Flashback: Away from Affirmed, Alydar romps in the Whitney

Just how talented was Alydar, the Calumet Farm homebred who famously finished second behind Affirmed in all three legs of the 1978 Triple Crown?

Alydar is remembered largely for his duels with Affirmed, his own accomplishments darkened by the shadow of his legendary (and narrowly superior) rival. If not for Affirmed, Alydar would certainly have been a Triple Crown winner in his own right. Instead, the son of Raise a Native forever lingers on the edge of greatness.

Perhaps the greatest indication of Alydar’s own abundant ability is the list of races he won in the absence of Affirmed. In the summer of 1978, after Alydar’s strong but frustrating Triple Crown campaign, trainer John Veitch elected to send his star colt down a different path than Affirmed, a lucrative path that included a run in the Whitney Stakes (G2) against older horses at Saratoga.

Nowadays, it’s rare for any 3-year-old to face their elders during the summer, especially in a prestigious race like the Whitney. But for Alydar — who kicked off the summer with a 13-length triumph in the Arlington Classic (G2) — tackling older rivals was surely preferable to facing Affirmed in Saratoga’s Jim Dandy Stakes (G3). Aside from the obvious benefit of avoiding the Triple Crown champion, the Whitney would award nearly $50,000 to the winner, more than twice as much as the Jim Dandy.

Still, the Whitney wasn’t exactly an easy race on paper. Although a small field had been expected, racing secretary Tommy Trotter “was overjoyed… when he counted the entries and found a dozen named to the $75,000 nine-furlong race,” reads the August 4, 1978 edition of the New York Daily News.

There was J. O. Tobin, an accomplished 4-year-old who had famously conquered Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew in the 1977 Swaps Stakes (G1). There was Buckaroo, a 3-year-old with two graded stakes victories under his belt. There was Father Hogan, winner of the 1976 Jim Dandy Stakes (G3) at Saratoga; Proud Birdie, victorious in the 1977 Marlboro Cup Handicap (G1); and the speedy Nearly On Time, winner of the Whitney in 1977.

The field was deep, and Alydar wasn’t dealt any favors at the post position draw. Installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite with regular rider Jorge Velasquez in the saddle, Alydar received the far outside post position.

“I was concerned about [the outside draw],” Veitch said in the August 7, 1978 edition of The Cincinnati Enquirer. “I felt if J. O. Tobin broke well with Nearly On Time and both went to the lead, Jorge could fall in behind with him…”

The potential for a wide trip didn’t bother the wagering public. After three scratches reduced the field to nine starters, Alydar was bet down to 7-10 by post time. In the absence of Affirmed, the crowd of 31,034 saw little reason to doubt Alydar’s ability to win.

Unfortunately, when the starting gates opened, Veitch’s careful script fell into disarray as J. O. Tobin broke poorly and failed to challenge for the lead. Instead, longshot Buckaroo wound up vying for early supremacy with Nearly On Time, while Alydar was caught seven or eight paths off the rail heading into the first turn before eventually settling in sixth place, 13 lengths off the pace.

The circumstances were less than ideal, but Alydar eventually managed to work his way toward the rail while the leaders posted fractions of :23 3/5 and :46 3/5. The pace was steady but not overly remarkable for a fast track, but it proved too stiff for Nearly On Time, who fell back around the far turn as J.O. Tobin made a move to reach even terms with Buckaroo through six furlongs in 1:10 2/5. Behind them, Alydar was slowly edging closer, narrowing the gap, lurking behind and waiting for the right moment to strike.

“I was keeping my eye more on Buckaroo than J.O. Tobin down the backstretch,” said Velasquez in The Cincinnati Enquirer, “because I know [jockey] Angel Cordero was going more easily than Jeff Fell was on J. O. Tobin.”

The moment to move came on the far turn. Velasquez asked Alydar to accelerate, and with enormous strides Alydar swamped the leaders like a rocket unencumbered by friction or gravity. In the matter of a single furlong, Alydar roared up along the inside, gaining a half-dozen lengths on the leaders to sweep past Buckaroo at the top of the Saratoga homestretch.

This spectacular rally was impressive in and of itself, but down the lane, Alydar turned on the afterburners, powering away from his overmatched elders with complete authority. In front by four lengths through a mile in 1:35 1/5, Alydar easily extended his daylight advantage through the final furlong to cross the finish line 10 lengths in front. The timer reiterated the powerful nature of Alydar’s performance, revealing that the son of Raise a Native had run 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 2/5, just 2/5 off the track record.

“In the beginning, he’s not as quick as other horses, but when he gets in gear, he’s gone,” said Velasquez in The Cincinnati Enquirer. “He’s a great horse.”

“Alydar was at the very top of his game,” Veitch later recalled in the book Affirmed and Alydar: Racing’s Greatest Rivalry, by Timothy Capps. “J. O. Tobin was a top horse, but Alydar couldn’t have been better and was very convincing.”

Regarding Alydar’s wide journey into the first turn, Veitch admitted in The Cincinnati Enquirer “J.O. Tobin didn’t break, so we were a little wide going into the turn. If he had gotten beat, it would have bothered me.”

As it turned out, Veitch needn’t have worried. On that summer day at Saratoga, absent Affirmed, Alydar could have raced wide around both turns and still won for fun.

J. Keeler Johnson is a writer, videographer, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. You can follow him on Twitter at @J_Keelerman.