Sarge: "Alydar would have won the Triple Crown if he knew how to change leads"

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by OTM Al

Jorge Velazquez told me the same thing. Loved the horse but said he was kind of dumb. Sometimes he would get him to switch but then the horse would switch right back. He really would fight Jorge over this. Can't remember what race it was but he said that once he got him to switch and it was an easy win.

The Travers.

[Nets]

Originally Posted by Overlay

Perhaps Alydar could have won the Triple Crown, but to me the situation that year did not have a "loser" (except perhaps in monetary terms). Affirmed won it, but I don't see how you can think of him without favorably remembering Alydar, also. (The way they're usually mentioned in the same breath, it's almost as if "Affirmedandalydar" were the name of a single horse.)

Which speaks to how the world views things. You are either the best or you stink. Every big race we tend to trash so many horses because they can't/don't win. Yet these same horses are way above just about the entire race horse population.

Of course I am biased, being a life-long Buffalo Bills fan. No one remembers that they won 4 consecutive AFC championships, only that they lost 4 consecutive Super Bowls. Did they stink? Hardly. Did they ultimately fail? Definitely. But, I had many. many enjoyable game days during that run. Just as the owners and fans of high profile horses have.

A missed field goal or running into an even better horse should not take away all that has been accomplished. Just my opinion.

Gary

[affirmedny]

Originally Posted by Spalding No!

The Travers.

Whitney maybe, he was 2nd across the line in the Travers. hard to call that an easy win.

[nijinski]

This thread gives Jorge Velasquez a sigh of relief.

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by affirmedny

Whitney maybe, he was 2nd across the line in the Travers. hard to call that an easy win.

A DQ is the easiest win there is.

Ironically, Affirmed stayed on his left lead in that one. I guess he didn't need to switch to beat Alydar...so long as he was able to try and put Alydar over the rail.

[CincyHorseplayer]

Rare to hear this about a good horse.Many horses get put on the "No bet" list when you recognize this problem in the stretch.I was a tot when Alydar raced.But knowing the history,if this was true,what a monster he would have been.