One track for Thursday and it’s a good one — it’s Belmont…  We are now just a week and a few days from CC’s attempt to win what seems to be almost impossible to win – the Triple Crown.  The last Triple Crown winner was possibly the very best, the unmistakably great Affirmed and his Belmont was the greatest race in the last 40 years.  To me there are two races that stand at the top of all races I have ever witnessed or heard about — Secretariat’s incredible domination in the 1973 edition and Affirmed and  Alydar battle to near death in the 1978 version.   I have heard some call Spectacular Bid the greatest horse ever – I certainly do not agree – but he was undeniably fantastic;   he was no Belmont champ.  And when he faced Affirmed at the end of his 3 year old season, he was severely spanked by Affirmed.   But when we think about how good Affirmed was as a 3 year old, after winning the Triple Crown – he returned in the fall to take on SEATTLE SLEW a fully mature 4 year old who was maybe the fastest horse at any distance to a 1 1/4 mile – maybe  – and the 3 year old AFFIRMED in September made Seattle Slew run every step in the 1 1/8th mile (as the favorite). Slew tripped the teletimer that day in 1:45 4/5 while tacking 126, Affirmed was just two lengths back and still running his heart out – FULLY EXTENDED!

Today, most of the Triple Crown horses are so spent after they get beat up by the TC —  they usually end up getting retired after 1 or 2 more races, almost none of them go ahead and face a TRUE TRIPLE CROWN winner (Last season we did have an exception for D. Wayne Lukas).  So next week, we will see if this very nice Cal Bred has the stuff to stand next to Affirmed and Seattle Slew and Alydar and Secretariat….  Join me at the seminar, I am sure you will find this a great seminar and certainly one that has great historical …