by Lori Lewis
Lori Lewis can be reached by email at Imlorijean@aol.com

Under a blazing Maryland sun, Kent Desormeaux's life came full circle. He started there, he rose to brilliance there, he faltered when he left, but returned a champion. He rode back into town aboard the winner of the Kentucky Derby and gave the people of Maryland exactly what they wanted--a win by their prodigal son in the Preakness. Real Quiet bested nine other horses in a field that had changed almost hourly throughout the week leading up to the race. He charged five-wide around the final turn and had the race well in hand by the sixteenth pole. Victory Gallop finished second again, as he had in the Kentucky Derby.

Real Quiet romps home in the Preakness while a record crowd cheers him on. photo by L. A. Williams

But instead of the dramatic run from last place that he made in that race, Victory Gallop ran almost in tandem with Real Quiet near the middle of the pack for most of the race. At the half-mile pole jockey Gary Stevens said he tried to take command of the race aboard Victory Gallop, but could not put Real Quiet away. Moving along the inside of a fading horse, Stevens put his mount a neck in front of Real Quiet for a brief time, but Desormeaux had Real Quiet moving on the outside of that same fader, and collared Stevens going into the final turn.

By the time the field reached the final turn, Cape Town, second choice in the wagering and one half of the D. Wayne Lukas entry, was fading from contention. Baquero, the other half of the entry led early on as expected, but also gave way easily. Black Cash, who had begun to get some notice in the final days before the race, was not a factor in the stretch run. Classic Cat, trained by David Cross, had caught the eye of race track observers with the beautiful graceful way he had galloped in his morning workouts. He finished a very respectable third in the Preakness and is sure to be heard from again.

But the story of the week was Kent Desormeaux. He had endeared himself to all who watched as he was overcome by emotion after winning the Kentucky Derby. His jubilation and unbridled joy at having fulfilled his lifelong dream was touching. His return to Maryland for the next leg of the Triple Crown then became the story everyone talked about.

As he crossed the finish line a winner in the Preakness, he pointed at the fans in the stand and screamed, "This one's for you, this one's for you!!" After the race, Desormeaux said that the fans and the horsemen of Maryland had given him the opportunity to go on to the great things he had been able to achieve. "The people of Maryland gave me my credentials. All those trainers who put me on maiden claimers, and gave me a chance." Desormeaux spoke passionately about what it meant to come back to Maryland under these circumstances. "Winning the Kentucky Derby was a lifelong goal, but winning the Preakness here in Maryland is good for my heart."

Desormeaux was also quick to credit Bob Baffert who had given him a chance at a time when his career had faltered badly. By his own admission, Desormeaux had let success change the very things about him that had brought him to the top. He came to Bob Baffert with the promise that he would do whatever it took to be able to ride his horses--a promise that he fulfilled. Baffert told Desormeaux he would have to prove himself sincere, and gradually Baffert gave him more mounts. One of those mounts was Real Quiet. Baffert had nicknamed him "The Fish" because he said he looked better from the side than he did from the front. He was narrow and crooked through the legs. He had tried unsuccessfully to break his maiden six times. But Baffert liked the horse. He had been a $17,000 purchase for his longtime friend Mike Pegram and he gave Desormeaux the mount. That was when The Fish finally broke his maiden. Now he is poised on the edge of history.

Bob Baffert talks to the reporters after the race, photo by LAWilliams

Bob Baffert is the Clown Prince of racing and Pegram is his rollicking court jester. They hold court outside the barn every morning, entertaining any and all who stop to watch. Their friendship is obvious and the fun they have with the game is never-ending. After the post position draw, both seemed to resign themselves to the fact that the outside post would eliminate their chance to win the second jewel of the Triple Crown. They talked a lot about just having fun being there, how winning wasn't everything. Pegram joked that he was here for the party. Baffert poked fun at himself and the other trainers in the race. And everyone pokes fun at Bob--even his brother Bill. As Baffert approached the winner's circle at Pimlico, Bill and another friend dropped to their knees and bowed in mock homage. Bob loved it, and so did the crowd. After the race, Baffert returned to the barn and was swarmed by the media mass that had assembled to wait. He stepped up on a park bench, and court was in session. He joked and teased and answered all questions. But there was a noticeable change in his demeanor when someone asked him if he would feel even more nervous about the Belmont than the previous two. Bob thought about the question and you could see the laugh lines disappear and a serious mask replaced the jester's face. "You know, winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness is awesome, but NOW we're messing with history." All kidding aside, Baffert knows what this all could mean, and he respects it.

The happy owner of Real Quiet, Mike Pegram, photo by LAWilliams

Pegram's entrance to the barn area after the race went largely unnoticed by the throng gathered around Baffert. Mike walked up behind the crowd and shouted at this trainer, "Hey Bob, can I have some?" Pegram perched up on the rail fence facing his horse's stall, Budweiser in hand and had a little fun of his own. He is the one who encouraged Bob to go from Quarter Horses to Thoroughbreds, but gives Bob all the credit. "Bob does all the work. My only job is to wire the money when the entry fee is due, and talk to all you guys when you get tired of asking him questions

The number of horses who were gunning out of the gate caught him by surprise and he decided to find a path behind the front-runners and save ground. He was surprised most of all by Victory Gallop, who was in front of him going into the first turn. Desormeaux said the one instruction Baffert had given him was not to get behind a slow horse. "I'll be damned if the horse in front of me didn't stop right in my face," he said. He was happy with the fact that Real Quiet checked himself, and decided to stay in behind and not angle out and lose the ground.

	Kent Desormeaux sat on a bench on the backside while giving the crowd of reporters a yard-by-yard detailed description of how the race felt from his catbird seat.
photo by LAWilliams

When they straightened out on the backstretch and he moved outside for better position, Desormeaux said his mount kicked another gear and "back-seated" him. This was not the time for the move, and the horse relaxed well when his rider asked him to. When Victory Gallop got in front of him again, Desormeaux said he knew that was the horse to beat if he was going to win. "Going in to the final turn, I knew it was time to push the magic Baffert Button." The horse responded immediately and moved to the outside willingly. Midway through the turn, Real Quiet's ears came up and he unexpectedly changed leads. Desormeaux said he had spotted the starting gate parked along the outside fence. Once he had looked it over, it was time to take the game to the leaders. Desormeaux said, "At the top of the stretch, I asked him for his life and he gave it to me."

Desormeaux said there was something left in the tank at the end and he is confident about his chances at the Belmont. "Two down, one to go."

As is customary, Real Quiet has a name plate on his halter bearing his name. But on the other side of his halter is another plate--it says "The Fish". Baffert ever the comedian.

So on his crooked legs, Real Quiet has taken two legs of the Triple Crown. One thing seems clear, however. If anyone wants to win the Belmont, they had better bring a net because they are going to have to catch a fish.