talented Silver Charm couldn’t do before more than 70,000 last June 7.

A win in the Belmont Stakes and the first Triple Crown sweep in 20 years is almost a foregone conclusion because there will be no Touch Gold lurking in New York as there was last year.

Real Quiet’s trainer, Bob Baffert, already has expressed his confidence about his colt’s chances to win the Triple Crown--and the $5-million bonus that goes with it--and he has every reason to be confident.

There is no horse to cause him to worry. Second with excuses in the Kentucky Derby, Victory Gallop wouldn’t have beaten Real Quiet if they had gone around the track at Pimlico again and again and again last Saturday.

Classic Cat didn’t come close to Real Quiet in California, didn’t threaten him in Maryland and there is no reason to feel differently about his chances in New York.

Yarrow Brae, who is trainer Wayne Lukas’ new hope now that Cape Town has been retired and Baquero has been dusted, does come off a win in the 1 1/8-mile Illinois Derby, but he beat a colt (Orville N Wilbur’s) who simply can’t run that far, another (Souvenir Copy) who is best around one turn and a bunch of second-rate performers.

Something about Nationalore has changed since he was well-beaten in the Kentucky Derby. He is now a gelding, but something else will remain the same after the Belmont Stakes: Owner-trainer Myung Kwon Cho’s homebred will still be a maiden.

There are other possible new shooters like Thomas Jo, Dice Dancer, Limit Out, Saratoga Springs and Raffie’s Majesty, but it’s hard to envision any of them upsetting Real Quiet.

Barring the unforeseen, Sir Barton, Gallant Fox, Omaha, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Count Fleet, Assault, Citation, Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed should slide over and make room because they are about to have company in that exclusive club of Triple Crown champions.

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The career of Cape Town, who finished ninth in the Preakness as the 5-2 third choice, has been ended because of a broken bone in his right front leg.

A son of Seeking The Gold out of the stakes-winning mare Seaside Attraction, he finished with five victories in 12 starts and earnings of $795,817.

Trained by Lukas and owned by William T. Young’s Overbrook Farm, Cape Town got his biggest victory in the Florida Derby after the disqualification of Lil’s Lad. His other stakes victory this year was in the Holy Bull on Jan. 17 at Gulfstream Park, and he won the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old last Nov. 29. He will be a stallion at Overbrook next year.

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Scratched from the Preakness last week because of a bruised foot, Coronado’s Quest is now considered an unlikely starter in either Monday’s Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park or the Belmont Stakes.

“The Met and the Belmont are longshots right now until I see him back on the track,” Shug McGaughey said. “I want to see him gallop [this morning] and see where we are.”