Alydar Racing Career and Legacy

The Youthful Stakes-Belmont Park
Elmont, New York
June 15, 1977

Alydar would meet Affirmed in his first race and finish fifth. Affirmed beat him by a decisive five lengths. And so began one of the greatest rivalries in horse racing.

Alydar’s Second Race
Maiden Special Weight-Belmont Park
Elmont, New York
June 24, 1977

Alydar had his first win, six and three quarters lengths in the lead. He had broken his maiden and was ready to launch his career.

Alydar’s Third Race
Great American Stakes-Belmont Park
Elmont, New York
July 6, 1977

Alydar faced Affirmed for the second time in the Great American Stakes. At the start Affirmed hit his head on the gate and broke his tooth, yet he still took the lead. Alydar beat Affirmed in the stretch run, finishing first and beating Affirmed by three and one-half lengths. Alydar was only three-fifths of a second off the track record.

Alydar’s Fourth Race
The Tremont Stakes-Belmont Park
Elmont, New York
July 27, 1977

In Alydar’s fourth race, he stayed at the back of the pack but in the last furlong he thundered past the field, winning by a length and a quarter.

Alydar’s Fifth Race
The Sapling Stakes-Monmouth Park
Oceanport, New Jersey
August 13, 1977

Veitch decided Alydar needed blinkers for the Sapling Stakes because the horse was looking around the track during the race. The track was muddy, but Alydar again crushed the competition with his stretch run, winning by two and a half lengths.

Alydar’s Sixth Race
The Hopeful Stakes-Saratoga Park
Saratoga Springs, New York
August 27, 1977

The Hopeful Stakes was a rematch between Alydar and Affirmed. Both horses were carrying 122 pounds. New to the rivalry was Affirmed’s jockey, Steve Cauthen. In the stretch, the two horses pulled away from the pack, with Affirmed leading by a head. As they closed toward the finish line, Affirmed edged slightly ahead and won by half a length.

Alydar’s Seventh Race
The Laurel Futurity Stakes-Belmont Park
Elmont, New York
September 10, 1977

Alydar and Affirmed met two weeks later for the fourth time. Reaching the far turn, Alydar got his head in front, but Affirmed passed him, winning by nose.

Alydar’s Eighth Race
The Champagne Stakes-Belmont Park
Elmont, New York
October 15, 1977

Affirmed and Alydar met for the fifth time less than a month later. As the horses came around the turn, Affirmed charged to the lead, with Darby Creek Road challenging. Affirmed, concentrating on Darby Creek Road at his hip, did not see Alydar on the far outside. Alydar made his charge on the outside to the wire, sprinting past Affirmed and Darby Creek Road. Affirmed had no chance to react. Alydar won by a length and a quarter.

Alydar’s Ninth Race
The Laurel Futurity-October 29, 1977
Laurel, Maryland

It was another match race. As the horses rounded the final turn, Alydar surged slightly ahead of Affirmed but Affirmed fought back and won by a neck. After the race Veitch decided to change jockeys from Eddie Maple to Jorge Velasquez. Rose objected saying, “The guy just rode the race of his life!” Veitch replied, “Yes, but can he do it again?”

Alydar’s Tenth Race
The Remsen Stakes-Aqueduct Park
Queens, New York
November 26, 1977

The Remsen Stakes was a disaster. Believe It, ironically ridden by Eddie Maple, Alydar’s former jockey, beat Alydar by two lengths. Alydar was never in the race, falling so far back he never had a chance. Before the race, Rose told Veitch Alydar shouldn’t run.  They had let up on his training and pulled his shoes. Veitch had Alydar re-shod and entered him in the race. Veitch would later say, “I was a moron. I was just trying to recoup the Laurel Futurity loss.”

Alydar’s Eleventh Race
Allowance Race-Hialeah Park
Miami-Dade, Florida
February 11, 1978

Alydar was a 3-10 favorite and carried more weight than all but one of the seven other horses. He easily outran the field and finished ahead by two lengths.

Alydar’s Twelfth Race
The Flamingo Stakes-Hialeah Park
Miami-Dade, Florida
March 4, 1978

Alydar broke better than usual and settled nicely at the back of the pack. In the stretch, Alydar “slowed down because he thought the race was over,” Jockey Velasquez said, “So I had to keep after him.” Alydar drew away from the field to win by four and a half lengths. Alydar was only a fifth of a second off the stakes record and 2/5 faster than Seattle Slew’s time the previous year.

Alydar’s Thirteenth Race
The Florida Derby-Gulfstream Park
Hallandale Beach, Florida
April 1, 1978

Alydar was facing Believe It in a rematch. Believe It pull ahead by a head on the far turn. Velasquez “rapped Alydar twice” and the horse pulled away to win by two lengths, a fifth of a second off the track record.

Alydar’s Fourteenth Race
The Blue Grass Stakes-Keeneland
Lexington, Kentucky
April 27, 1978

As Alydar was going to post, Jorge Velasquez stopped to greet Lucille and Gene Markey, Calumet’s owners who had been driven to the rail for the race. The Markeys’ unbridled joy at seeing Alydar win was evident to everyone. Billy Reed of the Louisville Courier Journal said it best. “(I) thought later on, that if that had to be their last glimpse of a Calumet horse running in person, as indeed it was, what a spectacular memory that had to be for them.” You can watch this touching moment on YouTube here.
Alydar was caught “flat footed,” as he broke slowly from the gate. He came out crooked and bumped Sunny Songster. He then fell back, next to last. Leaving the backstretch Alydar was four lengths behind Raymond Earl, surging with acceleration. Velasquez was surprised at Alydar’s response to his request for speed on the turn and decided to let the horse go. Alydar passed Raymond Earl at the quarter pole and continued to pull away. Alydar opened a thirteen-length lead by the time he reached the finish.

The 104th Kentucky Derby-Churchill Downs
Louisville, Kentucky
May 6, 1978

Alydar broke with his usual sluggishness. Immediately, Velasquez knew Alydar was having trouble handling the track. The colt fell seventeen lengths off the lead into ninth place. Affirmed easily took the lead. Alydar started to come on, but he still wasn’t picking up the bit, and they were losing ground every step of the way. Affirmed started to loaf, with no other horse to push him. There was still 3/16 of a mile to go. Alydar continued his surge and at the eighth pole, Velasquez thought they might make it to third. But he realized Alydar was still on the left lead. The horse was now fourth on the outside and was taking off like “he had just broken from the starting gate.” Alydar had finally taken the bit and was moving up towards Believe It into second and momentarily bumped him inside the sixteenth pole. But there just wasn’t enough track left for Alydar to catch Affirmed, who won by a length and a half. It was too little too late. Later, Charlie Rose, Alydar’s exercise rider would say that Alydar had been hit in the eye with a clod of dirt, which explained the moment when the horse fell back seventeen lengths.

The 103rd Preakness Stakes-Pimlico
Baltimore, Maryland
May 20, 1978

The starting bell rang, and Track Reward and Affirmed jumped out to the lead. They were running stride for stride as they reached the clubhouse turn. Alydar was sixth, five lengths back. Down the backstretch, Affirmed lengthened his lead, and Alydar began his stretch-run on the outside, passing horses like they were standing still. Alydar lost considerable ground to Affirmed swinging wide. At the head of the stretch, Believe It challenged on the rail, and Alydar continued his charge to the front. At the three sixteenth mark, Alydar drew closer to Affirmed. Cauthen could see Affirmed’s right ear cock back, hearing Alydar’s challenge coming. Velasquez hit Alydar on his left hip, hoping that Alydar would switch to his right lead. No. As both horses drove toward the wire, Alydar got even with Affirmed’s neck. Velazquez thought they would pass, but Cauthen hit Affirmed on the right hip and Affirmed edged ahead. Alydar made one last effort but lost by a neck. Believe It placed third, a full 7 ½ lengths behind Alydar, illustrating again how much better the two horses were from the rest of the field.

The 110th Belmont Stakes-Belmont Park
Elmont, New York
June 10, 1978

Only five horses started in the Preakness, making it clear it would be another match race. Affirmed broke immediately to the front, with Alydar, surprisingly, following at his left shoulder. Into the first turn, it was Affirmed, Judge Advocate then Alydar. For the first time, Alydar would stay closer to the front during the race. Cauthen moved to his right, baiting Alydar to the rail which he knew was Alydar’s least favorite position. He was a big horse preferring to be outside. Velasquez realized what Cauthen was doing, and instead swung around to the outside, losing ground to Affirmed on the turn. Velasquez decided it was time to pressure Affirmed, and he pulled alongside. They were nearly a mile from the finish, and yet the duel had already begun. The two horses were running together, head-to-head, coming down the backstretch. The other horses had been left six lengths behind. Around the far turn, Alydar challenged for the lead, but Affirmed dug in and stayed in front. As they came down the stretch, Cauthen felt his horse starting to fatigue for the first time. It was the first time he had found himself in trouble racing Alydar. Velasquez asked Alydar for speed, and he got his head in front of Affirmed. Velasquez and Cauthen agreed that Alydar got the lead about the 3/16ths pole. Chic Anderson on the call could barely keep track of who was in front. “The two are heads apart, and Alydar has got a lead! Alydar put a head in front right in the middle of the stretch!” “It’s Alydar and Affirmed battling back along the inside. We’ll test these two to the wire,” Anderson called. Affirmed got his head back in front. At the sixteenth pole, Velasquez moved Alydar to the left, crowding Affirmed. But Alydar was running on the wrong lead in the stretch, making it difficult to get close to Affirmed. Cauthen said, “There was no room to continue right-handed. That was the first time I hit him (Affirmed) left-handed…And I wasn’t great with my left hand…..But I felt him (Affirmed) respond when I did.” Affirmed was surprised and it was this left-handed effort, propelled by surprise, that edged him past Alydar. Alydar tried to respond and at the wire it was a photo finish. Cauthen knew he won, and stood up in his saddle after the finish waving his left hand.

The Arlington Classic
Arlington Heights, Illinois
July 22, 1978

The race was a hand ride romp for Alydar, who won by thirteen lengths. He came within one second of the track record.

The Whitney Stakes-Saratoga Park
Saratoga Springs, New York
August 5, 1978

After the start, Alydar fell back thirteen lengths from the leader, until the stretch run. He then proceeded to smoke the field, winning by more than ten lengths. He was only 2/5 second off the track record. Alydar had finally changed leads, and in doing so, blew by the older horses.

The Traver’s Stakes-Saratoga
Saratoga Springs, New York
August 19 1978

The start was clean, and Affirmed and Alydar broke quickly. Nasty and Bold went to the lead, followed by Shake Shake Shake, who quickly passed Nasty and Bold for the lead. Affirmed and Alydar were close behind. Into the first turn, they went three wide with Shake Shake Shake keeping the lead and Alydar last on the outside. Down the backstretch, Alydar began to accelerate and moved up to third. Cordero began drifting out with Shake Shake Shake, taking Affirmed with him to the middle of the track. As a result, a lane was open to Alydar on the rail. In an unusual move, Velasquez took Alydar to the rail to challenge Affirmed for the lead. As Alydar pulled closer to Affirmed, Pincay saw Alydar gaining on the inside. He tapped Affirmed to move ahead and then pulled the horse over to the rail, but Alydar was already there. Velasquez felt himself and the horse hitting the rail and thought he was going down. He grabbed the reins and violently twisted Alydar’s head in a valiant effort to stay up. Alydar’s head grazed Affirmed’s rump, and he jumped over Affirmed’s hind legs to avoid catastrophe. As a result, Alydar lost stride and dropped back six lengths. Alydar scrabbled to the middle of the track, regaining his stride and gallantly tried again to catch Affirmed on the final turn. Coming out of the turn, Velasquez felt Alydar switch to the right lead, just as he had in the Whitney. But the horse had lost too much ground to make up before the wire. The track was simply not long enough, again. Velasquez was so sure that Affirmed was going to be disqualified, that he stopped pushing Alydar after he passed Nasty and Bold. The stewards disqualified Affirmed and gave Alydar the win. Everyone was disappointed.

113th Kentucky Derby-Churchill Downs
Louisville, Kentucky
May 2, 1987

Alysheba wins the 1987 Kentucky Derby. He was nearly knocked down twice by Bet Twice but survived the collision and in a hardscrabble finish won the race. Alydar would have been proud.

The 112th Preakness Stakes-Pimlico
Baltimore, Maryland
May 16, 1987

Alysheba won the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, by beating Bet Twice by a half-length. Bet Twice would spoil Alysheba’s Triple Crown chances by beating him in the Belmont.

The 121st Belmont Stakes-Belmont Park
Elmont, New York
June 10, 1989

Alydar’s son, Easy Goer, beats Sunday Silence by eight lengths in the 1989 Preakness Stakes, denying Sunday Silence the Triple Crown. Easy Goer ran the second fastest Belmont in history, second only to Secretariat in 1973. He is the only horse to win the Belmont, Whitney, Travers, Woodward and Jockey Club Gold and the only horse to win the Belmont, Whitney and Travers Stakes in the same year.

Alydar was a success at stud, named Sire of the Year in 1990. In addition to Alysheba and Easy Goer, he sired Turkoman, Strike the Gold, Criminal Type, Althea, and Miss Oceana.

There are several documentaries about the Affirmed-Alydar rivalry listed below. Click on the link to watch.

ESPN Sports Century: Affirmed vs. Alydar 2001

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Affirmed and Alydar Battle for the Crown 1978

Documentary

Run for the Crown 1978 ESPN Classic

Documentary

Reliving a Classic Rivalry
Cauthen and Velasquez-The Bloodhorse

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Unbridled Greed-The Rise and Fall of J.T. Lundy and Calumet Farm

Documentary

Jewels of the Triple Crown

Documentary

The Triple Crown

Documentary

The Kentucky Derby-Greatest Moments

Documentary

The Calumet Trophy Collection

 Documentary