Louisiana Stallion Believe It Dead

Believe It, sire of 29 stakes winners and broodmare sire of champion Real Quiet, was found dead in his paddock June 5 at Clear Creek Stud in Folsom, La. The 27-year-old son of In Reality had covered a mare the day before. Owned by R Bar S Thoroughbreds, Believe It was standing at Clear Creek for the first time in 2002. He covered about a dozen mares this year.

Produced from the Buckpasser mare Breakfast Bell, Believe It raced as a homebred for Mr. and Mrs. James Mills in the name of Hickory Tree Stable. Trained by Woody Stephens, he finished third in the 1978 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) behind Afffirmed and Alydar. His major win came in that year's Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I), and he also won a pair of grade II events. He was retired with six wins from 17 starts and $350,483 in earnings.

Believe It's stakes winners include grade I winners Al Mamoon, Garthorn, Believe the Queen, Buryyourbelief, plus several other graded stakes winners. Real Quiet, champion 3-year-old male in 1998, won that year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness and missed winning the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) by a nose.

Believe It was buried at the farm.

.