Real Quiet, who was nosed out of becoming racing's 12th Triple Crown winner, died Sept. 27 in a paddock accident at Michael Jester's Penn Ridge Farm near Harrisburg, Pa. The 15-year-old son of Quiet American was examined at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Center.

"He broke five cervical vertebrae from C-5 through C-9, which is basically from his withers to his head," said Jester, who served as stallion manager.

"I asked our stallion manager Chuck (King) what happened when he took Real Quiet to the paddock, and he said the horse walked toward his water, stood out in the middle of the paddock, and looked across the field to some mares on the hill like he always does. He wasn’t out there five minutes when it happened. He had to have reared up, slid, and fell on his left shoulder, and his left shoulder blade drove into his cervical spine area and fractured the vertebrae, which is how New Bolton described it.

"We walked around in the paddock after it happened, and there's not a skid mark or anything like that. He wasn't close to the fence. He was right in the middle. He was a smart horse, in great shape, and never did anything stupid