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Affirmed wins to Alydar in the 1978 Belmont Stakes, winning the American Triple Crown, photo from Thoroughbredmemories.com

The Greatest Rivalry

Steve Haskin - Bloodhorse

Affirmed and Alydar. Even after 25 years, their names roll of the tongue as a single entity. Like Ali and Fraizer and David and Goliath, the bond they formed in battle would link them for all time.

For those fortunate enough to have witnessed their epic duels, the radiant pink and black colors of Affirmed and devil's red and blue silks of Alydar still shine brightly after a quarter of century, as do the two glistening chestnuts who carried those brilliant hues.

Affirmed and Alydar had met on two occasions, when both were impetuous youngsters darting from one 5 1/2 furlong race to another. But it wasn't until the prestigious Hopeful Stakes (Gr.1) that the two were formally introduced. As their eyes locked the length of the Saratoga stretch, there was no way to know that the image staring back at them ultimately would define each other's greatness.

Although each had already scored a decisive victory over the other, in the Youthful and Great American Stakes, it was the Hopeful that launched one of the greatest rivalries in sports history. Over the next 9 1/2 months, Affirmed and Alydar faced each other seven times, finishing first and second each time, with the average margin separating them an amazing half a length. They would meet once more, in front of a record-shattering crowd in the Travers Stakes (Gr.1), but the final chapter in this incredible story would end in disappointment and controversy.

The Affirmed / Alydar rivalry transcended statistics. Sure, it was remarkable that they met a total of 10 times, finishing first and second in nine of them. It was a remarkable that, for two horses so evenly matched, Affirmed could emerge victorious in seven of their 10 battles, actually finishing first on eight occasions. And it was a remarkable that Alydar, so often the vanquished, still managed to win five other stakes as a 3-year-old by an average margin of 8 1/2 lengths, including a 10-length score in the Whitney Stakes (Gr.2) and 13-length victories in the Blue Grass Stakes (Gr.1) and Arlington Classic (Gr.2).

But the everlasting image of Affirmed and Alydar was of two warriors, pitted in battle time and again, with nothing on their minds other than total commitment and a burning desire for victory.

What has become lost, however in the vast tapestry these two great horses have woven, is Affirmed's outstanding record of 22 victories in 29 career starts - dominating the sport on both coasts, winning at 10 different distances from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/2 miles, carrying 130 and 132 pounds to victory, and defeating the great Spectacular Bid in a head-to-head showdown for Horse of the Year honors in 1.979.

It is therefore surprising to many that Affirmed is never listed near the top of the various polls taken of the all-time greats, and that he always manages to finish in the back of the field in the many computer-generated races over the years. In the book Thoroughbred Champions, Affirmed is ranked 12th, behind contemporaries Forego, Seattle Slew and Spectacular Bid.

"I feel Affirmed has been way underrated,"said Steve Cauthen, his rider as a 2 and 3-year-old. "Maybe it was because he wasn't as good a sire as Seattle Slew or even Alydar. But as far as racehorse, Affirmed was comparable to all of them. The fact that Seattle Slew beat him when he was four and Affirmed was three is just natural. A champion 4-year-old is going to beat a champion 3-year-old 99% of the time. It's like a 30-year-old guy competing against a 16-year-old kid. When Affirmed was a 4-year-old and Spectacular Bid was a 3-year-old, he beat him. And Spectacular Bid came back the next year and beat everybody in sight. The bottom line is that Affirmed was a champion at two, at three, and a four. There was never a time when he was not great."

Affirmed and Alydar had met six times in 1977, with Affirmed winning four. Three of his grade 1 victories - the Hopeful, Futurity and Laurel Futurity - were drag-out stretch battles, with Affirmed prevailing in a photo each time. In between, Alydar won the Champagne Stakes (Gr.1) by 1 1/4 lengths, when his rider, Jorge Velasquez, kept him out in the middle of the track while Affirmed was busy turning back the challenge of Darby Creek Road.

What made this budding rivalry so special were the colt's classy owners, who were long-established stalwarts of the industry. When Lou Wolfson, owner of Harbor View Farm, married Patrice Jacobs, daughter of the legendary trainer and owner, Hirsch Jacobs, it united two of racing's great families. The Wolfsons, who owned and bred Affirmed, joined with future Hall of Fame trainer Laz Barrera and Cauthen to form an unbeatable team. Alydar was owned by the famed Calumet Farm of Adm. Gene Markey and his wife, Lucille, widow of Calumet founder, Warren Wright. Their trainer was the up-and-coming John Veitch, who gave Velasquez the mount on Alydar for the Champagne, replacing Eddie Maple.

When the 1977 season concluded, the anticipation of this great rivalry continuing throughout the Triple Crown brought about an early epidemic of Derby fever that spread from coast to coast. Appropriately, Affirmed headed to California, while Alydar wintered in Florida, their sights set on Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. Affirmed was unstoppable, winning an allowance race, the San Felipe Stakes (Gr.2) and the Santa Anita and Hollywood Derbys, both Group 1. But many felt at a mile and a quarter, Alydar would turn the tables on his arch rival.

Affirmed Photo Finish Belmont Stakes (Gr.1), second was his great rival, Alydar, photo from thoroughbredmemories.com

The Calumet star, meanwhile, was a brilliant in Florida, turning in fast times in all three of his races - a seven furlongs allowance, the Flamingo Stakes (Gr.1) and Florida Derby (Gr.1). His identical times of 1:47 in both the Flamingo and Florida Derby were only three-fifths and one-fifth of a second off the respective track records. In the Blue Grass Stakes, Alydar cruised to a 13-length victory at odds of 1-10.

Despite their record in head-to-head competition, and Affirmed's career record of 11 victories in 13 starts, there was no doubt who the favorite was going to be in the Kentucky Derby (Gr.1).

The Derby, in fact, proved to be anticlimactic, as Affirmed disposed of Wood Memorial (Gr.1) winner Believe It at the head of the stretch and set sail for home, while Alydar was trying in vain to make up the 17 lengths he had fallen behind. He charged down the long Churchill stretch, but never threatened Affirmed, who held a 1 1/2 length margin at the wire.

The Preakness Stakes (Gr.1) would be different, Alydar fans felt. This time, Velasquez would hook his nemesis a lot sooner. And that he did. With Affirmed coasting along through moderate fractions, Velasquez gunned Alydar into contention around the far turn. At the top of the stretch, he was already at Affirmed's flank. Velasquez, as he had in the Champagne Stakes, kept Alydar out in the middle of the track, away from Affirmed's roving eye, and out of range of his antenna-like ears, which he used as radar to detect the presence of the enemy.

Affirmed sense the danger, pointing his right ear in the direction of Alydar. Cauthen brought Affirmed out a bit to get a better look at his old antagonist, and he battle, once again, was on. As hard as Alydar fought, he still could not find a way to get past Affirmed, who crossed the finish line a neck in front. It was another 7 1/2 lengths back to Believe It, who no longer wanted anything to do with these two titans.

The Preakness served notice that the Belmont Stakes (Gr.1) was a race not to be missed. Alydar boosters still remained resolute, believing the mile and a half finally would give their hero the edge he desperately needed.

Only three others showed up in a futile attempt to upset racing's dynamic duo. With no speed in the race, Affirmed once again was able to dictate strategy. "I always had the advantage of having tactical speed," Cauthen said. "We were always in the driver's seat, while Alydar was always having to work with whatever he had in front of him. Both horses were fighters, but in the end, Affirmed may have had just a bit more of the killer instinct."

Veitch agreed with Cauthen. "Affirmed was multi-dimensional, while Alydar basically was a one-run, come-from-behind horse," he said. "It was like being in a prizefight against somebody and letting him hit you in the face with everything he's got before you get a chance to get a lick in."

Now, here they were in the ultimate prizefight. Veitch even took the blinkers off Alydar, so he could see the punches better. Affirmed, as usual, dictated the fight, crawling through a dawdling half in :50. This time, Velasquez put the gloves on Alydar and let him start flailing away. There was nothing to lose. After three-quarters in 1:14, the two combatants exchanged punches as the pace quickened noticeably. For the final six furlongs they were at each other's throat every step of the way.

After they turned for home still locked together, track announcer Chick Anderson got carried away and bellowed, "And Alydar's got a lead," which both jockeys agreed never happened. Alydar fought bravely, throwing everything he had at his opponent, but it was as if Affirmed had a laser beam shooting from his eye, preventing anything from passing. At the finish, it was Affirmed by a head. He had become racing's 11th Triple Crown winner.

Alydar continued to improve and was coming off two monster efforts when he faced Affirmed again in the eagerly awaited Travers Stakes (Gr.1). Unfortunately, Affirmed, with Laffit Pincay Jr. subbing for an injured Cauthen, was disqualified from first for nearly sending Alydar over the rail. It proved to be an unsatisfactory conclusion to this great rivalry, as Alydar later suffered a fracture of the coffin bone and was retired for the year, then was injured again the following year, ending his career.

"It was unfortunate for Alydar that he came along the same year as Affirmed," Veitch said. "But it really wasn't frustrating for me, because there was such a small margin that separated victory from defeat, and those things do happen. You cannot change history."

Cauthen couldn't help but pay tribute to Alydar. "That sucker fought back every time and made it as tough as possible on us. I respected him immensely. It was a blessing to racing that they came along at the same time and created such a great rivalry that was able to endure. And through all the battles, it was amazing that neither of their hearts ever cracked."


 


 

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