I'm 38 years old and this still remains the greatest horse race of my life. Made me a fan of horse racing for life! Thank you Real Quiet and Victory Gallup for a 3 race duel for the ages!
I went with my brother. I drove out there all the way to Belmont and we made it in just in time for the big race and somehow got down close to the finish line, I remember we saw Nick Charles from CNN. I lost but my brother won his bet on the photo finish!
First and foremost, thank you for this upload. This is Dave Johnson's greatest call. the audio provided by ABC is just fantastic. The way he leaned into Real Quiet's name at the top of the stretch. "Reeeeeeeal Quiet takes command! A roar from the crowd as he bounces away by three and a half lengths!" It's poetry. And it's a tragedy. The 13 year old in me, sitting in front of the TV, screaming "come on Kent!" is invoked every time. I learned heartbreak that day. And this call brings me right back to that place. The 8 & 11 flashing on the board is printed in my mind. We almost had it that day.
Inquiry based on what? The 11 nailed him at the wire, last jump. I called this result and won money in V. Gallup. I'm so glad he got nailed, and Baffert was beaten!
Kent was trying everything he could to allow Real Quiet to see Victory Gallup! His screaming helped in the first 2 races and he even tried tugging his mane to turn RQ head to have eyes on VG. Unfortunately he couldn't restart his engine quickly enough. Had VG been closer at the top of the stretch Real Quiet would've seen him and saved pace for his last kick. @kevinpantera4429
This is when CHEATER BAFFERT went to GNC and started doping his horses. I can not believe that Dirt Bag is still in racing. I remember watching him doping QH for years.
Real Quiet is my horses Sire! His name is Quiet No More. Had no idea when I purchased him recently until I looked up his pedigree. He is now 11 and my first horse. He is such a good boy. We are doing hunter/jumper and spoiling him. So exciting to see his daddy race. He really looks like him :) Who knew!
That's so cool! The horse I ride, his sire is Victory Gallop, supposedly he was around 36 lengths behind and his owner took him because the owner he had was terrified of him
Every. Single. Time. I watch RQ on the top of that stretch, my heart pumps faster because it just looks like he's gonna do it, he's REALLY going to do it!! Sigh.......THE CRUELEST defeat in the history of ever.
G____ D____!!! This one gets me every time!! Remember rushing home from work to see this live; can't believe it's been that long ago!! Thank you for posting this classic clip!
"And down the stretch they come".Perhaps one of the greatest calls in racing history..ABC did a fine job broadcasting and capturing this event. In addition to an outstading call of the race,liisten closely to the trackside sounds. "The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat" as ABC used to say during its intro, .pure excitement. .what a rush!
I think the entire country wanted Real Quiet to win, outside of those who bet on the other horses. I was in the Marines...we had a crew of about 15 guys and a couple ladies in a common room (aka day room) to watch this race. We were SCREAMING and it was so deflating at the end. I'll never forget that. I don't think 1/2 of my buddies ever watched another horse race again lol. But that's how much this effort had gotten in to the national consciousness. Same with the home run chase later that summer.
Everyone is here for Real Quiet, but I'm here for Victory Gallop. I met the sweet boy in Texas in 1999 when I was 8 years old. I went with my step grandma to visit one of his owners named JR. Victory Gallop was recovering from an injured leg and I got to watch and love on him for hours. I had no idea what the Belmont stakes were or that he was such a big deal until years later when I watched my first derby. He's a good boy, a deserving boy, and he will always have a special place in my heart. ❤
Being from Louisville, Kentucky I've always been a horse racing fan. I recorded this race on VCR tape and still have it to this day. The sounds of the horses and Kent screaming for Real Quiet to dig in just a little more is still one of my favorite sports moments of my life. Half an inch for 5 million! Damnit man! What a race.
Probably the most amazing finish in Triple Crown racing history. Especially because Victory Gallop was 2nd twice and came from behind to deny the Triple Crown. Winning by a NOSE is just the most insane possible way to write this story. True epic.
The closing speed of Victory Gallop was absolutely astonishing. 2:26 to 2:28 this thing is OVER, but VG just put in a superhuman effort. Stupendous race.
@@danieldobrosky8378 yeah. And he was actually slowed he had to move over to the right not to run into real quiets rear. ! Turbo! Like a quarter horse run the last 2 furlong.
...after Secretariat's unbelievable sweep. Yes, this was a great race...as races go. Hard to see RQ denied, amazing burst of speed by both horses, great call. But Secretariat always takes the cake
The audio of Desormeaux, combined with the video is remarkable. At the top of the stretch you can hear Bailey on Grand Slam say, "Go get 'em, Mo." Desormeaux responds, "I'm goin'." With his hands, and his voice, he asks Real Quiet to go and Real Quiet responds and spurts away, only to quickly wanders to the rail; a well known sign of a tired horse. If he didn't know before, at that instant, Desormeaux knows he's in trouble. The next several seconds witnesses Desormeaux scrubbing hard, going repetitively to the left-handed stick, checking over his shoulder and screaming in Real Quiet's ears to stimulate what he knows is a horse who is on fumes. He then pulls on Real Quiet's head, either to cut off Victory Gallup's path or to get Real Quiet to look right to catch a glimpse of the oncoming competitor to trigger instinctive competitiveness. Finally, he switches the stick to the right hand, vigorously flashing it by Real Quiet's eye and in front of Victory Gallop's face. He tried everything. A great example of top notch race riding, his mind rapidly flipping through a tactical rolodex in real time. Unfortunately, he did make one tactical error a minute earlier...he moved too soon on the back stretch, committing a distance-limited horse too early in a mile and a half race.
+SuperBanger82 They let him walk. Speed scratched out of Belmont. They needed a Triple Crown and they gave the people what they wanted. Soft is an understatement.
"Speed scratched". Materiality was supposed to be the speed. American Pharoah was winning the Triple Crown regardless. He was just better. Is AP the best ever? Doubt many would say he is but I'm just so tired of people trying to diminish his accomplishments. He was a GREAT horse.
Keep in mind, Marrisa W, that American Pharoah's time at the 2015 Belmont was faster than Victory Gallop's time by about 2 seconds, as well as being the 7th fastest winning time at the 1 1/2 mile length, beating out all Triple Crown winners save for Secretariat. You want to talk about how "speed scratched"? Speed was there, and its name was American Pharoah.
That sound was absolutelyinfuckingcredible! I've been to the Belmont Stakes and saw Justify win and I can tell you there is no way the roar I heard that day come anywhere near what I heard in this video. It must have been surreal to experience this race.
Dave Johnson with perhaps the greatest most exciting call in race history, the man that coined,"and down the stretch they come"he's the best,, what a race, what a call..ABCs coverage was always the best, too bad it went to NBC
I agree it was a great call. So many of the US commentators seem dead while call the races. One of the best commentators I have EVER heard us Chris Armond...every race was masterfully done. Classic example is the 1979 Jamaica Derby. It's on UA-cam. I don't know how he didn't loose his voice.
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!
I forgot about this epic stretch run. I always thought the 78 Belmont between Afirmed and Alydar was the greatest stretch duel of all time, considering these two champions were 1-2 for the entire Triple Crown Series. But this race was incredible! I knew who won but I was leaning into the computer screen on pins and kneedles watching VG walk RQ down and win by a NOSTRIL! Outstanding race!!!!!
I've seen almost ever Belmont since 1972 and I would agree that the 1978 was the most exciting between two horses. What made it so great was comming down the strech Alyshiba put her head infront of Affirmed and almost appeared to be motoring pass Affirmed. But Affirmed kicked it in again and passed Alyshiba and won by a head. I wonder if we would have thought differently if Real Quiet would have won it. Hmmm... P.S.-The greatesr Belmont, of course, was the unimaginable trip Secretariat had in 1973...I don't think we'll ever see anything like that again (and Secretariat didn't take growth hormes either!).
GozarianGozar and ImmortalSynn-Thanks for catching that-an early morning brainfart by me! Of course, the great Alydar, not Alyshiba! What was I thinking!!
Heartbreak Hotel! That had to hurt. By that time there was already a 20 year drought for the Triple Crown. But, at long last, the drought is ended after 37 years. Way to go, American Pharoah!
Can’t believe I was there to witness this and we are close to the 25th anniversary. Definitely one of the greatest races of all time and one of the greatest rides of all time, by jockey Gary Stevens.
Agreed he never lets Victory Gallop get past him that’s the shame of it so people can talk about tired horse all they want it was just a push of the head forward by Steven’s that did it
This one hurts my heart so much even now 25 years later. Real Quiet and Silver Charm did so much to revive through bred racing in 98 and 97 respectively. Until American Pharaoh and Justify won the crown more men had walked on the moon than horses had won the Triple Crown. It takes a special horse to win all three.
This race still guts me 26 years later. I still think Kent should have waited a bit longer to let Real Quiet loose. But kuddos to Gary Stevens. He had Victory Gallop split two horses TWICE at the top of the stretch. Thomas Joe was also fast closing but tried to go around the horses. Any other jockey on Victory Gallop and we likely have a triple crown winner. Gary was also great in Seabiscuit as George Woolf
What an amazing deep stretch kick by Victory Gallop. He was charging like a Quarter Horse after already running over a mile and a quarter. Tough beat to Real Quiet to lose the head bob at the wire.
It's like the final scene in Rocky. When everyone is begging for their guy to get up first and Apollo finally falls. Great Academy Award winning movie. This is it in real life! What a race.
It just breaks my heart when Dave Johnson screams “Real Quiet takes command! A roar from the crowd as he bounces away by 3 1/2 lengths” knowing what’s going to happen.
This derby had better audio from the horses and jockeys than any race before after. Starting at 2:05, listen to all of the snorting you can hear from, I think Real Quiet (I'm assuming they had the horse trying for TC mic'd up). His snorts, the hooves, the yelling from the jockeys....1998's video/coverage was special.
I love to watch horse race on tv! I love horses they are loveable; caring; warmth; i detest Animal Cruelty! Animals Have Rights Also! I am watching it October/ November 2024😢
Why does it from the live look that Real Quiet won?! It shows you how amazingly close this race was. Glad I didn’t watch this race live because I probably would’ve had a heart attack. This was a month before I was born...
I wish they would bring the audio back. I think they only did it for a year or so, for the TC and BC races. It's awesome to hear every nuance of sound during the race.
Gary Steven and Victory Gallop did get very, very lucky to have a hole opened up just when they are surging up in full speed entering the stretch. This hole made all the difference in the outcome. Huge break for the winner here.
I loved ABC's coverage of their triple crown races.... you can hear the jockeys communicating with each other during the race. Like when Bailey yells at Desormeaux right before the 5 furlong pole "Its too soon for me!" Then when Desormeaux nears the 5/16 pole, he yells "Bailey!" Right before the 1/4 pole Bailey yells to Desormeaux "Go get 'em buddy!" Desormeaux replies "Alright Buddy!" Then all that smooching and screeching by Steven's approaching the top of the stretch urging Victory Gallop to advance. Desormeaux desperate hollering to Real Quiet throughout the stretch was epic, he was trying to wake up Real Quiet, as the horse was letting up to get some competition. This sound access is insane! Imagine if ABC had put Tom Durkins immortal call of this race on top of all the racing sounds through the race! It would have been UNBELIEVABLE!
I got to know one of Victory Gallop's owners. One of the nicest guys I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was very proud of winning this race, but not boastful.
One of the greatest times in sports history. And for me personally, having won so much money on RQ in his prior races, the suspense was unimaginable. In this footage, the video is very clear, and you can easily hear Kent urging his horse as they approached the final turn. Listen for the ha, ha ha 's......
Remember This Race like it was Yesterday....Bet on Victory Gallop Previous 2 Races and Could not Wait to Bet him Again at this 1 1/2...Had a Pretty Big Win Bet on him...These were 2 VERY good Horses...Victory Gallop was Such a Consistent Horse for a Closer...He Always Fired...
Still cant believe Real Quiet lost this race...Had everything his way while relaxing and absolutely opened up so fast and easily when he took the lead in stretch...Seemed like he was going to win for fun...Victory Gallop was 1 of the Greatest Closers and always putting in his stretch run
That was a HUGE stunning move by Real Quiet....Looked like He was about to Win by 15 Lengths after watching that Move....Watch this Race 20 Times and Still am Surprised when i see him lose
wow what an incredible race - thx to all the past history from fans comments for steering me here to watch the 'almosts' from the past. Congrats to AP 2015.
I really loved Real Quiet. I thought on the turn that he was going to bury Victory Gallop, but he tired just enough to come back to his rival. When I saw Spectacular Bid lose his Triple Crown because of questionable riding and the incident with his hoof I never imagined we would go more than ten years b4 seeing another TC.
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.
To lose by a lucky head bop, and be in front again after the line, makes Real Quiet an unofficial Triple Crown winner in my book.. He earned it, as a horse, he proved himself worthy, and you can't argue with that.. but of course, it's a team effort and the jockey's have almost as much say in the result..
True although a great horse, only true champions survive the long Belmont race, and it looks like real quiet could not survive the whole stretch as he started to fade. Great race though
+Lee SOG, RQ really out performed all expectations, but look at the head on of the stretch run (you can see it in the full broadcast video). Desormeaux brought RQ out twice in the stretch to impede (1st time) and bump (2nd time) VG, and the stewards said they would have taken RQ down if his nose had been in front. KD said he was trying to get RQ to see VG there. Hard to know if it was that innocent or if KD got caught up in wanting that TC come hell or high water (or Victory Gallop). Anyway, it's much better that the victory came with a head bob, rather than with a DQ, imo.
L Lives Was he not expected to win the race? or do you mean he wasn't seen as a TC contender? And I'd have to say it wasn't totally innocent; in the heat of the moment with history on the line, Desmormeaux did the best he could (without going over the top) to give Real Quiet every chance of getting his head to the wire first. However, the fact RQ seemed to have enough left to go past after the line, makes you wonder if he was just getting lonely. I see it in National Hunt all the time when a loose horse helps to "carry" the winner to the line. The more I look at this race and how a TC was the line, I just think RQ was never meant to win it; Perhaps Victory Gallop came with the most perfectly timed stretch run, he had all the momentum,. RQ might have got lonely and just needed another yard or two to re-galvanise himself and put his head in front. The fractions where that tight and outcome was that cruel. So while no one remembers him as a TC winner, he's the closest thing you get to having one, without having one. And maybe with another jockey on another day, he would have been one. But I suppose fate was clear in her wishes to have him extend the Triple Crown curse a little while longer.
+Lee SOG , he wasn't really expected to win any of them, at least in the winter book. He was a nice horse (talented), to be sure, but was kind of the Rodney Dangerfield of that three year old crop. It seems he took a long time to get going, had a lot of tries before breaking his maiden as I recall. Indian Charlie was favored in the Derby (no one knew about his distance limitations beforehand), and I believe Victory Gallop was favored in the Preakness. Ironically, RQ was the odds on favorite for the one classic he lost, this race. Both VG and RQ were nice horses with very good resumes by the time they retired. And I think you're right. The TC was a little sweeter this year for the 37 years we waited for it. Perhaps things happened just as they should have.
What a race!! Amazing!! Real Quiet had it in the bag! Where did Victory Gallop come from?? Real Quiet lost the Triple Crown by a nose?? Lost by a photo finish.
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.
The jockey of Real Quiet hurried this one.That cost them the Triple Crown.If only he made a move a bit later then they won this race and put their name into horse racing immortality.Superb run though from another great great horse Victory Gallop.Btw,Real Quiet has a very good son who raced in our local dirt way back in mid 2000s.Though he only manage to win one leg of our Triple Crown series he is still regarded as one of the great horse ever raced in our country.His name is REAL SPICY. 🇵🇭PH
This race was great, but if Smarty ran this race, he'd be a triple crown winner. Birdstone won with a time of 2.27 and Victory Gallop won with a time of 2.30.
Victory Gallop's performance must be ranked among the greatest sports accomplishments in history. Indeed, in a certain respect Gallop's accomplishment was just as impressive as Spectacular Bid's amazing performance in twenty-five years earlier. Whereas Bid pulled away from the entire field, Gallop had to come from way behind to win which in a certain respect made it an even more exciting race.
As a huge horse, and horse-racing, fan, I was thrilled to meet Bob Baffert's son at the university where I worked. Probably idiotically, I brought up Real Quiet 's TC loss by *four inches*, and just a year after Silver Charm's near miss. ("My dad loved that horse" he said re SC.) Unfortunately this was not long after Mine That Bird came out of nowhere to beat another Baffert horse in the Derby. The kid did tip me off to Lookin at Lucky.
I'm 38 years old and this still remains the greatest horse race of my life. Made me a fan of horse racing for life! Thank you Real Quiet and Victory Gallup for a 3 race duel for the ages!
I went with my brother. I drove out there all the way to Belmont and we made it in just in time for the big race and somehow got down close to the finish line, I remember we saw Nick Charles from CNN. I lost but my brother won his bet on the photo finish!
Ry, yes it was a showcase of a race. There is no races like that anymore. You got hook after this one for ever.
Same bruh
Of the 30 yrs I’ve been watching horse racing this still stands as most epic finishes ever
I agree,or maybe the race between Affirmed and Alydar also. 🇵🇭
Personal Ensign in her last race was magic also👍
I prefer Sunday Silence vs Easy Goer at the Preakness -- started my love for horse racing.
same, each time I watch it I will him to get there, like I could somehow change history. So close!
First and foremost, thank you for this upload. This is Dave Johnson's greatest call. the audio provided by ABC is just fantastic. The way he leaned into Real Quiet's name at the top of the stretch. "Reeeeeeeal Quiet takes command! A roar from the crowd as he bounces away by three and a half lengths!" It's poetry. And it's a tragedy. The 13 year old in me, sitting in front of the TV, screaming "come on Kent!" is invoked every time. I learned heartbreak that day. And this call brings me right back to that place. The 8 & 11 flashing on the board is printed in my mind. We almost had it that day.
Kent’s cry to hang on gets me every time. Just brutal. So emotional.
Inquiry based on what? The 11 nailed him at the wire, last jump. I called this result and won money in V. Gallup. I'm so glad he got nailed, and Baffert was beaten!
The 37 year old in me yelled “No, NOT AGAIN” remembering the year before when Touch Gold caught Silver Charm right before the finish line.
Kent Desormeaux begging Real Quiet for one more burst overwhelms me into tears every time. It’s just so raw and intense.
Me too. I loved that skinny horse. Such an overachiever. Brought tears to my eyes when he won the Preakness too.
Kent D, I always liked him. In deep stretch he took a quick peek back! You never look back, when you do you are beat!And it cost him!
sure looked rg to me then & now
Kent was trying everything he could to allow Real Quiet to see Victory Gallup! His screaming helped in the first 2 races and he even tried tugging his mane to turn RQ head to have eyes on VG. Unfortunately he couldn't restart his engine quickly enough. Had VG been closer at the top of the stretch Real Quiet would've seen him and saved pace for his last kick. @kevinpantera4429
This is when CHEATER BAFFERT went to GNC and started doping his horses. I can not believe that Dirt Bag is still in racing. I remember watching him doping QH for years.
Brings shivers down my spine every time I watch this super race. This is a keeper in my thoroughbred library of racing. When horse racing was special!
Sunday Silence and Easy Goer in the 1989 Preakness was another great race.
Real Quiet is my horses Sire! His name is Quiet No More. Had no idea when I purchased him recently until I looked up his pedigree. He is now 11 and my first horse. He is such a good boy. We are doing hunter/jumper and spoiling him. So exciting to see his daddy race. He really looks like him :) Who knew!
That's so cool! The horse I ride, his sire is Victory Gallop, supposedly he was around 36 lengths behind and his owner took him because the owner he had was terrified of him
The jockey screwed Real Quiet out of the triple crown. He moved the horse to soon.
We had a granddaughter of Real Quiet (filly out of Midnight Lute), but sadly we lost her to a on track catastrophic injury last year.
Every. Single. Time. I watch RQ on the top of that stretch, my heart pumps faster because it just looks like he's gonna do it, he's REALLY going to do it!!
Sigh.......THE CRUELEST defeat in the history of ever.
He would have been disqualified....
Brutal defeat. Should have been a dead heat!
Running Down a Dream why? Did he bulge? Just asking I didn't see it.
@@rebecca11391 Yes, at about 2:36, he was just trying to show RQ the horse coming up, but went a bit far.
My btother and I were high-fiving as RQ came down the stretch and then came Victory Gallop....
Still painful 21 years later. RQ was my Derby horse
11 years later, this race still deflates me every time I watch it.......
G____ D____!!! This one gets me every time!! Remember rushing home from work to see this live; can't believe it's been that long ago!! Thank you for posting this classic clip!
I could care less about video angles for racing, but audio like this race is simply amazing.
The audio was amazing. May I just say that was quite a ride by Gary. He did a wonderful job.
"And down the stretch they come".Perhaps one of the greatest calls in racing history..ABC did a fine job broadcasting and capturing this event. In addition to an outstading call of the race,liisten closely to the trackside sounds. "The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat" as ABC used to say during its intro, .pure excitement. .what a rush!
Check out Tom Durkin’s call on the NYRA channel. The best by a mile.
I think the entire country wanted Real Quiet to win, outside of those who bet on the other horses. I was in the Marines...we had a crew of about 15 guys and a couple ladies in a common room (aka day room) to watch this race. We were SCREAMING and it was so deflating at the end. I'll never forget that. I don't think 1/2 of my buddies ever watched another horse race again lol. But that's how much this effort had gotten in to the national consciousness. Same with the home run chase later that summer.
Still stands as the most incredible sporting event I've ever seen.
Everyone is here for Real Quiet, but I'm here for Victory Gallop. I met the sweet boy in Texas in 1999 when I was 8 years old. I went with my step grandma to visit one of his owners named JR. Victory Gallop was recovering from an injured leg and I got to watch and love on him for hours. I had no idea what the Belmont stakes were or that he was such a big deal until years later when I watched my first derby. He's a good boy, a deserving boy, and he will always have a special place in my heart. ❤
No one cares...
I've watched this ready 50 times and every time I watch it I keep thinking real quiet will hold on unbelievable
I damn near had a heart attack watching the race!🏇
Being from Louisville, Kentucky I've always been a horse racing fan. I recorded this race on VCR tape and still have it to this day. The sounds of the horses and Kent screaming for Real Quiet to dig in just a little more is still one of my favorite sports moments of my life. Half an inch for 5 million! Damnit man! What a race.
Probably the most amazing finish in Triple Crown racing history. Especially because Victory Gallop was 2nd twice and came from behind to deny the Triple Crown. Winning by a NOSE is just the most insane possible way to write this story. True epic.
Yeah..think about it...if the line is 1/2 a horse length further down, it's at minimum a dead heat!
*Four inches*! A heartbreaker.
Unbelievable finish, I remember this Belmont. Man was I pulling for Real Quiet, still exciting after all these years.
The closing speed of Victory Gallop was absolutely astonishing. 2:26 to 2:28 this thing is OVER, but VG just put in a superhuman effort. Stupendous race.
It's by far the greatest run down at Belmont ever
@@danieldobrosky8378 yeah. And he was actually slowed he had to move over to the right not to run into real quiets rear. ! Turbo! Like a quarter horse run the last 2 furlong.
Steven must have had his buzzer working really well that day.
Perfect adjective to describe this race! Deserves more likes...
Maybe the greatest Triple Crown race ever.
Or you know Belmont 2015
Maybe a Triple crown winner in A.P., but the 1998 race was a photo finish and a better race, and historians agree.
+PHX Master or even 1973
Affirmed and Alydar was a tad better. Maybe Sunday Silence and Easy Goer?
...after Secretariat's unbelievable sweep.
Yes, this was a great race...as races go. Hard to see RQ denied, amazing burst of speed by both horses, great call.
But Secretariat always takes the cake
Ufff, que carrera tan espectacular. Todavía se me erizan los vellos viendo esta carrera inolvidable.
I rooted so hard for Real
Quiet and this broke my heart. He was a deserving Triple Crown winner.
So glad he got up and nailed that Baffert horse! Called it, and nailed it. Love it to this day,!!!!!
The audio of Desormeaux, combined with the video is remarkable. At the top of the stretch you can hear Bailey on Grand Slam say, "Go get 'em, Mo." Desormeaux responds, "I'm goin'." With his hands, and his voice, he asks Real Quiet to go and Real Quiet responds and spurts away, only to quickly wanders to the rail; a well known sign of a tired horse. If he didn't know before, at that instant, Desormeaux knows he's in trouble. The next several seconds witnesses Desormeaux scrubbing hard, going repetitively to the left-handed stick, checking over his shoulder and screaming in Real Quiet's ears to stimulate what he knows is a horse who is on fumes. He then pulls on Real Quiet's head, either to cut off Victory Gallup's path or to get Real Quiet to look right to catch a glimpse of the oncoming competitor to trigger instinctive competitiveness. Finally, he switches the stick to the right hand, vigorously flashing it by Real Quiet's eye and in front of Victory Gallop's face. He tried everything. A great example of top notch race riding, his mind rapidly flipping through a tactical rolodex in real time. Unfortunately, he did make one tactical error a minute earlier...he moved too soon on the back stretch, committing a distance-limited horse too early in a mile and a half race.
You nicely left out the part where he impeded Victory Gallup.
Such a good explanation of that race! Kudos!
Wow....what an observation! You can hear it. Thanks!
17 years later, Baffert and Real quiet were avenged.
+SuperBanger82 It was yes...I guess his closest rival was Frosted!!!
+SuperBanger82 They let him walk. Speed scratched out of Belmont. They needed a Triple Crown and they gave the people what they wanted. Soft is an understatement.
Speed also scratched out of the Breeder's Cup Classic and Frosted decided to lollygag. Hmm..
"Speed scratched". Materiality was supposed to be the speed. American Pharoah was winning the Triple Crown regardless. He was just better. Is AP the best ever? Doubt many would say he is but I'm just so tired of people trying to diminish his accomplishments. He was a GREAT horse.
Keep in mind, Marrisa W, that American Pharoah's time at the 2015 Belmont was faster than Victory Gallop's time by about 2 seconds, as well as being the 7th fastest winning time at the 1 1/2 mile length, beating out all Triple Crown winners save for Secretariat.
You want to talk about how "speed scratched"? Speed was there, and its name was American Pharoah.
13 years na pero klasik ngaun ko lng napanood..intense ung laban grabe galing rumemate ng onse👌💯💪 salamat sa pag upload
That sound was absolutelyinfuckingcredible! I've been to the Belmont Stakes and saw Justify win and I can tell you there is no way the roar I heard that day come anywhere near what I heard in this video. It must have been surreal to experience this race.
Dave Johnson with perhaps the greatest most exciting call in race history, the man that coined,"and down the stretch they come"he's the best,, what a race, what a call..ABCs coverage was always the best, too bad it went to NBC
I agree it was a great call. So many of the US commentators seem dead while call the races. One of the best commentators I have EVER heard us Chris Armond...every race was masterfully done. Classic example is the 1979 Jamaica Derby. It's on UA-cam. I don't know how he didn't loose his voice.
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.
Victory Gallop looked possessed in the stretch.
The audio is amazing. Listening to these horses breath and grunt, that’s horsepower
This is incredible audio by ABC on the track surface. Why don't networks do this anymore?
Absolutely.
I always preferred ABC’s coverage.
@Paul Steinwall I thought it may have been one of the Greatest stretch calls of all time. Johnson couldn't make it any more exciting.
I’m assuming they don’t do this anymore because maybe some jockeys swear in the home stretch 🤷🏼♂️
@@anthonybartolo291 totally agree.
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!
I forgot about this epic stretch run. I always thought the 78 Belmont between Afirmed and Alydar was the greatest stretch duel of all time, considering these two champions were 1-2 for the entire Triple Crown Series. But this race was incredible! I knew who won but I was leaning into the computer screen on pins and kneedles watching VG walk RQ down and win by a NOSTRIL! Outstanding race!!!!!
I've seen almost ever Belmont since 1972 and I would agree that the 1978 was the most exciting between two horses. What made it so great was comming down the strech Alyshiba put her head infront of Affirmed and almost appeared to be motoring pass Affirmed. But Affirmed kicked it in again and passed Alyshiba and won by a head. I wonder if we would have thought differently if Real Quiet would have won it. Hmmm... P.S.-The greatesr Belmont, of course, was the unimaginable trip Secretariat had in 1973...I don't think we'll ever see anything like that again (and Secretariat didn't take growth hormes either!).
Desoxyn Man Alydar is the name of the horse you're looking for.
Desoxyn Man
Couldn't possibly be Alysheeba... she ran nearly ten years after Affirmed!
GozarianGozar and ImmortalSynn-Thanks for catching that-an early morning brainfart by me! Of course, the great Alydar, not Alyshiba! What was I thinking!!
Desoxyn Man Maybe because Alysheba was Alydar's son.
Heartbreak Hotel! That had to hurt. By that time there was already a 20 year drought for the Triple Crown. But, at long last, the drought is ended after 37 years. Way to go, American Pharoah!
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.
Can’t believe I was there to witness this and we are close to the 25th anniversary. Definitely one of the greatest races of all time and one of the greatest rides of all time, by jockey Gary Stevens.
Thanks for your posts on Horse Racing History
No matter how many times I watch this..It still looks to me like Real Quiet held on for the win
No matter how many times I watch it, I still can't believe Victory Gallop even caught up with him.
@@howard2031Right? When a horse had that big of lead the race is usually over.
Agreed he never lets Victory Gallop get past him that’s the shame of it so people can talk about tired horse all they want it was just a push of the head forward by Steven’s that did it
RIP Real Quiet: yours was the most thrilling Belmont Stakes ever :) :)
Save for Secretariat's, lol.
Greatest race EVER!
I wanted so bad for Real Quiet to win. To this day I cry when I hear this call by Dave Johnson.
This one hurts my heart so much even now 25 years later. Real Quiet and Silver Charm did so much to revive through bred racing in 98 and 97 respectively. Until American Pharaoh and Justify won the crown more men had walked on the moon than horses had won the Triple Crown. It takes a special horse to win all three.
This race still guts me 26 years later. I still think Kent should have waited a bit longer to let Real Quiet loose. But kuddos to Gary Stevens. He had Victory Gallop split two horses TWICE at the top of the stretch. Thomas Joe was also fast closing but tried to go around the horses. Any other jockey on Victory Gallop and we likely have a triple crown winner. Gary was also great in Seabiscuit as George Woolf
This was the craziest race I ever watched. Rest in peace, Real Quiet.
Best call ever!
What an amazing deep stretch kick by Victory Gallop. He was charging like a Quarter Horse after already running over a mile and a quarter. Tough beat to Real Quiet to lose the head bob at the wire.
Because of the thrilling finish, the high stakes and the quality of those two horses - this was the greatest horse race of all time.
It's like the final scene in Rocky. When everyone is begging for their guy to get up first and Apollo finally falls. Great Academy Award winning movie. This is it in real life! What a race.
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 !
This race reminds me of Affirmed and Alydar, the way Real Quiet and Victory Gallop stuck together is unbelievable!
It just breaks my heart when Dave Johnson screams “Real Quiet takes command! A roar from the crowd as he bounces away by 3 1/2 lengths” knowing what’s going to happen.
I think Durkin called the race
Best Race in history of Triple Crown period!! Real Quiet and Victory Gallop 2 champion stallions
You gotta give props to victory gallop, he made a heck of a late run after all that distance. I think he earned his win fairly.
Nah, screw him.
What a call! What a race! What horses!
victory gallop looks like a robot down the stretch. that speed was just incredible. breathtaking finish
This derby had better audio from the horses and jockeys than any race before after. Starting at 2:05, listen to all of the snorting you can hear from, I think Real Quiet (I'm assuming they had the horse trying for TC mic'd up). His snorts, the hooves, the yelling from the jockeys....1998's video/coverage was special.
Victory Gallop has a hell of a late kick.
One of the Best Horse Races I've ever seen
I love to watch horse race on tv! I love horses they are loveable; caring; warmth; i detest Animal Cruelty! Animals Have Rights Also! I am watching it October/ November 2024😢
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.
down the stretch they come!!!! here comes Victory Gallop with Gary Stevens!! brings tears to my eyes
Why does it from the live look that Real Quiet won?! It shows you how amazingly close this race was. Glad I didn’t watch this race live because I probably would’ve had a heart attack. This was a month before I was born...
I wish they would bring the audio back. I think they only did it for a year or so, for the TC and BC races. It's awesome to hear every nuance of sound during the race.
@ChoKolateNUPE I cried. I was so mad. I still hate Victory Gallop to this day. watching it again brings tears to my eyes
Closest horse race of all time
Gary Steven and Victory Gallop did get very, very lucky to have a hole opened up just when they are surging up in full speed entering the stretch. This hole made all the difference in the outcome. Huge break for the winner here.
I loved ABC's coverage of their triple crown races.... you can hear the jockeys communicating with each other during the race. Like when Bailey yells at Desormeaux right before the 5 furlong pole "Its too soon for me!" Then when Desormeaux nears the 5/16 pole, he yells "Bailey!" Right before the 1/4 pole Bailey yells to Desormeaux "Go get 'em buddy!" Desormeaux replies "Alright Buddy!" Then all that smooching and screeching by Steven's approaching the top of the stretch urging Victory Gallop to advance. Desormeaux desperate hollering to Real Quiet throughout the stretch was epic, he was trying to wake up Real Quiet, as the horse was letting up to get some competition. This sound access is insane! Imagine if ABC had put Tom Durkins immortal call of this race on top of all the racing sounds through the race! It would have been UNBELIEVABLE!
Reminds me of Silver Charm in the Classic looking for competition from Swain.
I've watch this race 100 times...still can't believe he got caught
I got to know one of Victory Gallop's owners. One of the nicest guys I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was very proud of winning this race, but not boastful.
Sickening victory.
Victory Gallop was the Billy Mills of the horsey set.
One of the greatest times in sports history. And for me personally, having won so much money on RQ in his prior races, the suspense was unimaginable. In this footage, the video is very clear, and you can easily hear Kent urging his horse as they approached the final turn. Listen for the ha, ha ha 's......
Remember This Race like it was Yesterday....Bet on Victory Gallop Previous 2 Races and Could not Wait to Bet him Again at this 1 1/2...Had a Pretty Big Win Bet on him...These were 2 VERY good Horses...Victory Gallop was Such a Consistent Horse for a Closer...He Always Fired...
Still cant believe Real Quiet lost this race...Had everything his way while relaxing and absolutely opened up so fast and easily when he took the lead in stretch...Seemed like he was going to win for fun...Victory Gallop was 1 of the Greatest Closers and always putting in his stretch run
Loved the sound...so real. Fox did the same thing this year for the Belmont and people complained 🤦♂️
That was a HUGE stunning move by Real Quiet....Looked like He was about to Win by 15 Lengths after watching that Move....Watch this Race 20 Times and Still am Surprised when i see him lose
Horses don't close in the belmont like Victory Gallop did. What a finish. Real Quiet was going to be DQ'd if his nose hit the line first.
If they had basically switched which step they were on, there's a triple crown! Crazy
wow what an incredible race - thx to all the past history from fans comments for steering me here to watch the 'almosts' from the past. Congrats to AP 2015.
I really loved Real Quiet. I thought on the turn that he was going to bury Victory Gallop, but he tired just enough to come back to his rival. When I saw Spectacular Bid lose his Triple Crown because of questionable riding and the incident with his hoof I never imagined we would go more than ten years b4 seeing another TC.
The best two minutes in sports in the 90's!!
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.
To lose by a lucky head bop, and be in front again after the line, makes Real Quiet an unofficial Triple Crown winner in my book.. He earned it, as a horse, he proved himself worthy, and you can't argue with that.. but of course, it's a team effort and the jockey's have almost as much say in the result..
True although a great horse, only true champions survive the long Belmont race, and it looks like real quiet could not survive the whole stretch as he started to fade. Great race though
+Lee SOG, RQ really out performed all expectations, but look at the head on of the stretch run (you can see it in the full broadcast video). Desormeaux brought RQ out twice in the stretch to impede (1st time) and bump (2nd time) VG, and the stewards said they would have taken RQ down if his nose had been in front. KD said he was trying to get RQ to see VG there. Hard to know if it was that innocent or if KD got caught up in wanting that TC come hell or high water (or Victory Gallop). Anyway, it's much better that the victory came with a head bob, rather than with a DQ, imo.
L Lives Was he not expected to win the race? or do you mean he wasn't seen as a TC contender? And I'd have to say it wasn't totally innocent; in the heat of the moment with history on the line, Desmormeaux did the best he could (without going over the top) to give Real Quiet every chance of getting his head to the wire first. However, the fact RQ seemed to have enough left to go past after the line, makes you wonder if he was just getting lonely. I see it in National Hunt all the time when a loose horse helps to "carry" the winner to the line. The more I look at this race and how a TC was the line, I just think RQ was never meant to win it; Perhaps Victory Gallop came with the most perfectly timed stretch run, he had all the momentum,. RQ might have got lonely and just needed another yard or two to re-galvanise himself and put his head in front. The fractions where that tight and outcome was that cruel. So while no one remembers him as a TC winner, he's the closest thing you get to having one, without having one. And maybe with another jockey on another day, he would have been one. But I suppose fate was clear in her wishes to have him extend the Triple Crown curse a little while longer.
+Lee SOG , he wasn't really expected to win any of them, at least in the winter book. He was a nice horse (talented), to be sure, but was kind of the Rodney Dangerfield of that three year old crop. It seems he took a long time to get going, had a lot of tries before breaking his maiden as I recall. Indian Charlie was favored in the Derby (no one knew about his distance limitations beforehand), and I believe Victory Gallop was favored in the Preakness. Ironically, RQ was the odds on favorite for the one classic he lost, this race. Both VG and RQ were nice horses with very good resumes by the time they retired. And I think you're right. The TC was a little sweeter this year for the 37 years we waited for it. Perhaps things happened just as they should have.
Same here! Thats my exact philosophy!
What a race!! Amazing!! Real Quiet had it in the bag! Where did Victory Gallop come from?? Real Quiet lost the Triple Crown by a nose?? Lost by a photo finish.
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.
Sunday Silence photo finish over Easy Goer at the 1989 Preakness was legendary also
This is by far the best and closest race in my 47 years for the triple crown
You're right, seeing everyone jump in the air at the wire behind the horses is something I always noticed too. :)
The jockey of Real Quiet hurried this one.That cost them the Triple Crown.If only he made a move a bit later then they won this race and put their name into horse racing immortality.Superb run though from another great great horse Victory Gallop.Btw,Real Quiet has a very good son who raced in our local dirt way back in mid 2000s.Though he only manage to win one leg of our Triple Crown series he is still regarded as one of the great horse ever raced in our country.His name is REAL SPICY. 🇵🇭PH
I WAS THERE TO SEE REAL QUIET WINS THE TRIPLE CROWN... AFTER THAT, HE INSPIRED ME TO WRITE A BOOK. ONE OF MY MOST MEMORABLE DAY OF MY LIFE.
Whoever that woman is they kept showing ... thank god she is rich.
This race was great, but if Smarty ran this race, he'd be a triple crown winner. Birdstone won with a time of 2.27 and Victory Gallop won with a time of 2.30.
Wow amazing race!
Victory Gallop's performance must be ranked among the greatest sports accomplishments in history. Indeed, in a certain respect Gallop's accomplishment was just as impressive as Spectacular Bid's amazing performance in twenty-five years earlier. Whereas Bid pulled away from the entire field, Gallop had to come from way behind to win which in a certain respect made it an even more exciting race.
I'll never forget I was there for the derby..Headlines Real Quiet Loud and Clear I Love U RQ Rip
As a huge horse, and horse-racing, fan, I was thrilled to meet Bob Baffert's son at the university where I worked. Probably idiotically, I brought up Real Quiet 's TC loss by *four inches*, and just a year after Silver Charm's near miss. ("My dad loved that horse" he said re SC.) Unfortunately this was not long after Mine That Bird came out of nowhere to beat another Baffert horse in the Derby. The kid did tip me off to Lookin at Lucky.
Great race!!! Real Quiet was a super horse!
This has to be one of the greatest stakes races in history.
At 5:13 Bob said "he moved too early."