He Ran For The Roses, But Now He's A Sitting Duck

The Age

Saturday May 16, 1998

BALTIMORE, FRIDAY

On the first Saturday in May, the winner of the Kentucky Derby is blanketed in roses at Churchill Downs and becomes the embodiment of horse racing's richest tradition, trying to follow in the footsteps of Secretariat, Citation and the nine others who have swept the triple crown.

But once here, for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico racecourse, the derby winner turns into a target in a shooting gallery. Of the last five Kentucky Derby winners to race in the Preakness, only Go For Gin in 1994 has gone off as the favorite. That trend figures to hold true again tomorrow, when Real Quiet, who won the derby two weeks ago, is very likely to be the second choice in the 123rd Preakness to Coronado's Quest, who did not run in the derby after winning the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

Two weeks ago, Real Quiet was not even the best three-year-old in the stable of his trainer, Bob Baffert. The No. 1 ranking went to Indian Charlie, who had defeated Real Quiet in the Santa Anita Derby. Before the Kentucky Derby, Real Quiet had won just twice in 12 starts.

Real Quiet has been fighting for respect since he was born. His pedigree - by the stallion Quiet American out of the unaccomplished mare Really Blue - is middle class. He has a crooked right front leg that scared off most buyers at a 1996 yearling sale; Baffert took a chance, spending $17,000 of the owner Mike Pegram's money.

Baffert said the outside barrier position was terrible. "I think he's going to have to give up a few lengths," Baffert said, "and we'll have to pull a rabbit out of a hat."