Affirmed, Kentucky Derby, 1978

Affirmed, Kentucky Derby, 1978, mixed media, available in color on this site as well .... more

by Thomas Pollart

Title

Affirmed, Kentucky Derby, 1978

Artist

Thomas Pollart

Medium

Mixed Media - Mixed Media, Art, Photograph, Painting, Digital Art, Print

Description

Affirmed, Kentucky Derby, 1978, mixed media, available in color on this site as well .

Alydar was made the 6-5 favorite for Kentucky Derby, with Affirmed the second choice at 9-5 and undefeated Sensitive Prince the third choice at 9-2. At the start of the Kentucky Derby, Sensitive Prince took the early lead as Affirmed ran in third through the early stages, while Alydar stayed far back. Affirmed made a strong move for the lead on the far turn, put away a challenge by Wood Memorial winner Believe It, and held off Alydar's fast-closing charge to win by ​1 1⁄2 lengths. Affirmed now had a 5-2 edge in the series.

In the Preakness Stakes, Affirmed set the pace. Alydar made his big move on the far turn, at the same point in the race where Affirmed made his winning move in the Derby. Affirmed held a short lead entering the stretch and held it to defeat Alydar by a neck.

Alydar's partisans assumed that the ​1 1⁄2 mile distance of the Belmont, two furlongs longer than the Derby and 5/16 of a mile longer than the Preakness Stakes, would favor Alydar with his finishing style and staying pedigree, and he would deny Affirmed the Triple Crown. Trainer Veitch removed Alydar's blinkers for the Belmont, saying that if Alydar got a better look at Affirmed, maybe he would get by him.

In the Belmont, Affirmed led and set a very slow pace, going the first quarter mile in 25 seconds and the half in 50 seconds. Alydar's jockey, Jorge Velasquez, put Alydar close to the pace, and moved alongside Affirmed with more than seven furlongs to go. For more than six furlongs (half the distance of the race), the colts raced neck and neck, pulling away from the rest of the field. Alydar got his nose in front at mid-stretch, but just as Affirmed appeared to tire, Cauthen went to a left-handed whip, something he had never done before in his eight rides on Affirmed. Affirmed won by a nose to become racing's 11th (and last winner for 37 years until American Pharoah won in 2015), Triple Crown winner. After the third slowest start in Belmont Stakes history, they raced the fastest last mile in Belmont Stakes history, ​3⁄4 in 1:14, the mile in 1:37 ​2⁄5 and finished in 2:26 ​4⁄5. It was, at the time, the third fastest Belmont ever, behind Secretariat and Gallant Man.

His Triple Crown win set two records: the shortest and longest gaps between the previous and next Triple Crown winners. Affirmed's win in 1978 was the first time the Triple Crown had been won in consecutive years (Seattle Slew won in 1977).] Affirmed's win also marked the start of the longest gap until the next Triple Crown winner, with American Pharoah's win on June 6, 2015 occurring 37 years later

Uploaded

April 28th, 2019