As a racehorse, Real Quiet was a winner at the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles, the distance at which he won the 1998 Kentucky Derby (gr. I). Now as a sire, he is responsible for one of America’s top sprinters, as evidenced by Midnight Lute’s scintillating victory in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I).
Coincidentally, Midnight Lute is co-owned by Mike Pegram and trained by Bob Baffert, the same team responsible for Real Quiet’s success that also included victories in the Preakness, Hollywood Gold Cup, Pimlico Special, and Hollywood Futurity, all grade I stakes. Unlike Pussycat Doll, another 2007 grade I winner sired by Real Quiet, also races for Pegram.
Midnight Lute went through the sales ring twice before ending up with Pegram and partners Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. Consigned by Tom Evans’ Trackside Farm to the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale, Midnight Lute was reported sold to Caldera Racing for $70,000. Put back into the 2005 Ocala Breeders’ Sales' March sale of 2-year-olds in training, the colt was bought back for $290,000.
Real Quiet now stands at Dr. William Solomon’s Pin Oak Lane Farm near New Freedom, Pa., where his 2007 fee was $5,000. The sire of 13 stakes winners, the 12-year-old horse experienced some physical problems earlier this year and was treated at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton center for abscesses in both hind feet. He returned to Pin Oak Lane after the treatment.
Midnight Lute was bred by Trackside’s Evans in partnership with Dr. Ted Forrest’s Macon Wilmil Equines and Rich Burke’s Marjac Farms.
The Sprint winner is the first stakes winner produced from the Dehere mare Candytuft, who was bought by Trackside for $55,000 at the 1999 Keeneland November sale in foal to Alydeed.
Among others stakes winners bred by Trackside, solely or in partnership, have been graded stakes winners Badge of Silver and Henny Hughes, the latter a finalist for an Eclipse Award as outstanding sprinter of 2006.
