The 11th Triple Crown

The 11^th Triple Crown

Joseph Di Rienzi

Winning the Triple Crown (the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes) is the ultimate achievement of any thoroughbred racing in North America. The fact that only twelve have been able to accomplish it in over the 142 year history of the series demonstrates the difficulty of the task. This year is the fortieth anniversary of the eleventh horse to win the series, and he did so against, perhaps, the greatest rival ever in Triple Crown history.

In 1977 there would emerge two juvenile colts who would rise above their contemporaries and stage a series of fierce duels that would enthrall the racing world for the next two years. These combatants were Alydar and Affirmed. They shared some characteristics in that they were both chestnuts of good size, Alydar the more classically conformed, whereas Affirmed was more streamlined, but elegant. They shared a common ancestor in Raise a Native who was Alydar’s sire and Affirmed’s grandsire, being by Raise a Native’s son Exclusive Native. Alydar was the better bred in that he was produced by the same dam that foaled soon to be champion Our Mims. Affirmed’s dam had produced several winners but none of top quality. The rivals were both homebreds with Alydar born in Kentucky and owned by the fabled Calumet Farm and the Floridian Affirmed belonging to the very successful Harbor View Farm of Louis Wolfson (owner of Raise a Native) and his wife Patrice Jacobs Wolfson, daughter of the renowned owner/breeder/trainer Hirsch Jacobs. Their trainers were from diverse backgrounds and exhibited different temperaments. John Veitch (Alydar), a reserved, articulate second generation trainer, was in his second year as private conditioner for Calumet Farm, whereas Laz Barrera (Affirmed), was an expansive Cuban-American with a large public stable who already had won the Kentucky Derby in 1976 with Bold Forbes.

In 6 meetings as two year-olds, Affirmed held a 4-2 advantage over Alydar which was sufficient to award him the year’s two year-old championship. However, Alydar was always finishing strongly at the end of each race, and in their penultimate encounter in the 1 mile Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, he readily ran past Affirmed in the stretch for a 1¼ length victory.  All who watched these two magnificent horses battle through their two year-old season could hardly wait for the classics next year.

Once it was announced that Affirmed would have his preparation for the 1978 Kentucky Derby in California, it became clear that the next meeting between him and Alydar would come no earlier than the first Saturday in May. Alydar wintered in Florida and followed the traditional route by racing in both the Flamingo Stakes and the Florida Derby before heading for Kentucky in the spring. Trainer John Veitch wanted particularly to use the Blue Grass Stakes as Alydar’s final prep because his owners, Admiral and Mrs. Gene Markey, who were in declining health would have the opportunity to see Alydar run, as Calumet Farm is located right beside the Keeneland racetrack.

Alydar won all three races mentioned above with authority, while Affirmed had to wait until March to make his first appearance as a sophomore due to repeated rains in California that set back his training. Once back to racing, the refined son of Exclusive Native won in succession the San Felipe Handicap, Santa Anita and Hollywood Derbies.

As expected, most of the pre-Derby speculation involved Alydar and Affirmed. The Calumet horse appeared the more impressive in his three year-old races, and there was a good deal of sentiment for his owners and the stable’s legacy of eight Kentucky Derby victories. On the other hand, people recalled from previous races, the tenacity of Affirmed, and his unwillingness to give ground in deep stretch to Alydar. Affirmed was the perfect racehorse who could be placed anywhere in a race, whereas Alydar’s strong suit was a devastating rally from behind. Veteran Jorge Velasquez, rider of Alydar, was known for his facility in having his mounts finish strongly. On the other hand, Affirmed’s 18 year-old rider, Stevie Cauthen, seemed other worldly in his uncanny ability to win races. Others given a chance in the eleven horse field were Believe It and the undefeated Sensitive Prince.

On a clear day under ideal track conditions, Alydar was made the slight favorite over Affirmed. On paper, the race shape seemed to favor Alydar. Affirmed, who had raced on the lead in his previous three year-old starts, could be caught up in a pace duel that would make him vulnerable to Alydar’s rally. Longshot Raymond Earl went to the lead, and he was joined by Sensitive Prince on the clubhouse turn who refused his jockey’s efforts to ration his speed. Affirmed, on the other hand rated kindly under Cauthen’s control several lengths back in third. With Believe It tracking Affirmed in fourth and Alydar, in ninth place some 17 lengths back, Sensitive Prince spurted to a 3 length lead down the backstretch, setting fast, but not torrid fractions. As the field approached the far turn, Affirmed gradually was moving to the lead when Believe It made a bold move that carried him to a neck advantage over Affirmed as the field rounded around the far turn. As they straightened out for the stretch run, Affirmed repulsed Believe It’s challenge and braced for Alydar’s charge. The Calumet colt did launch his move around the far turn but was unable to make any ground until the last 70 yards, when he closed to within 1½ lengths of Affirmed. Believe It finished 1¼ lengths behind Alydar for third. The final time was good, and everything about the race seemed genuine.

                                                

The 1978 Kentucky Derby
photo: si.com

For Patrice and Louis Wolfson, this was, at the time, a culminating achievement. Over the years, the many good horses raced by both Harbor View Farm and the Jacobs family had won important races, but this was their first Derby. Trainer Laz Barrera was celebrating his second having won the Run for the Roses with Bold Forbes two years ago. As for young Stevie Cauthen, he approached this milestone with the same even temperament he responded to all the other accomplishments in his meteoric career. With this victory, Affirmed was once again the leader of his generation, but Alydar’s connections were undaunted and ready to challenge him again in two weeks in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.

The Preakness drew seven entrants including the first three finishers in the Kentucky Derby. Affirmed was now the strong favorite to win again. Alydar’s race in the Derby was scrutinized heavily. Why was he so far back in the early running? Criticism rested on Jorge Velasquez, who in his defense claimed Alydar never felt comfortable on the Churchill Downs racetrack. Trainer John Veitch, to his credit, blamed himself for not giving his charge a strong workout over the strip. At Pimlico, he sharpened Alydar with a powerful 6 furlong work the week of the Preakness. Unlike the Derby, the pace scenario favored Affirmed as the only legitimate early speed. Longshot Track Reward took a brief lead down the stretch the first time, but down the backstretch Cauthen put Affirmed on the lead setting sensible fractions. Believe It raced in third place a few lengths back with Alydar in sixth place running comfortably. Velasquez sent Alydar up to challenge around the far turn, and he made a long loping run to be right outside of Affirmed as they headed into the stretch. Throughout the final ¼ mile, Affirmed maintained a narrow lead, despite Alydar’s resolute efforts to overtake him. At the finish, Affirmed was a neck victor over his mighty rival who had put 7½ lengths between him and third place Believe It. The time was strong, the last 3/16 of mile, when the two combatants were engaged, was particularly fast. With this triumph, the Harbor View Farm superstar was once step away from racing immortality. However, the connections of Alydar, sensing the horse’s resiliency were not deterred from trying again in the Belmont Stakes.

                                 

                                                     

The 1978 Preakness Stakes
photo: si.com

The stage was set for Affirmed to join the ten other Triple Crown winners. He had bested Alydar now in 6 out of 8 contests. The small field of five assured that Affirmed would have the pace his way. Other starters were Darby Creek Road who was second in the Peter Pan Stakes, Noon Time Spender, fourth in the Preakness and a recent maiden winner, Judge Advocate. Alydar had continued to train well, and he would run in the Belmont without blinkers in order to increase his competitive spirit. As expected, Affirmed settled into an easy lead with slow early fractions. Alydar was in third place around the clubhouse turn a few lengths back, when Velasquez, sensing the slow pace, sent his mount up after Affirmed early down the backstretch. This was completely out of this stretch runner’s modus operandi, but it was the only way his connections believed they could defeat Affirmed. Challenged, the Derby-Preakness winner immediately fought back and held a ½ length lead going around the far turn. Alydar was not through yet, for once the two leaders straightened out in the stretch, he rallied again and for a couple of strides put his head in front. Affirmed, implacable as always, fought back, regained the advantage and kept his head in front resolutely to the finish. In third place, 13 lengths back was Darby Creek Road. 

                                          

                                                         

The 1978 Belmont Stakes
photo: newsday.com

All who watched this race were convinced they saw one of the greatest duels in thoroughbred history. Two mighty horses, unyielding, giving their best for 1½ miles. Despite the slow first half of the race, the time was good, underlying how powerfully the embattled pair ran the last part. This was a great triumph for all Affirmed’s connections, Louis Wolfson, his wife Patrice, Laz Barrera and Stevie Cauthen. At this date, eleven other horses have won the Triple Crown, but none had a more formidable rival than Alydar who has the dubious distinction of being the only horse to finish second in all three classics.

There were high hopes this rivalry would continue the rest of the year, but the two protagonists only faced each other once again. That was at Saratoga Racetrack in the Travers Stakes. In what is called “The Midsummer’s Derby”, Affirmed under jockey Laffit Pincay Jr., substituting for an injured Steve Cauthen, finished first, but was disqualified for impeding Alydar down the backstretch as the Calumet runner was making a bold move up the inside. Forced to drop back suddenly, Alydar showed extraordinary courage in re-rallying but could only finish second beaten by 1¾ lengths. After an inquiry, Alydar was placed first and Affirmed was demoted to second, a result that pleased just about no one. For, Alydar who in 1978 had won every other race he ran other than the three classics, this was his third official victory over Affirmed in ten meetings.

It was assumed Alydar and Affirmed would continue to race against each other in the fall, but that was precluded when Alydar suffered a hairline fracture in his left foot in training that sidelined him for the rest of the year. After the Travers Stakes, Affirmed went into a protracted losing streak that carried into the next year. Eventually, Laz Barrera replaced Steve Cauthen with Lafitt Pincay, and Affirmed won the rest of his races in 1979 on his way to another championship. Alydar did race in 1979, but he was inconsistent, probably because he never fully recovered from his injury.

Even though Affirmed and Alydar were retired at the end of 1979, their rivalry continued, so to speak, in the stallion barn - Affirmed at Spendthrift Farm and Alydar at Calumet Farm, both in Kentucky.  As a sire, Alydar was the better and was considered a super stallion until the time of his mysterious death in 1990. Affirmed was by no means unsuccessful at stud producing European classic winner Trusted Partner, champion Flawlessly and major winners Affirmed Success and The Tin Man. However, he did not achieve the status of Alydar who sired two Kentucky Derby winners (Alysheba and Strike the Gold), Preakness Stakes winner Alysheba and Belmont Stakes winner Easy Goer. Of these, Alysheba and Easy Goer were champions along with Criminal Type, Turkoman and Althea among the many other major performers that Alydar sired. So the superiority, Alydar could not exhibit against Affirmed on the racetrack, he demonstrated in the stud barn.  

As the fortieth anniversary of Affirmed’s Triple Crown is remembered, it will always be “Alydar and Affirmed, Affirmed and Alydar” battling down the stretch in America’s classics that weaves an indelible imprint. These two mighty horses, linked together in the mind’s eye, forged an unforgettable saga in 1978 that has become the standard for defining the thoroughbred breed’s spirit of competition and will to win.