He has been the last winner of the Triple Crown, and for many, one of the best horses in the horse racing history, as said his jockey Steve Cauthen,

"He was the best horse whom I have ridden in races and the most intelligent. He is a horse with a tremendous courage who loves to run", and he repeated, "Affirmed was the best horse that I have ridden."

Affirmed by Exclusive Native and Won´t Tell You, grown in Florida, property of Luis and Patricia Wolfson, owners of Harbor View Farm, was born on 21 February of 1975 and two years later, in May of 1977 began to run winning with the bets 13-1.

Even so, his owners thought that they had a good horse, but they had not yet discovered who Affirmed was, neither his trainer Lazaro Barrera, who when finishing the first race declared that Affirmed was a horse with certain faculties.

His second race would result in a new victory in the Younthful Stakes, reserved for horses of two years old, running in this same race a colt with whom Affirmed engaged his most important and hard battles, Alydar, who finished in the fifth position.

In July, the two colts saw each other again in the Great American Stakes, in which the victory was for Alydar, finishing Affirmed in second place at 3 ½ lengths.

The owners and his trainer, trusting in Affirmed for what he had demonstrated until that date, and decided to send him to California to dispute the Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes (Gr.2), winning again, but this time, by seven lengths of distance over the second classified.

Meanwhile, in the other Coast of the United States, Alydar won the Tremont Stakes without the opposition of his great rival, Affirmed. Having concluded his trip to California, Affirmed comes back home to dispute and win The Sanford Stakes (Gr.2).

The time arrived to run the prestigious Hopeful Stakes (Gr.1), in which again would meet Affirmed and Alydar, being the favorite in the bets Alydar but Affirmed broke these forecasts and won by a scarce margin over Alydar, in a very fast time of 1:15.2 in the 6 ½ furlongs of the race.

The following race of both was in the Futurity Stakes (Gr.1), with the same result, winning Affirmed by a minimum distance in the winning post. In the following race, The Champagne Stakes (Gr.1) the victory was for Alydar over Affirmed by a head, being the result inverted in the last race of the year, The Laurel Futurity Stakes, in which Affirmed won to Alydar by a neck.

The summary of this year is that Affirmed disputed nine races, winning seven of them, and with two second places having confronted Alydar on six occasions, having won Affirmed in four occasions and Alydar in two, whereby the tittle of The Best Horse of the Year was granted to Affirmed.

The horse was taken in winter to rest in the West Coast, in order to prepare the three years old season, but due to the constant rains he could not get prepared until early March, when he won easily a race without practically rivals, but in a good time.

His following race and victory was the San Felipe Handicap (Gr.2) and won, too, in The Santa Anita Derby (Gr.1) by eight lengths. His last race before beginning with the Triple Crown, was the Hollywood Derby, Grade 1, which he won easily.

The day of the Kentucky Derby arrived, in Churchill Downs, being the favorite in the bets Alydar 6-5, while Affirmed was 9-5. The truth is that in this race took place the easiest victory of Affirmed over Alydar in the three proofs of the Triple Crown, winning by 1 ½ legths and never giving the sensation that Alydar could overtaken our champion, in spite that Alydar came very strong from the final positions.

Now there was The Preakness Stakes in Pimlico, Maryland, and each time there was more rivalry among the fans when them divided the favouritism of both horses, departing in this occasions Affirmed 1-2 and Alydar 9-5.

Alydar was watching very closely Affirmed during all race and so they entered into the straight where many thought that Alydar could win, because he had a spectacular arrival from the final positions, but again the heart of Affirmed came out and won the race by a neck.

He lacked to win the Belmont Stakes to carry off the victory of the so much appreciated Triple Crown, reserved only for some few. Many thought, and maybe with certain logic, that the distance of the race, 12 furlongs (2,400 meters) would be better for Alydar than for Affirmed, probably due to the way of running of one and the other, and for the powerful final of Alydar, but they were wrong, in a impressive straight, fighting head to head, and taking Steve Cauthen the best of Affirmed, won by a nose, getting of with The Triple Crown.

Steve Cauthen declared,

"Nobody who has seen this race will not forget, and probably they will remember it as the greatest race which they have ever seen."

"Affirmed with Steve Cauthen in 1978, and Alydar in the Belmont Stakes" (Painter Sue Wingate). Courtesy of Cortez Saratoga Collection

In 1978, after having got the appreciated Crown, was named The Best Horse of the Year and The Best Three Years Old of the Year.

In his following race, he would confront Seattle Slew, a horse who got the Triple Crown the previous year to Affirmed, in The Marlboro Cup, in which Affirmed was beaten by Seattle Slew by three lengths, being very criticized the mount of Steve Cauthen because he retained the horse in excess, and allowed Seattle Slew to go away too much, specially in the first quarter.

At the age of four years, was again nominated The Best Horse of 4+ years old of 1979, and all that thanks to having disputed nine races, winning seven Grades I and obtaining a second place and a third place in his two first races of the year, and winning in a record time The Santa Anita Handicap.

Moreover, he was voted within the 100 best riders of the whole XX century in the United States.

It was decided to take Affirmed to the Stud, to Jonabell Farm in Lexington, and the truth is that there was a lot of expectation with what he could contribute to the American Breeding but though gave good horses, he did not have so much success in the Stud as he had in the tracks.

All the contrary than Alydar, who was a great sire, since he had to be sacrificed after having fractured a leg in the Stud in 1990 or than Seattle Slew, nowadays breeding in Three Chimneys.

At the end of the year 2000 a laminitis was detected in Affirmed and he was operated by the Doctor Larry Bramlage who on 12 of January of 2001 recommended to sacrifice him at the age of 26 years, because the horse had very painful and nothing could be done for him.

Affirmed had more than 700 foals, of whom 77 were Stakes winners and in total they obtained earnings for a little more than Usd 40,000,000, among others, stood out Flawlessly, Peteski winner of the Triple Canadian Crown, Tippity Witch, Zoman, Affirmed Success and Quiet Resolve.

From when Affirmed won the Triple Crown, seven horses have gotten the victory in the Kentucky Derby and in the Preakness, but failing in the Belmont Stakes, Spectacular Bird (1979), Pleasant Colony (1981), Alysheba (1987), Sunday Silence (1989), Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) y Charismatic (1999).

As her owner Louise Wolfson said, "We cannot imagine how much we will miss him."