Affirmed, The Last Triple Crown Winner

Affirmed was a chestnut colt born on February 21, 1975. Years before, a man had bought a sire, Raise a Native, for the cheap price of $20,000. This sire eventually became Affirmed's grandsire.

Raise a Native sired Exclusive Native, who sired Affirmed. Won't Tell You was the dam of Affirmed. When Affirmed was bred, Alydar was bred from Raise a Native. Alydar was the colt who provided real competition to Affirmed.

Affirmed was owned by Harbor View Farm, and Alydar Calumet Farm. Calumet Farm was famous for it's being the owner of two Triple Crown Champions, Whirlaway and Citation, and having owned eight Kentucky Derby winners. Harbor View Farm was, however, 'just another farm,' as one might say.

In 1977, Affirmed raced in nine races, winning seven, and placing two. The two he placed were lost to Alydar. It was a battle between the two chestnut colts, as Affirmed beat Alydar in a few of those seven wins.

In 1978, Affirmed won four straight races, as did Alydar, and were both entered in the 1978 Kentucky Derby. The horses broke like a flash, and Affirmed snatched the lead in the second turn, then lead the field all the way to the finish line, one-and-one-half lengths in front of Alydar. The colt's jockey had only been able to ride in the Derby because of how many honors, awards and money he had won. He had just turned eighteen years old.

The Preakness was somewhat harder. In the homestretch, it was all about Alydar and Affirmed. When Alydar moved up a few inches, Affirmed moved up a few inches. The finish photo showed that Affirmed had won by a neck. Affirmed was the only horse that Alydar couldn't beat.

The Belmont Stakes came, and when the horses took off, it found Affirmed as their leader. In the backstretch, however, Alydar moved up on him, and they began a dual down the homestretch. Only a few times did it waver, when Affirmed stuck his nose in front, but then they were back to together again. They were so close, in fact, that Cauthen, Affirmed's jockey, and who was on the inside, had no choice but to whip with his left hand, and Valesquez, Alydar's jockey, had no choice but to whip with his right. It all ended showing that Affirmed had won by a nose, becoming the eleventh Triple Crown winner and the last to this day.

Affirmed raced several other times, and most were won. By the time he had retired, in late 1978, his earnings totaled $2,393,818. The only time he had placed out of the money was in a race where his saddle slipped, nearly unseating his jockey. He ended up in fifth.

Affirmed sired some good racehorses. In 2001, he was euthanized, prior to his unability to walk.