Belmont Reflections: Victory Gallop Upsets Real Quiet

ELMONT, N.Y.–Twenty years ago in the 1998 GI Belmont S., Bob Baffert was in a similar position to present day, coming to Elmont with a Triple Crown on the line with Real Quiet, just one year after making his first attempt at racing's most coveted prize with Silver Charm. The Hall of Famer would be denied yet again by a heart breaking nose that belonged to Victory Gallop. The trainer of that spoiler, ironically enough, was Elliott Walden, who has since hung up his stopwatch and binoculars in exchange for a job as CEO of WinStar, the part-owner of Baffert's 2018 Triple Crown contender Justify (Scat Daddy).
“It is funny, I have wondered this week if fate will come back to haunt us with that,” Walden said just after watching Justify get his post-gallop bath. “We were spoilers then and I hope nobody spoils it for us now. With Victory Gallop, I didn't think I could beat Real Quiet, but we did and we beat him a nose. That is probably the closest in history. We will see what happens Saturday. I can't wait.”
Real Quiet bested Victory Gallop by a half-length at odds of 8-1 in that year's GI Kentucky Derby. Winner of that term's GII Rebel S. and GI Arkansas Derby, Victory Gallop was let go at 14-1 on the First Saturday in May and finished 2 1/4 lengths clear of the Baffert-trained favorite Indian Charlie.
Two weeks later at Pimlico, it was Victory Gallop who went off as a slight favorite over Real Quiet, but the Baffert runner came out on top once again, crossing the line 2 1/4 lengths clear of his rival. With the stage set for another showdown in New York, the betting public finally got behind Baffert's champion, but this time Victory Gallop turned the tables on Real Quiet, sticking out his nose on the line for a narrow success to extend the Triple Crown drought.
“It was a thrill,” said Walden, who called the victory the highlight of his training career. “Back then, I felt great for the horse. I think anyone with a horse in the race would feel the same way. It wasn't about spoiling the Triple Crown. It was about feeling good for winning for your connections and winning for the horse, not about being the spoiler.”
It took Baffert two more tries and another 17 years, but he did finally end the Triple Crown drought in 2015 with American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). The conditioner has been calm, cool, collected and optimistic about his chances to do it again this year with Justify and, while he is not focusing on the times he failed to get it done, he did take a moment to reflect on that Belmont 20 years ago.
“It's so long ago that I don't think about it,” Baffert said. “Elliott has always been a gracious winner. He did a masterful job with Victory Gallop. It is pretty amazing that we ended up on same team.”
When asked how he feels this time around being on the owner side rather than the trainer side, Walden said, “I am pretty relaxed about it because I have a belief that what will be, will be. That may change five minutes before the race, but right now I am relaxed about it.”