European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 11, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday. June 11.1988 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary horse racing s Best happens at be Mon there was no triple Crown hanging in the balance and no super horse wailing to be annotated at saturday s Belmont stakes. Just the memory of two of he greatest races Ever. All you had to do was close your eyes to see secretariat running All alone to make a 31-length shambles of the race is years ago. Blink again and see Lydar and affirmed thundering Down the Strcich Side beside to Climax one of the great thoroughbred rivalries in history a decade ago. In 1973. Secretariat was a top heavy favorite to become the ninth triple Crown Winner and the first in 25 years. He had started his 3-year-old Campaign with Imp Scible credentials already syndicated Tor a hefty 16 million and the reigning horse of the year the first 2-year-old to gain thai Honor and had done nothing to change thai perception. The Chestnut Coll won the Derby and Preakness handily. Now the horse his fans called big red was ready for the longest race of the series the i a mile bal Manl called the test of champions because of its grueling distance. Only four horses twice a Prince. My Gallant pvt. Smiles and Sham challenged him in the bal Mont eliminating show wagering. There was Good reason for the Small Field. Secretariat was so dominating in the Derby and Preakness that he was scar ing off the Competition. Al Churchill Downs he was timed in 1 59 2-5 fori i Miles Selling a Derby record that still stands. Al Pamlico he did the same thing in the Preakness covering the t 3-16 Miles in a record 1 53 2-5. Still there were doubters. Sham had finished just Ivi lengths behind secretariat in the Derby and trailed by the same distance in the Preakness. So he was sent out to Challenge the big handsome Coll one More time in the final triple Crown event. The Chal Lenge however did not last Long. Secretarial burst out of Belmont s starting Gale Wilh a vengeance As if determined to answer any lingering questions in a hurry. Quickly he pulled away a blur of spindly thoroughbred legs carrying his huge powerful body Over the track. Sham stayed with him gamely for a half mile Trai Ling by Only a head at thai Point. Then secretarial went into overdrive and at a mile his Lead was seven lengths. A Quarter i later he was 20 lengths in front then 28 and finally a phenomenal 31 lengths in front. Jockey Ron Turcotle was Little More than a Pas Senger on this memorable trip along for the ride in one of the most astounding races in history. When Turcotte displayed jockey instincts listen ing for the Hoo Beals of the Competition at the five eighths pole he heard nothing. When he snuck a Peck Over his shoulder in the Back Strelch to look for the other horses he saw nothing. The rest of the Field was too far away to be heard or seen. He s just the Complete horse Turcotte marvelled after the race. I let him run a bit Early to get Posi Tion to the first turn. Once he got inside of Sham he was t about to give anything away. He pulled away on his own Down the bail stretch and i never asked him to. He was just running his race secretariats Belmont was limed in an unheard of 2 26 3-5, another track record. It completed a monumental triple Crown sweep each race won in record Lime each punctuating secretariat s stature As one of the All Lime giants of his sport. Five years after secretarial ran away with the Bel Mont to certify his triple Crown claim Lydar and affirmed look one of sport s fiercest rivalries right to the finish line of the same classic race. They charged Inlo the 3-Ycar-old series in 1978 As the acknowledged class of their class. They had ran against each other six limes during their 2-year-old Campaign affirmed winning four of the tests and Lydar taking the other two. Now they were ready to move Center stage for the triple Crown series. On the first saturday in May they staged a Brilliant Duel at Churchill Downs. Jockey Steve Cauthen kept affirmed in Check for six furlongs then moved him up for the Lead. When he got there he found his old pal Lydar who was charging from far behind through the stretch. At the finish a tinned had a a length margin not a runaway bul sufficient. The time was 2 01 to. Two weeks later inc two Colts staged a rerun in the Preakness. Again affirmed was up front leading the race from the Start and slipping Back for Only an instant. Again Jorge vol Asque aboard Lydar came fro behind driving from sixth to fourth to second. They were that Way through inc stretch separated by a head and Wen under the wire inc same Way just a neck apart that set the Slage for the Belmont. Affirmed was bidding to become the ill triple Crown Winner. Lydar inc underdog would Chase his rival one More time. Three other hones Darby Cree Road judge advocate and noontime spender were entered bul icy were largely window dressing. This showdown like the Derby and Preakness before it would be Between affirmed and Lydar. Once again affirmed charged for the Lead from the Start. Judge advocate made a Brief run at him but that was nothing More than a tease for the real Duel that Lay ahead. By the half mile pole Lydar was second one length behind. At Ihrck Quarton of a mile affirmed s Lead was a half length. At a mile it was a head. Unlike Turcotte s almost casual hand ride through secretariat s lonesome stretch run Cau when and Velasquez went to their whips urging every last bit of strength from their mounts. For an instant Lydar nudged in front but Only for an instant. Almost immediately. Affirmed re gained the Lead and they went that Way to the wire. The race ended with affirmed the Winner officially by a head bul probably by less than that the margin was about 31 lengths less than secretariat s bal Mon Victory but the race was every bit As memorable. The Altol blvd or risen Star favored in Belmont risen stir cockeyed by Eddie Delahoussaye took Preakness Victory. . New York a winning colors will try to get her own Way with five male rivals saturday in the i i mile Belmont w1 Slakes ? 3 after analysing the race in looks like Shell be out there by herself and if she can get away with some easy fraction Sand can go All the Way she can win said Jeff Lukas assistant Trainer of inc Tilly who won inc Kentucky Derby and finished third in the Preakness. She s not going to gel easy fractions said Ronnie Lamarque co owner of risen Star who finished third in the Derby and won the Preakness. If she goes 1 13 for three quarters of a mile Well be shoulder to  winning colors set her own Pace and led All the Way in winning the 1 it mile Derby then got involved in a Duel for the Lead in the 1 3-16-mile Preakness and finished third. There s no excuses in this race for no body with Only six horses Lamarque said. Also entered thursday were Brian s time sixth in the Derby and second inthe Preakness Cufis eighth in the Derby fifth in the Preakness and third in in Jersey Derby Granacos Ullh in inc Derby and Kin Post. 14th in the Derby and fourth in the Peter pan. Dyn former the Winner of the 1 a mile Jersey Derby May 31, was expected to be an entry with winning colors but a was not entered. J the Way he s been training we did t inc was unto " la As a photo winning colors and Dyn former Are trained by d. Wayne Lukas Jeffs father. The filly is owned by Eugene v. Klein and the Coll is owned by Joseph Allen. The six hone Field is the third smallest for the Belmont since 1973, there were five entered in 1973 when secretariat won and in 1978 when affirmed  were triple Crown winners. Risen Star was the 8-s Early favorite with winning colors at 9-5 and Brian s time at 5-2. Winning colors will be Only the Sec Ond filly to Start in All three triple Crown races and can become the first to win two of them. The Only one to run in All three races was genuine risk who won the Derby and finished second in the Preakness and bal Mon. Winning colors Wilt be Only the ninth filly in this Century to run m the Bel Mont which has been won by Only two fillies ruthless in i87j when the raceway i 5-8 Miles and Tanya in 1905 when in was i " Miles. The filly will carry 121 pounds and her rivals will carry 126 each. If is Start in go to the Post the race will be Worth $506,200. With 1303,720 to the Winner. An sports television horse racing Belmont stakes 10-30 . Saturday. College base Tull Mcaa championship tape Midnight saturday. Radio baseball Detroit at Cleveland 7 30 . Saturday. Chicago cubs at St. Louis 2 in. Sunday. Horse racing Belmal stakes 11 06 pin. Saturday