LONG BEFORE AFFIRMED and Alydar squared off for the tenth and last time, their showdowns had taken on the air of match races. In all but the first of their ten meetings, they finished 1–2. Since no rivalry in racing history could compare for the number, intensity, closeness, and high stakes of their duels, those matchups were promoted by the press like heavyweight title bouts. In the afterglow of their epic 1978 Triple Crown trilogy, newspapers across the country used the same boxing lingo to hype their next match: “Round 10.” Following is a round- by-round account of their rivalry—the first six meetings to settle the two-year-old championship, the last four to decide the Triple Crown and three-year-old supremacy.
1977 YOUTHFUL STAKES
JUNE 15, 1977 |
|
BELMONT PARK |
|
|
51/2 FURLONGS |
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HORSE |
JOCKEY |
ODDS |
PP |
ST |
1/4 |
3/8 |
STR |
FIN |
MARGIN |
Affirmed |
Cordero |
3.40–1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
Won by a neck |
Alydar |
Maple |
1.80–1 |
7 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
5 |
5 |
63/4 lengths behind |
RACE RESULT: AFFIRMED FIRST IN 1:05 OVER FAST TRACK FOR $22,665 WINNER’S SHARE OF PURSE
RIVALRY RECORD: AFFIRMED 1, ALYDAR 0
ROUND 2
1977 GREAT AMERICAN STAKES
JULY 6, 1977 |
|
BELMONT PARK |
|
|
51/2 FURLONGS |
||||
HORSE |
JOCKEY |
ODDS |
PP |
St |
1/4 |
3/8/8 |
Str |
Fin |
Margin |
Alydar |
Maple |
0.80–1 |
7 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Won by 31/2 lengths |
Affirmed |
Cordero |
4.60–1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2nd by 2 lengths |
RACE RESULT: ALYDAR FIRST IN 1:033/5 OVER FAST TRACK FOR $22,095 WINNER’S SHARE OF PURSE
RIVALRY RECORD: AFFIRMED 1, ALYDAR 1
ROUND 3
1977 HOPEFUL STAKES
AUGUST 27, 1977 |
|
SARATOGA RACE COURSE |
|
|
6 FURLONGS |
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HORSE |
JOCKEY |
ODDS |
PP |
St |
1/4 |
1/2 |
STR |
FIN |
MARGIN |
Affirmed |
Cauthen |
2.30–1 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
Won by 1/2 length |
Alydar |
Maple |
1.00–1 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
2nd by 21/2 lengths |
RACE RESULT: AFFIRMED FIRST IN STAKES-RECORD 1:152/5 OVER FAST TRACK FOR $48,105 WINNER’S SHARE OF PURSE
RIVALRY RECORD: AFFIRMED 2, ALYDAR 1
1977 FUTURITY STAKES
SEPTEMBER 10, 1977 |
|
BELMONT PARK |
|
|
7 FURLONGS |
||||
HORSE |
JOCKEY |
ODDS |
PP |
St |
1/4 |
1/2 |
STR |
FIN |
MARGIN |
Affirmed |
Cauthen |
1.20–1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
Won by a nose |
Alydar |
Maple |
1.50–1 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2nd by 11 lengths |
RACE RESULT: AFFIRMED FIRST IN 1:213/5 OVER GOOD TRACK FOR $63,570 WINNER’S SHARE OF PURSE
RIVALRY RECORD: AFFIRMED 3, ALYDAR 1
ROUND 5
1977 CHAMPAGNE STAKES
OCTOBER 15, 1977 |
|
BELMONT PARK |
|
|
|
1 MILE |
||||
HORSE |
JOCKEY |
ODDS |
PP |
St |
1/4 |
1/2 |
3/4 |
STR |
FIN |
MARGIN |
Alydar |
Velasquez |
1.50–1 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
Won by 11/4 lengths |
Affirmed |
Cauthen |
1.20–1 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2nd by 11/4 lengths |
RACE RESULT: ALYDAR FIRST IN 1:363/5 OVER MUDDY TRACK FOR $80,400 WINNER’S SHARE OF PURSE
RIVALRY RECORD: AFFIRMED 3, ALYDAR 2
ROUND 6
1977 LAUREL FUTURITY
OCTOBER 29, 1977 |
|
LAUREL RACE COURSE |
|
|
|
11/6 MILES |
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HORSE |
JOCKEY |
ODDS |
PP |
St |
1/4 |
1/2 |
3/4 |
STR |
FIN |
MARGIN |
Affirmed |
Cauthen |
1.40–1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
Won by a neck |
Alydar |
Velasquez |
0.40–1 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2nd by 10 lengths |
RACE RESULT: AFFIRMED FIRST IN 1:441/5 OVER FAST TRACK FOR $82,290 WINNER’S SHARE OF PURSE—AND TWO-YEAR-OLD CHAMPIONSHIP
RIVALRY RECORD: AFFIRMED 4, ALYDAR 2
1978 KENTUCKY DERBY
MAY 6, 1978 |
|
CHURCHILL DOWNS |
|
|
|
11/4 MILES |
||||
HORSE |
JOCKEY |
ODDS |
PP |
1/4 |
1/2 |
3/4 |
1 |
STR |
FIN |
MARGIN |
Affirmed |
Cauthen |
1.80–1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
Won by 11/2 lengths |
Alydar |
Velasquez |
1.20–1 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2nd by 11/4 lengths |
RACE RESULT: AFFIRMED FIRST IN 2:011/5 OVER FAST TRACK FOR $186,900 WINNER’S SHARE OF PURSE—AND FIRST JEWEL OF TRIPLE CROWN
RIVALRY RECORD: AFFIRMED 5, ALYDAR 2
ROUND 8
1978 PREAKNESS STATES
MAY 20, 1978 |
|
PIMLICO RACE COURSE |
|
|
|
13/16 MILES |
||||
HORSE |
JOCKEY |
ODDS |
PP |
St |
1/4 |
1/2 |
3/4 |
STR |
FIN |
MARGIN |
Affirmed |
Cauthen |
0.50–1 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Won by a neck |
Alydar |
Velasquez |
1.80–1 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
2nd by 71/2 lengths |
RACE RESULT: AFFIRMED FIRST IN 1:542/5 OVER FAST TRACK FOR $136,200 WINNER’S SHARE OF PURSE—AND SECOND JEWEL OF TRIPLE CROWN
RIVALRY RECORD: AFFIRMED 6, ALYDAR 2
1978 BELMONT STAKES
JUNE 10, 1978 |
|
BELMONT PARK |
|
|
|
11/2 MILES |
||||
HORSE |
JOCKEY |
ODDS |
PP |
1/4 |
1/2 |
3/4 |
1 |
STR |
FIN |
MARGIN |
Affirmed |
Cauthen |
0.60–1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Won by a head |
Alydar |
Velasquez |
1.10–1 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2nd by 13 lengths |
RACE RESULT: AFFIRMED FIRST IN 2:264/5 OVER FAST TRACK FOR $110,580 WINNER’S SHARE OF PURSE—AND FINAL JEWEL OF TRIPLE CROWN
RIVALRY RECORD: AFFIRMED 7, ALYDAR 2
ROUND 10
1978 TRAVERS STAKES
AUGUST 19, 1978 |
|
SARATOGA RACE COURSE |
|
|
|
11/4 MILES |
||||
HORSE |
JOCKEY |
ODDS |
PP |
1/4 |
1/2 |
3/4 |
1 |
STR |
FIN |
MARGIN |
Affirmed |
Pincay |
1.80–1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1st by 13/4, Lost by DQ |
Alydar |
Velasquez |
1.20–1 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2nd, Won by DQ |
RACE RESULT: ALYDAR AWARDED $62,880 WINNER’S SHARE OF PURSE THROUGH DQ OF AFFIRMED, WHO HAD FINISHED FIRST IN 2:02 OVER FAST TRACK