Affirmed - 1978 Kentucky Derby

[DerbyDeals]

My, my Steve Cauthen. Seems like that's been a hundred years ago.

[MCMLXIXwasagoodyear]

I was at this race... I was selling tshirts. my tshirt said: "Believe It... Alydar is Affirmed!" The guy I was selling for had bet the farm on Alydar.

[ryan12378]

1978 was the last year the triple crown was won 33 years i was born that year 1978

[Caballerango08]

The last real Champ....beat Alydar was not easy...did it three times..amazing...

[twoking10]

Alydar, like Sham 5 years earlier, was one of those great horses who picked the wrong year to be born.

[burningrosegirl98]

Wow. The jockey was young. Exactly how old was he?

[cf1970]

@burningrosegirl98 Steve had just turned 18, on May 1st, five days previous to his Derby win on Affirmed.

[burningrosegirl98]

@cf1970 Ok thanks!

[mow1717]

in those days there several triple crown winners.

[Jiltedin2007]

RIP: Affirmed. There will NEVER be another horse like you!

[ginita105]

Throughbreds were faster than they are now,we don't have a triple crown winner since Affirmed! And there should be a rule that no horse can run in the belmont stakes unless he had run in the derby and the preakness too..

[SophieeLovesHorses]

affirmed is my horses grandfather (:

[ewd76]

Ten horses in 1978 to nineteen in 2010.

[tkkrupnikas]

My Uncle was in this race. Unfourtunatly he got in last. But atleast he made it to th Kentucky derby.

[HollywoodParkSteward]

Coming into this race Sensitive Prince was undefeated! Believe It had crushed the Wood Memorial field and then you had Affirmed and Alydar. Alydar would have been a 2/3 year old champ almost any other year, but the same is true for Believe It! Alydar beat him in the Tremont and Florida Derby, he creamed Alydar in the Remson. Believe It could also have been going for the triple crown in most other years- THAT is how great the division was!

[barbaroluver1996]

wow thats was amzing win for affirmed! it just took my breath away but wow did alydar come on storng!

[jhordanian]

In addition to owning a 7-3 heads-up advantage, Affirmed proved his superiority over Alydar as a 4 year old. Whereas Alydar was only 2 for 6 at age 4, with only one graded stakes win (grade 3), Affirmed won the last 7 races of his career at age 4, with 6 of those wins coming in grade 1s. Affirmed won the gr1 Strub by 10, the Santa Anita Cap by 4.5 under 128, grade 1 Californian by 5 under 130, the gr1 Hollywood Gold Cup under 132, the gr1 Woodward, and gr1 Jockey Club Gold Cup over the Bid.

[brianclough]

Steve Cauthen, great jockey

[VisayanPrincess]

I own a daughter of Affirmed and she is 16 years old and in foal to a young stallion named Suances who stands in Ca. Her name is Floraffirm and gave me a filly 2 years ago named Single Deck,who hopefully will run in Ca. next year. This mare is arthritic and has crooked legs but has the spirit of her father and a will to live.She ran once and won and her trainer said she was way to fast for her legs. This will be her last baby and I will love her until the day she leaves me. Thank you Affirmed!

[aosics]

My client owns a stallion sired by Alydar and the mare Fargaze.

[xmi11]

agreed...

[54spiritedwill54]

Alydar was a better horse

[Barbaro2012]

Any horse that wins the Triple Crown is great!

Alydar did a great job too, so did Barbaro and Street Sense

[TangledWebFilms]

Alydar came on so strong at the wire...wow!

[jazzaboomer]

My daughter does "Eventing" with one of Affirmed's grandsons...ferriers, vets, everyone who has met "Diamond" says he has the biggest heart...must be his pedigree.

[orangecountydrums44]

HOW OLD IS HIS JOCKEY?!?!?!!

[Wando2000]

He turned 18 shortly before the Belmont, so I guess technically he's 17 in this race.

[gregarious24]

orangecountydrums - That was my exact reaction, too. Haha.

[Tromminator]

Actually, he'd just turned 18. Steve was born May 1, 1960.

However, he'd started racing a couple of years before that. You are right, he was young.

[obywankenoby]

es verdad que este caballo corrio 100 metros en 3 segundos?

[RidingWithRuffian]

I bet Alydar would have won one of the triple crown races if he hadn't have injured his eye. But who knows? Affirmed was a great horse too! Just to see they battle and be great rivals with one another truly shows this sport. These two were a great example of racing's best performances. They are legendary champions.

[81way]

Affirmed was such an apted name for that horse. He dug in and never relinquished.Great horse not in the same class as Secretariate (SP) or Seattle Slew but my favorite.

[xxwelshponyxx]

COOL!!!! i also ♥ northern dancer...u should post races with him in it...or have u????

[cf1970]

Yes, I've posted a few videos with Northern Dancer. Go to my video list and look for him by typing in his name in the search bar. There are other great videos of him on YouTube as well, including a great tribute video from my friend Dingerz.

Take care.

[Tromminator]

Loved it. Thanks for posting. This was the first KY Derby I ever saw. Great race!

[khavarian]

stevie had too much early success

it jinxed him

[jonny7480]

i feel so proud everytime i watch this, because i owned one of affirmed's offspring. his name was starlit night. i had bought him in alberta canada. i started him eight times with only 3 thirds.unfortunately i had sold him, and he is now running in saskatoon saskatchewan canada.but having the chance to own a horse who had come from affirmed was something for me. thank you affirmed.

[TomBarrister]

Alydar had no problem changing leads in the mornings. For some reason he rarely changed leads during the races.

[Kostly]

Jesus, an 18 yr. old kid riding that stallion. Great horse and a prodigy jockey.

[19jpk59]

steve cauthen (the jockey) was only 16!

[mrskanej]

No he wasn't. He was 18. His birthday is May 1, 1960. He turned 18 a couple of days before the Kentucky Derby.

[tomar111292]

i heard that alydar never change leads so if he was able to the triplecrown would be way different . i heard alydar had a problem with his other leg thats why

[Rachalone]

Wow, they're beautiful!

Looks like they're on the field to win.

Nigel, if you see this message, please contact me about your horse.

[LaurenMarie21]

i almost had one of alydar's grand babies...but affirmed was tight...that jockey looks really young

[missyc79]

He was 18!

[investortownhall]

Yes, Alydar was the favorite but was to far back at the turn to catch Affirmed down the HS. I was there and without a doubt Alydar was one of the best looking horses you'll ever see. But Street Sense's win coming from 19th to finish first was the best race I've ever seen.

[DarthRrockr]

Have you seen Secretariate coming from last to first in both the Derby and Preakness?

[investortownhall]

No, thanks I check out re-runs.

[DarthRrockr]

I misspelled: should be Secretariat. Check out the videos by user gfn02

I'm sure you'll love them. Secretariat was the best horse ever, with all due respect to all the magnificent horses of the past century.

[atreju1979]

You can see Secretariat as a two year old pass tons of horses on the OUTSIDE in a move that makes Street Sense's move seem somehow average in the Hopeful Stakes. He also came from last to first in the Derby, but passed on the ouside again, and ran each quarter mile faster than the 1 before it throughout the entire race!

[JereRowe]

Alydar was a better horse

[AwsiDooger]

I'm still amazed that Affirmed and Alydar met six times as 2-year-olds. Affirmed won four of the six, yet Alydar was favored in the Derby.

[thelanceman]

My favorite horse of all time! (Sorry Alydar)

[flatonia]

Good ride by Cauthen, laying off the blistering early pace.

[cf1970]

Yes, I agree. Well done by the very young Cauthen. He showed a lot of wisdom. Take care.