On DVD or VHS: A one-of-kind custom 17-RACE TIME CAPSULE of racing's most famous rivalry: that of AFFIRMED & ALYDAR!
In the Spring of 1977, two colts began bumping into each other, presaging what would become the greatest rivalry in American racing history...one was Calumet Farm's ALYDAR and the other - Harbor View Farm's AFFIRMED.
This extremely rare time capsule FEATURES ALL 10 RACES in which AFFIRMED and ALYDAR locked horns with each other - ALL IN THEIR ENTIRETY...FROM START TO FINISH!
In their two-year-old season of 1977 the two would provide the most uncompromising struggles seen between two-year-olds since NASHUA and SUMMER TAN in 1954.
1) In their first meeting AFFIRMED bested ALYDAR in the 1977 YOUTHFUL STAKES
2) But then was decisively beaten in the 1977 GREAT AMERICAN STAKES by a big, tough ALYDAR at the top of his form
3) In the 1977 HOPEFUL STAKES and
4) 1977 BELMONT FUTURITY, AFFIRMED hung on to win by a 1/2-length and a nose
5) But in the 1977 CHAMPAGNE STAKES, ALYDAR blasted by wide on the outside of AFFIRMED and caught his arch-rival by surprise winning by 1-1/4 lengths
6) The duel raged on all through Summer and into the Fall. The Two-Year-Old Championship would clearly be decided at the 1977 LAUREL FUTURITY and in one of the most ferocious drives ever seen, AFFIRMED and ALYDAR, each running within an inch of his life, brought the house down again..AFFIRMED held on to win by a neck
It seemed too good to be true to expect the two adversaries to continue into next Spring's Triple Crown races - ordinarily the stars of the early two-year-old races are long since forgotten when the next year's three-year-old Classics roll around. In the case of AFFIRMED and ALYDAR, however, the unexpected came to pass and they remained the dominant pair for the Triple Crown of 1978. Each race was more dramatic than the next
7) AFFIRMED won the 1978 KENTUCKY DERBY almost handily
8) But then ALYDAR challenged early in the 1978 PREAKNESS STAKES and AFFIRMED was all out to hold him off by a neck
9) Finally, in an epic BELMONT STAKES, the pair were locked in mortal combat throughout the length of the stretch and AFFIRMED and his whiz-kid rider, STEVE CAUTHEN, were forced to the limits of stamina and courage to win the Triple Crown in a photo finish
10) The stage was set for the 10th and final meeting between the two...this time in the historic 1978 TRAVERS STAKES at Saratoga. To everyone's disappointment, the result of this race proved nothing but bittersweet...AFFIRMED finished first but was disqualified to second place for interfering with ALYDAR, who was awarded the victory
With these two rivals never again meeting on the track, the final score in their ten battles was AFFIRMED: 7 and ALYDAR: 3.
AS AN ADDED BONUS...THE FOLLOWING 7 RACES ARE ALSO INCLUDED:
1) The 1977 SAPLING STAKES featuring ALYDAR and NOONTIME SPENDER
2) The 1978 WHITNEY HANDICAP showcasing ALYDAR's best-ever performance with BUCKAROO, FATHER HOGAN, J.O.TOBIN and NEARLY ON TIME
3) Then the 1978 MARLBORO CUP...a historic race...the first time two Triple Crown winners ever competed in the same race...with AFFIRMED and SEATTLE SLEW...also shows the recently retired FOREGO being greeted by a standing ovation leading the post parade
4) Next is the 1978 JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP...another race for the ages with EXCELLER, SEATTLE SLEW and AFFIRMED - the first time in history that three millionaires met to race
5) Then the 1979 JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP which was the big showdown of the year between the great three-year-old SPECTACULAR BID and AFFIRMED (also featuring COASTAL...that year's Belmont winner)
6) Next up...watch the rising juvenile star AFFIRMED shine in the 1977 SANFORD STAKES against QUADRATIC, JET DIPLOMACY and TILT UP
7) And finally, watch the very touching scene when Keeneland officials brought in Calumet Farm matriarch Lucille Wright-Markey and her husband trackside to watch their darling, ALYDAR, race in the 1978 BLUE GRASS STAKES.
During his career AFFIRMED became racing's 11th and last Triple Crown winner, won 14 Gr. I stakes races, won two Horse-of-the-Year titles and was syndicated for a record $14.4 million. Even though ALYDAR was never a champion racehorse, when it came time to cast ballots for inductees to Saratoga's Hall of Fame in 1989, voters couldn't forget ALYDAR's raw talent and tremendous heart and his overall record of 14 wins in 26 starts - and he was immortalized in this elite group. ALYDAR left his mark at stud with such champions as EASY GOER, ALYSHEBA, TURKOMAN and others, ranking as North America's leading sire in 1990; but for all that he accomplished in racing and at stud, ALYDAR is remembered by many as the only horse in history to finish second in all three Triple Crown races.
ALYDAR died on November 15, 1990 - two days after breaking his right hind leg in a mysterious late night accident in his stall at Calumet - the same week that another racing legend and prolific sire took his last breathe...NORTHERN DANCER at age 29. ALYDAR, dead at 15, still bloomed with promise of future greats - leaving behind a legacy of outstanding runners. He promised so much and gave so much but he was born in the wrong year, the year of AFFIRMED...and he died in the wrong year...about a decade too soon. We can only envision the bigger mark he may have stamped on the sport. In the meantime, we can treasure the memories of his Triple Crown near-misses.
A truly remarkable collection of the 10 meetings between AFFIRMED and ALYDAR, PLUS 7 BONUS RACES OF AFFIRMED and ALYDAR IN WHICH THEY RAN INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHER making a total of 17 RACES - all in their entirety - a RARE opportunity! In addition, countless more extremely rare vintage footage is generously sprinkled throughout of both racing icons AFFIRMED and ALYDAR in this unique, one-of-a-kind compilation. Segments such as AFFIRMED's official Calumet Farm stallion commercial and a lengthy segment investigating the on-going mystery of the unfortunate and untimely death of ALYDAR are just a small sampling of endless film clips included in this definitive time capsule of the two unforgettable champions who will forever be linked in racing history!
FOR A DETAILED CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF THE 17 RACES FEATURED IN THIS TIME CAPSULE, JUST REQUEST A COPY AND A COMPILATION SHEET ALONG WITH THE 1,2,3 FINISHERS WILL BE E-MAILED TO YOU.
2 Hours.
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