American Thoroughbred racehorse Affirmed, was the eleventh winner of the United States Triple Crown.
The winner of 14 Grade I stakes, victories during Affirmed’s three-season track career included the Hollywood Juvenile Championship, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the California Stakes, Strub Stakes and Hollywood Gold Cup. He was named champion horse in every season he started, clinching the American Horse of the Year title in 1978 and 1979.
His biggest achievement was arguably winning the 1978 Triple Crown, taking victory in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. It was a 37 years before American Pharoah became the next winner in 2015.
Affirmed enjoyed a famous rivalry with arch-rival Alydar, meeting 10 times during their careers and came out on top in 7 out of 10 of the head-to-heads, though the victories were at times by the smallest of margins. Their final race was marred by controversy, after Affirmed crossed the line ahead of Alydar, but was disqualified by the stewards after cutting towards the rail in the backstretch. Victory was then handed to his rival.
Bred at Louis E. Wolfson’s Harbor View Farm in Florida, Affirmed boasted an impressive pedigree. He was sired by Exclusive Native, a high-class racehorse and breeding stallion whose other off-spring included Kentucky Derby winner, Genuine Risk and his grandsire was the undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse, Raise a Native.
As a stud, Affirmed was just as successful and siring over 80 stakes winners and 9 champions including Charlie Barley, Flawlessly, and Arlington Million winner, The Tin Man.