BackTrack: Affirmed Holds off Alydar in Amazing Belmont

IF you care anything about horse racing, you must have seen the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) unless something else happened that was very important. If you saw it on television, then you know that it was a great race—maybe the greatest you have seen or ever will see—and you know about the coolness of the riders and the courage of the horses. You know that Alydar went at it the only way he could, since he had been beaten using his own style. He went to the throat of Affirmed early, a mile or so from the finish, and he fought on Affirmed's ground, at Affirmed's game.

Alydar could not risk it with a stretch run, a late kick that has run by every other horse he has met and on occasion even got him by Affirmed. He could not risk that again, because in the Preakness (gr. I) and in other races, he had gotten to terms and had not been able to make it to the front.

If you saw it on television, you know that Alydar did everything he could, and you know that Affirmed stood up to him again, fought back when Alydar caught and passed him, and ran on desperately and won by a head. If you watched on television, you know all about the Belmont.

What you missed is hard to measure, but you would have liked it better if you could have been there.

There is no way to generalize about how 65,000 people react—some might have been bitter that they lost money, others only anxious to cash, some might have been disgusted at the length of the betting lines and food lines, and some simply might have missed watching the race. There is no way to describe 65,000 people as if they were one, but there were a lot of them there who knew it was better to be at Belmont Park than to be anywhere else on June 10.

There was a reaching out to those horses, albeit one way, that could not exist across the air waves.

Probably, it is ridiculous to cheer a horse, just as it is ridiculous to cheer into the noise of Indianapolis cars blasting by at 200 m.p.h. or to cheer a fighter when you watch on the big screen and he is half-a-planet away. The drivers and the boxer could not possibly hear you, and the horse does not care.

At a football game, you can believe that the cheering helps, because the home-team players will feed your ego by saying how the crowd got them up in the last quarter, meant the difference between victory and defeat. From the horses there will be no such reinforcement. You are more apt to startle a horse by shouting than to help him, and so the cheering that comes from 65,000 people at a horse race comes from some motivation other than helping a favorite contestant. It is spontaneous, and when the race is the Belmont between two wonderful colts the cheering is almost involuntary, so there were some among the 65,000 that were surprised by themselves.

We sat in a section of the crowd where those around us were not directly involved with the Turf, not owners or trainers or jockeys' wives or officials. Around us grew unabashed sound, enormous sound, at once high but low, shrill but growling. Once Affirmed and Alydar were locked in the stretch, the sound was locked in, too, and around us after the race there were looks of amazement. Many appeared to have had no particular choice in the race, simply had been overwhelmed by the beauty of the struggle, and afterward they cheered Alydar almost as loudly as they cheered Affirmed. There was a winner and a loser, but the brilliance of each made a hero of the other.

If you saw it on television, you know all about the Belmont, but you missed hearing hardened New York race fans on the MTA Belmont Special. You missed the black lady in the green scarf and the plump, middle-aged white man in a yellow pullover, talking about two horses, calling them by their names and never "the two horse and the three horse," remarking over and over how great they both were, and never putting the knock on the jock who happened not to be on the winner.

What you missed is hard to measure, but you would have liked it better if you could have been there.

RACING men thought the 1978 Belmont as special as did anyone else. Even those involved in the race talked of the battle. Lou Rondinello, trainer of Darby Creek Road, said that once he felt that his colt was coming on and would get third as hoped, he aimed his glasses on the front pair. John Russell, trainer of Judge Advocate, when asked how his fourth-place finisher came out of the battle said he seemed fine, "but you can bet I wasn't watching him all the way."

A great race, in the sense of a close struggle between two nice horses, can occur suddenly, and be over just as quickly. One of the best horse races anyone at Belmont had seen recently, prior to the eighth race that day, was two races before. Steve Cauthen, as he would on Affirmed, had been pinned along the rail on Harbor View Farm's Life's Hope, a major winner by Exclusive Native, and he had guided the horse to a narrow score after a battle through the stretch with Ruffian's half-brother, Buckfinder, and Angel Cordero Jr. As a physical contest, that was a great race, but it will not be remembered forever by 65,000. It did not elicit suggestion that it was one of the greatest ever.

A great race requires circumstance, a building of feeling, as well as a superb contest on the track. That Affirmed and Alydar battled at 1 1/2 miles was memorable; that the race was the grand old Belmont made it more so; that it involved the winning of a Triple Crown was more than could be asked, and that it was their ninth meeting resulting in their fifth photo finish together, lifted the race to the heights.

Among recent battles between two brilliant horses, it can be likened to Noor's triumph over Citation at 1 3/4 miles in the 1950 San Juan Capistrano, Jaipur's nose triumph over Ridan after 1 1/4 miles in the 1962 Travers, and Gun Bow's repeated holding off of Kelso in the 1964 Woodward. Among similar races much more yellowed by time, there were the great round-robin meetings of Henry of Navarre, Domino, and Clifford in the 1890s, one of the races resulting in a dead heat between Henry and Domino. Each of these, and others, must have sent people home uplifted, touched by what they had watched, ready to accept that they had never seen—and would not see—anything to top it.

The Belmont of Affirmed was such a race. As for background, it had more than any spring 3-year-old race is likely to have. The duel between the two had begun almost exactly a year earlier, at the same site, when Affirmed won the Youthful over the first-time starter Alydar.

No Youthful Stakes winner had started in a Belmont Stakes since Bold Ruler, and none had won both races since Native Dancer. In terms of Affirmed, Native Dancer is three generations away, being the sire of Raise a Native, he in turn sire of Exclusive Native, the sire of Affirmed.

By the end of 1977, Affirmed owned four victories in six races against Alydar (a grandson of Native Dancer, being by Raise a Native). At 3, each was undefeated in four races before the classics began. Affirmed then won the Kentucky Derby (G1) by 1 1/2 lengths, unworried by the late kick of favored Alydar; and Affirmed won the Preakness (G1) by a neck, worried, harried, pushed, but not bettered, by Alydar's stretch-long challenge.

They came then to the Belmont Stakes, the final, 1 1/2-mile segment of the Triple Crown, the series won in 10 other years since 1919, but never won in consecutive years.

LAZ BARRERA, trainer of the Florida-bred Affirmed for owner-breeder Louis Wolfson, had been forced to bring the colt back to fighting edge amidst the extreme wetness of the California winter. Once he had the lean chestnut's straited muscles taut and the colt fit, he gave him little hard work between races.

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness were enough work, and little was needed other than long gallops in the three weeks before the Belmont. On June 1, Barrera sent Affirmed a mile in 1:40 1/5, and on June 7 sent him five furlongs in 1:01.

John Veitch determined after the Preakness that two changes should be made in his strategy. Alydar had done his best work when coming from well off the pace, throwing in stretch runs that had overwhelmed everyone he showed them to, except Affirmed. In the Preakness, Affirmed had had an easy time on the lead and had outsprinted Alydar when they hooked up in the stretch. Steve Cauthen, rider of Affirmed, had had the cool to wait for Alydar in the Preakness, and then held him off.

Belmonts have been won by good strong gallopers, setting a controlled pace all the way, and Veitch was determined that Affirmed not have his way on the lead. He also decided to take the blinkers off Alydar.

"I've thought for the last couple of races that he really didn't need them," Veitch said, "and sometimes when you make a change like that, the first time he races the horse has a sort of freshness, and you get good results."

Last year, Veitch had worked Our Mims the full 1 1/2-mile distance prior to her victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I), and he worked Alydar the entire route before the Belmont. Ten days before the classic, the Calumet Farm colt toured the Belmont oval, the full 1 1/2 miles, in 2:43 3/5. Four days later, he sharpened with a neat six-furlong move in 1:12 3/5, and on the Friday before the race he blew out in the slop in :35 for three furlongs.

Both colts had kept their flesh well, were sound and ready, and their presence did not encourage a large field. James W. Phillips, whose father-in-law, John Galbreath, won Belmonts with Chateaugay and Little Current, sent his Darby Creek Road after the Big Two again. Darby Creek Road, trained by Rondinello, is in the first crop of Galbreath's Epsom Derby winner Roberto. He had won a sprint stakes at Saratoga at 2 and had been second this spring in the Wood Memorial (G1) and fourth in the Kentucky Derby. Between the Derby and the Belmont, Darby Creek Road was second to Buckaroo in the Peter Pan Handicap at 1 1/8 miles.

Others in the Belmont were Miami Lakes Ranch's Noon Time Spender and Odgen Phipps' Judge Advocate. Noon Time Spender, an Amasport colt trained by Antonio Arcodia, had been second in Alydar's Flamingo Stakes (G1) and fourth in the Preakness. In his last race before the Belmont, he had run second to Mac Diarmida on the grass at Monmouth Park.

Judge Advocate, a Reviewer colt from a half-sister to Buckpasser, had raced only four times, had broken his maiden at a mile May 12, then had been unplaced on grass.

THE Belmont figured to be a two-horse race, although two-horse showdowns can have a way of turning out in some other order: The Nashua-Summer Tan duel was interrupted in the Derby by Swaps; the rematch of Candy Spots and Never Bend was won by Chateaugay; the Bold Forbes-Honest Pleasure Preakness went to Elocutionist, and, years earlier, in the prototype, one of the Gallant Fox-Whichone meetings was a Jim Dandy at 100-1.

After a year of seeing the extraordinary consistency of Affirmed and Alydar—consistency both in superiority to all others and in their ability to stage competitive races—few could reconcile a vision of any other winning the Belmont. The New York Racing Association prerace build-up included a radio commercial which stated "they're sure to be head-and-head," a bit of bravado for which second-guessing proved unnecessary.

ONE of the owners of Seattle Slew last year had remarked after the Belmont that he had expected it to be the easiest race of the three classics, and had been right. Barrera, who two years ago had won a Belmont when Cordero got Bold Forbes home just in time, also observed that sometimes the Belmont becomes an easier race than the others because the pace is a mere gallop.

John Veitch determined that Affirmed would have no gallop. If he were to beat Veitch's colt yet again, it would be a test and not a romp. 

"I don't want a slow pace," Veitch said, "and if it is too slow we will go on and go to the front. What I would like would be to shadow him. I don't want Affirmed to be fresh and then have to try to outrun him in the stretch."

Both colts were cheered by those lining the paddock, where the crowd inside pushed cameramen perilously close to the heels of the horses. The Triple Crown candidate with the superstar jockey was only slightly more popular with the crowd than his runner-up. If Seattle Slew and Secretariat held all eyes before their Belmonts, Affirmed had to share the gaze with Alydar, and this was a tribute to both.

The trumpeted battle was about to begin, the virtual match race of two horses within a cast of five. The crowd, officially listed at 65,417, was ready, ready to rise in voice and rise to its feet.

Judge Advocate broke fastest, well, soonest. He took a prodigious lunge through the closed starting gate stall and had to be led around to the back and re-loaded. It was a reminder that anything can go wrong, can spoil the expected scenario of a horse race, but it was the only mishap.

Affirmed was hustled right to the lead, with Alydar along the inside, close to him, in the opening strides. Jorge Velasquez did not go at Affirmed as if it were a sprint, though, and he allowed the 3-5 choice to edge far enough away that he got the rail before reaching the first turn. Alydar, at even money, dropped to third, as Judge Advocate showed signs of prompting Affirmed early.

Into the sweeping turn, Affirmed held a length over Judge Advocate, and then he began to edge away as they rounded toward the backstretch. The pace was slow, and Velasquez did not let the favorite slip away for long. He sent Alydar back into second and after a half-mile in :50, Alydar was shadowing Affirmed. In a few strides, he moved closer, went right up to race for a mile with a colt he had battled so often in the stretch before.

"We were going nice and slow early," Cauthen said. "Alydar was riding with me, but it was a slow pace. I took him slow down the backstretch, just kept in front without pressing."

The pace quickened. After six furlongs in 1:14, Alydar forced the next quarter-mile in :23 2/5, and the next furlong was run in :13. They had dawdled early, but they were flying, fighting each other, a very long way from home.

Affirmed held a slight lead down the backstretch and around the turn, although at moments the colts were virtually even. The furlong from the three-eighths pole to the quarter pole they ran in :11 1/5. Alydar had thrown down the challenge. It was a long one, not a dash to the leader in the stretch, but a prolonged, grinding attempt to wear out Affirmed.

They headed into the stretch, into the resounding thunder of the 65,000. Both riders were low, and both soon were whipping. Velasquez kept his mount close enough to Cauthen's that it was difficult for Cauthen to whip right-handed. Alydar edged up, got even, and, nearing the furlong pole, he got his head in front. Had it worked? Had he worn down the colt that had beaten him six out of eight times before?

Cauthen never had hit Affirmed on the left before, but the time was at hand. He switched the whip neatly and went to work. Affirmed spurted back, gained even ground again. They were head and head. The unexpectedly expected had come to pass—a battle to the wire at 1 1/2 miles.

Both colts had to grow weary, but both knew they had to win. The riders pushed and whipped to help them. The horses were a team, Velasquez once whipping on the right in perfect synchronization with the motion of Cauthen's arm on the left, so that for an instant the entire unit, horses and men, resembled a great swooping hawk, the riders' whips rising and falling like wings.

The great crowd called down upon them, and the moment of resolution had come.

Cauthen and Velasquez agreed that Alydar got the lead, "I guess about the three-sixteenths pole," Cauthen said. "But there is nothing wrong with my horse. He fought back, and I guess we got back to him about 20 yards from the finish. My horse likes company, he likes to run with other horses—but he likes to be in front."

Oh, how Affirmed likes, lusts, to be in front. In the final yards, he was tired, Cauthen could tell, but he was not through, and once again, he had his way. It was close, too close to say that one outgamed the other, too close to assume that, thrusting his thousand pounds plus at full speed, Alydar would perceive that at the wire he was beaten, but Cauthen knew it, felt sure enough to rise briefly in the saddle a few strides past the post and wave his whip in the air in his left hand.

The Triple Crown had been won, the young millionaire—richest horse ever to run in a Belmont—had done it all, but, for once the Triple was not uppermost. So great had the nine-race series been, so compelling had the Belmont battle been, that there was little emotional room for the Triple Crown trophy. Most of the emotion went for two horses.

The final quarter-mile was run in :25 1/5, a slowing which only verifies the laws of nature. The final time was 2:26 4/5, which has been bettered only by Secretariat (2:24) and Gallant Man (2:26 3/5) in their runaway victories.

It was the 14th triumph in 16 races for Affirmed, his seventh win in nine races against Alydar, and raised his career earnings to $1,133,807. Incredibly, though, the series may not be over, so close have the horses been so often.

"I will be looking towards the Travers (G1) next," said Veitch, "and I hope Affirmed is in it. I still think we can beat him. You hear that stuff about Affirmed never letting Alydar pass him. Well, he passed him in the stretch in the Belmont. Jorge said he got in front, and then the other horse came back and got nearly a neck, and then Alydar came on again."

At a celebration after the race, owner-breeder Wolfson, tall, tan, reserved, and quiet-spoken, sipped champagne amid the inevitable questions.

Wolfson has withheld the word "great" from Affirmed, because he is a 3-year-old and has not been asked yet to carry high weights. Would he say, however, that Affirmed is a great 3-year-old?

"Yes, a great 3-year-old, and so is Alydar, but I want to see him run at 4 before I call him great overall. I'd say Forego is a great horse."

How had Wolfson trained up to the race?

"Well, my wife has been very nervous, but I have been at this too long to get uptight about anything. If I ever was going to get excited, this would have been the day."

Barrera, a garrulous, demonstrative man in contrast to Wolfson's low-profile bearing, came to his boss, clasped his right hand and held it, speaking of the "greatest thing" they had done.

Wolfson, mildly uncomfortable to be clinching fists like soul-brother basketball players at center court, congratulated Barrera: "It was you, not me."

"It was both of us," said the trainer. "You have to be the way you are. It was because you let me do whatever I think is best."

Barrera had won his second Belmont, and his fifth classic, in the last three years.

"A man asked me this morning if I worry about Affirmed getting 1 1/2 miles. I say, 'if Bold Forbes, who I didn't think could get 1 1/2 miles with a jet plane, can do it, then Affirmed can go three miles.' Affirmed has the biggest heart in the world, but I tell you something, Alydar has a great heart, too."

Two great hearts, two "great 3-year-olds" eventually will slip into the context of history. Racing will have its heights, the close struggles and the knockout individual performances—the Secretariats by 31 lengths, the Foregos under 137 pounds. Brilliance and victory, valor and defeat, will all be with us still, and you will know that this Belmont ranks forever with the best of it.

Was it the greatest race of all? That does not really matter. It was certainly great enough.