Curlin in race #5 at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday!

[Linny]

Affirmed had a bigger heartgirth and weighed more than Secretariat.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by Linny

Affirmed had a bigger heartgirth and weighed more than Secretariat.

Secretariat was 16'2, 1200 lbs and had a huge heart girth. Affirmed must have been some kind of monster.

[Danzig]

74.5-affirmeds girth size, who stood at 16.1, with alydar at 16.1 1/2 and the same size girth as affirmed-this at the end of their 3 yo season-from the t'bred legends book.
secretariat had a 75" girth according to an article from time. edit--that article was also when secretariat was three, before the belmont i believe. the two above were measured at the end of their 3 yo season, according to the book.

[Linny]

I'll ask the person who gave me the info. I think he got it from Richard Stone Reeves.

[prudery]

You need only to look at pictures ... Affirmed was tallish and racy, Secretariat taller and more musclebound ... Actual measurements can be deceiving ... Alydar looked bigger than Affirmed and they were not technically much different in size ... During the TC series I do not think Affirmed reached 16 hands quite yet ... But I am reasonably sure that Reeves, who painted both horses, did not say that Affirmed weighed more or had a bigger heart girth .....

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by prudery

You need only to look at pictures ... Affirmed was tallish and racy, Secretariat taller and more musclebound ... Actual measurements can be deceiving ... Alydar looked bigger than Affirmed and they were not technically much different in size ... During the TC series I do not think Affirmed reached 16 hands quite yet ... But I am reasonably sure that Reeves, who painted both horses, did not say that Affirmed weighed more or had a bigger heart girth .....

right, he never seemed to me to be very large, or muscular. alydar just a bit taller--the book 'affirmed and alydar' says they were incredibly similar, which apparently most people at the time didn't think was the case...

[prudery]

Originally Posted by Danzig

right, he never seemed to me to be very large, or muscular. alydar just a bit taller--the book 'affirmed and alydar' says they were incredibly similar, which apparently most people at the time didn't think was the case...

True ... I saw them both in person ... Affirmed did fill out as a stallion, which is normal and developed a curvaciousness he did not have in race trim ... At two he looked almost feminine, and at three looked slighter than he was ... My 15.3 OTTB had a bigger heart girth in race trim than all the horses mentioned, but no one thought he was King Kong ... Those measurements can be deceiving at times ...
Regardless, aside from being chestnuts, I do not see any resemblance between Affirmed and Curlin at all ...

[Danzig]

from crown jewels, i have here where mr reeves says about affirmed 'he developed into one of the more attractive stallions i have painted. his neck arched and became a little fuller. his body proportions were a little heavier and more picturesque than as a racehorse...'

sadly, no measurements given in the paragraph about the painting above it. but it doesn't sound from that description that when affirmed was racing that he was particularly large.