Reply #82: I was like that with the '78 Gold Cup [View All]

[Awsi Dooger]

The one where Exceller nipped Slew after the suicidal pace among Slew, Affirmed and Life's Hope. I saw the link on YouTube but hesitated to click the mouse since I really didn't want to be tortured again. Finally I said what the hell and had to see if my memories were the same as actual.

Slew got a lot of credit for that race but it still burns me he lost it, especially since he broke through the gate before the race and had to be reloaded, just like Barbaro in the Preakness. I always imagined what he could have done with that little bit of extra energy. Certainly worth more than a nose at the wire.

I watched the '79 Gold Cup on YouTube. My first thought was I forgot how competitive Coastal was. I'd basically forgotten all of his races except for the Peter Pan and Belmont. But now that I think of it, Coastal also ran a good race against Affirmed earlier, along with a Billy Turner-trained 3-year old named Czaravich. Affirmed wore them down in the final sixteenth but they gave big efforts for 3-year-olds against a terrific horse.

Affirmed always won the races that were nip and tuck. I thought Bid would beat him on ability, but once the race was tight I remember being certain Affirmed would prevail. Early in '78 I was in Florida and thought Alydar was the best 3-year-old. But one old horseman at Hialeah heard me say that, and told me I was flat wrong. He said he watched every Affirmed/Alydar race as 2-year-olds, when they faced each other a surreal 6 times. His exact words to me were, "that other horse outgutted Alydar several times. What makes you think that will change?"