70's East VS West Derby Match-ups

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

If not for #3 - I believe I was primed for a strong run at 'Best New Troll of 2011' - it's one award that has always eluded me.

You have my vote for best old troll of 2011.

[Calzone Lord]

Had Flying Paster won the San Felipe - both he and SB would have met in the Derby on 10-race winning streaks - all in stakes company.




In '79, the San Felipe was run as a Handicap. FP was asked to carry 127lbs - one more than Affirmed was assigned when he won the race by 2 lengths the prior year.

FP worked a mile in 1:38 1/5 over the Santa Anita training track just 4 days before that race - according to Joe Hirsch - the SA training track was always very deep and slow - and the work itself "startled Western horsemen for its severity"

FP was beaten a neck as the significant highweight and "raced wide throughout" - no video of this race anywhere that I know of.

The horse who beat FP was a nice horse named Pole Position. He won 16 of 35 races lifetime. He had won the Santa Catalina in his prior start. Won a bunch of good stakes race that season from distances of 7 furlongs to 10 furlongs on both coasts.

Whatever the case, FP responded from the San Felipe loss with a 6.5 length win in the Gr 1 Santa Anita Derby at 3/5 odds next out. And a 10 length win in the rich Gr 1 Hollywood Derby as his final Derby prep.

Hard to follow Affirmed and Alydar ... but that was meant to be a great match-up on paper.

[Indian Charlie]

Pole Position was definitely a nice horse.

[Calzone Lord]

Only cut I have of his form ....

[Calzone Lord]

Only horse other than Affirmed to beat Alydar in the above cut was Believe It.

He beat him in the Remsen - loose early lead over a sloppy track. He later won the Wood over the same track and distance.

[smartbid09]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

Only horse other than Affirmed to beat Alydar in the above cut was Believe It.

He beat him in the Remsen - loose early lead over a sloppy track. He later won the Wood over the same track and distance.

Believe it ran third to Affirmed and Alydar in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes if I am not mistaken.

After running third to Affirmed and Alydar his owner wanted "no more of this," and didn't enter Believe It in the Belmont Stakes. Had he run in the belmont stakes there is a possibility that Believe It would have come in 3rd to Affirmed and Alydar again! Could you imagine that!

History could very well have read:

1978 Kentucky Derby
1. Affirmed
2. Alydar
3. Believe It

1978 Preakness Stakes
1. Affirmed
2. Alydar
3. Believe It

1978 Belmont Stakes
1. Affirmed
2. Alydar
3. Believe It


The last triple crown series could very well have read this way!

Believe It!