A Look Back: 1978 Belmont Stakes

Affirmed (right) stakes his claim to Triple Crown with thrilling win over Alydar in 1978 Belmont Stakes in arguably one of the greatest races ever. (Photo courtesy of BelmontStakes.com - You can see a video of this race by clicking here)

"We'll test these two to the wire!"

Any thoroughbred racing enthusiast will recognize those words as part of the great call of the 1978 Belmont Stakes, which featured Affirmed and Alydar, or the last Triple Crown win.

Ridden by 18-year-old Steve Cauthen, Affirmed engaged Alydar with a mile left to run in the mile-and-a-half classic, with their three rivals simply serving as witnesses to history. In fact, the race was still up for grabs at the sixteenth pole, when Cauthen went to a left-hand whip on Affirmed for the first time in his career, powering him past Jorge Velasquez and Alydar, who had briefly stuck their heads in front in mid-stretch. Affirmed went on to win by a head for trainer Laz Barrera.

The race has gained even more popularity in recent years, as horses that have attempted to win the Triple Crown have come up short.