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Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind
Yeah, that rivalry is almost hard to believe when you think about today's racing. While they met in a couple early season races ( Alydar debuting in the Youthful, and being favored, with Affirmed winning and then turning the tables in the Young American ), it wasn't until later that the rivalry became intense. After Alydar won the Sapling, I believe, and Affirmed won a stake at Hollywood and the Sanford in Saratoga they hooked up for four knock 'em dead battles in just two months. The Hopeful was the only one I saw in person but I can still remember them all. Then, to carry it into the TC races the way they did was just incredible.
The incredible thing is that those two horses ( and Alydar was an awesome animal that should never be forgotten in Affirmed's wake ) is they were sandwiched between Seattle Slew and Spectacular Bid.
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Agree with everything you've written 100%. Nowadays, they would've been lightly raced at 2, maybe hooked up in the BC Juvenile. Avoided each other, maybe hooked up in Derby. One of them wins, goes on to the Preakness while the defeated one is rested for the Belmont or maybe the Travers.