BackTrack: Affirmed Long Gone in Santa Anita Handicap

"When this horse retires," trainer Lazaro Barrera said ruefully, "I'll lose my best friend."

Moments before, Harbor View Farm's champion Affirmed had won the 42nd running of the famous Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in a brilliant performance that triggered a rash of broken records.

Lured by the magnetic personality of the Horse of the Year, the crowd of 66,477 attended on Santa Anita Handicap day, as:

(a) Affirmed set a track record of 1:58 3/5 for 1 1/4 miles;

(b) Affirmed raised his earnings for the meeting to $364,300, breaking the meeting record of $280,450 set only a year ago by Vigor;

(c) Harbor View Farm was boosted to the top in money earnings at Santa Anita—and the meeting still has five weeks to go—with the single-meeting record total of $535,350;

(d) A new record California Daily Double pool of $573,121 and a California record Exacta pool of $1,232,177 were recorded;

(e) The all-time single day betting record in California was broken, with a total of $8,120,422 wagered on the nine-race card.

In the midst of the exciting, busy day, the volatile Barrera was surprisingly calm. The Cuban-born trainer did not seem at all surprised by Affirmed's time, which was one-fifth of a second faster than the former record of 1:58 4/5 set in January by Tiller in winning the San Marcos Handicap (G3) under 126 pounds.

"Everything went just as we had planned," Barrera declared. "I told (Laffit) Pincay to stay in the clear and to take no chances in traffic. My only worry was those two that to come from behind—Exceller and Tiller—and, actually, I did not think Exceller could do it because he had been away since last fall. You can't get a horse ready for a race like this in one month. There was not much early speed in the field, and that made me think that everything shaped up in my favor."

The crowd, basking in spring-like weather, was the largest in two years at Santa Anita.

Nine were entered originally, but on the afternoon of the Big 'Cap, Mr. Redoy, which finished second to Vigors in the race last winter, was scratched because of a minor leg problem. With Mr. Redoy out, the only horse with real early speed was eliminated, making Affirmed's task easier.

So, Affirmed and Pincay permitted Painted Wagon to lead through the first quarter-mile in :23, a half-mile in :46 2/5, and six furlongs in 1:10 1/5. Then Affirmed took charge, reaching the quarter pole in 1:34 1/5. Under top weight of 128 pounds, the Florida-bred son of Exclusive Native—Won't Tell You, by Crafty Admiral, drew off almost at will through the stretch to win by 4 1/2 lengths.

Tiller closed well to be second, but by the time he mounted his best charge, Affirmed was long gone. Painted Wagon, which held on well after being caught by Affirmed at the half-mile pole, finished in a dead heat for third with the fast-closing Exceller, more than seven lengths behind the winner.

Then, with the field well strung out, it was another 7 1/2 lengths back to fifth-place Noble Bronze, which was followed by the Elmendorf entry of True Statement and Prince Worthy, and finally Go West Young Man.

Victory in the Big 'Cap, a race once described by Calumet Farm's Jimmy Jones as the toughest race in the world to win—was worth $192,800, boosting Affirmed's career earnings to $1,609,318 and moving him into fourth place—ahead of Exceller—on the list of all-time leading money-winners. Exceller's $30,000 share of third money raised the career earnings of the six-year-old son of Vaguely Noble to $1,599,003.

Will Affirmed reach the $2-million mark before his retirement on Dec. 1, Barrera was asked.

"He will come awfully close," the trainer said.

Ahead for Affirmed are possibly two races at Hollywood Park—the Californian Stakes (G1) and Hollywood Gold Cup (G1)—and then the Triple Crown winner will return to the East in quest of the all-time money-winning championship and an encore as Horse of the Year.

His tentative targets in the East, Barrera said, are the Whitney (G2), the Marlboro Cup (G1), and the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). The trainer specified that the colt also will be tried once on the grass, but did not name the grass race Affirmed would run in.

"Mr. (Lou) Wolfson loves grass racing, and Affirmed looks like he will run well on grass," Barrera said. "We are going to play it by ear from now on. We are in the driver's seat, and we will not abuse the horse. We will not run if the weights are excessive, and if they are not fair to Affirmed. Mr. Wolfson is in the sport to enjoy it. He does not have to run."

Under terms of the syndication, the colt is to be delivered to Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky on Dec. 1 to be prepared for his career at stud. Barrera is not looking forward to the colt's departure.

"He is so sound, and he loves to run. I wish I could keep him for two more years," the trainer said.

As always a stylish, elegant colt, Affirmed now is bigger and stronger and has a much more mature appearance now than he had at three. Since winning the Triple Crown last spring, he has gained 200 pounds, and he is still as handsome a Thoroughbred as one will see, regal of bearing and seemingly aware of everything that goes on around him. When he returned to the winner's circle to receive the plaudits of the crowd and an affectionate pat from Mrs. Patrice Wolfson, Affirmed's gleaming chestnut coat was as smooth and dry as before the race. He did not look like a colt that just set a record at 10 furlongs.

On the first step out of the gate, Affirmed was in front, but then he was eased back a bit going  by the stands the first time. He permitted Painted Wagon (115), a game and underrated son of Gummo, to take a two-length lead. At the time, Tiller (127) was next to last, and Exceller (127) was last. With the comparatively slow pace, the odds were against Tiller and Exceller from the start.

Midway down the backstretch, True Statement (114) started to move up on the outside, and Pincay, alert to the possibility of being trapped in traffic, let out a notch. Affirmed responded immediately and had his nose in front of Painted Wagon when they reached the half-mile pole. Then still under wraps, he pulled away gradually.

At the five-sixteenths pole, Affirmed was in front by a half-length. Coming into the stretch, Pincay called on Affirmed for his best, and the colt quickly moved to a two-length lead. In the final furlongs Pincay tapped him twice on the right and twice on the left, and Affirmed drew out to an insurmountable lead.

Tiller was closing on the outside, but his charge came too late and was not enough to bother Affirmed.

"This is easily the best horse I have ever ridden," Pincay said. "He does everything so well, and right when you want it. I went to the lead sooner than I really wanted, because Painted Wagon was trying to get out, and I wanted to be clear of any trouble. When the announcer said we were five lengths in front, I couldn't believe it. I didn't hit Affirmed good until we were deep in the stretch. He didn't exactly win easily, but if another horse had been close to him in the stretch, I'm sure he would have dug in and kept running."

Angel Cordero Jr. said that he was aware that he and Tiller would not win by the time they got to the half-mile pole.

"In his last two races, he made up a lot of ground down the backstretch," Cordero said. "Today he fired in the stretch, but he wasn't going to catch the winner. We had no excuses. We were just second-best."

Bill Shoemaker stated that Exceller "gave me a good finish, but the winner was just too much. Considering Exceller's four-month layoff, I was pleased with his effort, and he will be tighter next time out."

Exceller is being pointed for the 1 1/2-mile Sans Luis Rey Stakes (G1T) on March 18 and then the San Juan Capistrano (G1T) at about 1 3/4 miles on closing day, April 8. Trainer Charlie Whittingham's reasoning was that if h had not run Exceller in the Santa Anita Handicap, the horse would not be ready for the San Luis Rey and then possibly would not be ready for the San Juan Capistrano. Thus, Exceller's best race probably is till to come.