Best Horses Not to Win a Championship Series: Alydar, Part I

Best Horses Not to Win a Championship Series
Number 1, part I: Alydar

Joseph Di Rienzi

This is the final installment (in two parts) of the occasional series that features those thoroughbreds who did not win any championship but ran exceptionally well and under different circumstances might have garnered awards. My number 1 selection among these uncrowned heroes is the charismatic Alydar whose exploits and battles with Affirmed over a two year period in the late 1970s are indelibly etched in thoroughbred racing folklore.

Alydar at stud
(bloodhorse.com)

Alydar, bred to be a champion, was foaled in 1975 at the fabled Calumet Farm in Lexington, KY. He was sired by Raise a Native from the mare Sweet Tooth, who produced the champion three-year-old filly of 1977 in Our Mims. Raced in the famed devil’s red and black silks of his breeder, Alydar grew into a chestnut hued classically conformed equine athlete. He was trained throughout his career by John Veitch, an articulate second generation horseman.

Recognizing the potential in Alydar, Veitch took the unusual step of having his colt make his career debut in a stakes race at Belmont Park in June 1977. I imagine that Veitch did not reckon that in the 5½ furlong Youthful Stakes, his colt would encounter his arch antagonist. Owned by Harbor View Farm of Louis Wolfson and his wife Patrice Jacobs Wolfson, Affirmed was a grandson of Alydar’s sire Raise a Native (who was coincidently owned by Wolfson). Also, a chestnut, but more streamlined then Alydar, Affirmed had made one start prior to the Youthful, a maiden victory at Belmont.  Alydar, sent off as the post time favorite in the Youthful, showed his inexperience by breaking poorly in the eleven horse field and dropping far back. He closed some ground but could finish no better than fifth, as Affirmed gamely defeated Wood Native by a neck.

Nine days after the Youthful Stakes, Alydar won a 5½ furlong maiden race at Belmont by 6¾ lengths in a sharp final time. In the beaten field were future major stakes winners in Believe It and Sauce Boat. Buoyed by this victory, Veitch sent Alydar back against Affirmed in the Great American Stakes. Favored again over his rival, the Calumet colt was reserved off the early pace, but he made a powerful rally to sweep by pacesetting Affirmed to win easily by 3½ lengths in near track record time. Alydar stayed in New York and won the 6 furlong Tremont Stakes confidently defeating Believe It by 1¼ lengths.  Affirmed’s trainer Laz Barrera shipped his colt to Hollywood Park where he would utterly dominate a division of the 6 furlong Hollywood Juvenile Championship leading all the way and winning by 7 lengths.

Both Alydar and Affirmed spent August at Saratoga, NY, both aiming for the Hopeful Stakes at the conclusion of the Saratoga Racetrack meet. In the interim, Alydar shipped to Monmouth Park in New Jersey to win the Sapling Stakes on the same day that his half-sister, Our Mims captured the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga. Racing in blinkers for the first time and coming just off the pace on the sloppy surface, Alydar rallied in the stretch to win by a comfortable 2½ lengths over Noon Time Spender. At Saratoga, Affirmed, under new rider Steve Cauthen, prepped for the Hopeful in the Sanford Stakes by coming from off the pace and running down Tilt Up to win by 2¾ lengths.

In the Hopeful, Alydar was made the 1-1 favorite to continue his march to the two-year-old championship with Affirmed a generous 5/2 -1 odds in this 6½ furlong race. With the burgeoning reputations of the two principals, only three others chose to challenge them. In the compact field, Affirmed raced with Tilt Up early with Alydar some 4 lengths back in fourth. Around the stretch turn, the field bunched up with Affirmed gaining a narrow lead over Tilt Up and Alydar going wide with his rally. Through the stretch, it appeared Alydar would gain command, but Affirmed refused to yield winning by ½ length over his rival with longshot Regal and Royal 2½ lengths further away. Indicative of the quality of this race was that the final time was only 2/5 of a second off the track record.

Their fourth meeting was downstate in the Belmont Futurity. Again, only three opposed Alydar and Affirmed, and the last 3 furlongs were virtually a match race when Alydar went up to challenge Affirmed and stuck his neck in front at the top of the stretch. Affirmed tenaciously fought back and regained the advantage and held it to a long nose victory at the finish in excellent time for the race’s 7 furlong distance. Far back (11 lengths) in third was Nasty and Bold. The Champagne Stakes at 1 mile, so often the defining race for the two-year-old championship, was the fifth encounter between these two remarkable animals. In the field was Darby Creek Road, beaten in both the Hopeful (fifth) and the Futurity (fourth). Joining him was Quadratic who recently won the Cowdin Stakes, and Sauce Boat, who was coming off a victory in the Arlington Washington Futurity.  Alydar, under new rider Jorge Velasquez, had not been breaking well in his last few starts and again was slow out of the gate. Sauce Boat went right to the lead with Affirmed held back in third. On the stretch turn, four horses were across the muddy track contending for the lead - Sauce Boat, Affirmed, Quadratic and Darby Creek Road. Alydar, in fifth place, swung outside the embattled quartet and in a rousing finish ran by them all for the victory. At the finish, he was 1¼ lengths ahead of Affirmed who edged clear of Darby Creek Road by a similar margin for second place. Quadratic in a good effort was fourth, and Sauce Boat tired to finish sixth and last.

Alydar winning the 1977 Champagne Stakes
(bloodhorse.com)

The final epic for this rivalry in 1977 would be in the Laurel Futurity with a four horse field, which really favored the more versatile Affirmed rather than the late closing Alydar. Star de Naskra set the pace with Affirmed second and Alydar along the inside in third place. Approaching a ½ mile from the finish, Alydar went for the lead between horses, as Affirmed on the outside fought back to meet the challenge. These two quickly separated themselves from the other two competitors with Affirmed holding a narrow advantage to the wire that at the finish was a neck. Alydar, who did not change leads in the stretch which may have affected his performance, was second 10 lengths in front of Star de Naskra. Thus, with a 4-2 advantage Affirmed justifiably claimed the two-year-old title. However, everyone who watched these two magnificent horses could hardly wait for the classics next year. (Alydar did run once more as a juvenile finishing second by 2 lengths to Believe It in the 9 furlong Remsen Stakes over a sloppy Aqueduct Racetrack.)

Once it was announced that Affirmed would have his preparation for the 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 would winter in Florida and follow 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 trained spectacularly at Hialeah Park and made his initial start in early February in a 7 furlong allowance race which he won drawing out after rallying from off the pace. His perceived main rival in Florida, Believe It, won a similar race easily a couple days later in identical time. The Flamingo Stakes  attracted eight entries and favoritism was nearly equally divided between Alydar and Believe It. There were memories of the latter’s victory over Alydar in the previous year’s Remsen Stakes at the 9 furlong Flamingo distance. To insure Believe It would not gain an easy lead, John Veitch entered Hugable Tom as a likely pacesetter. He was not needed as longshot Slap Jack set a rapid pace with Believe It tracking in second. Around the far turn, Alydar made a sweeping move from sixth place and joined Believe It for the lead. As they straightened out in the stretch, Alydar pulled away impressively for a 4½ length victory in time just 1/5 second slower than the track record. Noon Time Spender finished second with Dr. Valeri, one length further back in third place. Believe It, tiring, finished fourth. Alydar’s Flamingo win was as impressive as could be imagined and leap-frogged him in many observers’ opinions into Derby favoritism over Affirmed.

On the first weekend in April, Alydar and Affirmed were in action on opposite coasts. In the Florida Derby, Alydar faced a fitter Believe It and five others. In a role reversal, Alydar raced in close pursuit of the early pace, whereas Believe It was reserved off it. Alydar had the lead at the top of the stretch when Believe It made his move. Jorge Velasquez, on the Calumet runner, chirped to his mount, and Alydar pulled away with authority to win by 2 lengths. Believe It easily held second 7½ lengths in front of Dr. Valeri. The final time only 1/5 second off the Gulfstream Park track record set by Calumet owned Gen. Duke in 1957Incessant rain in California had forced trainer Laz Barrera to reduce Affirmed’s workout schedule. Using Affirmed’s races to provide conditioning, Barrera waited until March to make his trainee’s sophomore debut at Santa Anita Park. With victories in an allowance race and the San Felipe Handicap, Affirmed had his first significant test in the Santa Anita Derby. Under substitute rider Laffit Pincay, Affirmed took the lead early and never looked back winning by 8 lengths. Affirmed’s time for the Santa Anita Derby was solid but not as fast as Alydar’s Flamingo and Florida Derby victories.

Two weeks later Affirmed was reunited with Steve Cauthen facing a similar group of horses he defeated in the Santa Anita Derby. Once again, seizing the early lead, he fought off a stubborn Radar Ahead who fought gamely against his more distinguished rival. Affirmed gradually wore down that foe and met the closing challenge of Think Snow to win under persistent urging by 2 lengths. Radar Ahead finished third, 3 lengths behind Think Snow. Affirmed’s final time was alright, but the last 1/8 mile was run slowly, bringing into question his ability to be at his best at the Kentucky Derby’s 1¼ mile distance.

The Blue Grass Stakes was a showcase for Alydar. As arranged by Keeneland management, the owners of Calumet Farm, the Markeys were driven from their farm to a position on the stretch turn to view their colt, both in the post parade and during the running of the race. Alydar, the overwhelming favorite, reverted to his bad two-year-old habit of breaking slowly. Last going into the first turn, he improved his position down the backstretch but still was multi-lengths behind runaway leader Raymond Earl. Jorge Velasquez, sensing that the pacesetter might be difficult to catch, asked Alydar for his best and the colt responded to blow by Raymond Earl at the head of the stretch. Curiously, once clearly in front, Velasquez kept urging his mount although the issue was no longer in doubt. At the finish, Alydar was 13 lengths ahead of the pacesetter. On a racetrack rated “good”, the final time was average.

The stage was now set for Alydar and Affirmed to renew their rivalry in the Run for the Roses.

(To be continued in part II.)