1998 Kentucky Derby : Full ABC Broadcast

For the second year in a row, and nearly the third, a horse trained by Bob Baffert won the Kentucky Derby as Real Quiet drew clear in the homestretch of Churchill Downs today to win America's premier horse race by half a length over Victory Gallop. For good measure, Baffert took third place with his previously undefeated Indian Charlie.
Baffert's two colts also dominated the Santa Anita Derby four weeks ago when Indian Charlie finished first for his fourth straight victory and Real Quiet ran second. This time, they were separated by Victory Gallop, who won the Arkansas Derby three weeks ago over Favorite Trick, the 1997 Horse of the Year, who ran eighth today.
But they nonetheless gave Baffert, the exuberant trainer from California, the landmark day of his career before a crowd of 143,215, the third largest in the Derby's 124 years.
One year ago, Baffert won the Derby with Silver Charm, who went on to win the Preakness before losing the Triple Crown by half a length to Touch Gold in the Belmont Stakes. Two years ago, Baffert came within the length of Grindstone's nose of winning the Derby with Cavonnier, which means he nearly swept the race three years in a row, something that no trainer has accomplished. Five other trainers have won the Derby in successive years, most recently D. Wayne Lukas with Thunder Gulch in 1995 and Grindstone in 1996.
''Hello, again,'' Baffert said hoarsely after the race. ''I don't think I'll ever feel the excitement I did over Silver Charm. But when they turn for home, it's so unbelievably exciting. It's like a storybook.''
And Kent Desormeaux, the 28-year-old rider from Louisiana who won the Kentucky Derby in his seventh attempt, said with even more passion: ''This is one high cloud. When the posse came, I asked him to run, and he did. When I asked him for his life, he gave it.''
Real Quiet, a 3-year-old son of Quiet American and a grandson of the speedy Fappiano, was bought two years ago for $17,000 by Baffert and his longtime friend Mike Pegram, a fast-foods franchiser from Indiana who met Baffert when he was training quarter horses. Today, their colt won $700,000 from the purse of just over $1 million.
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