This day in NY sports history

June 9, 2010

THIS DAY IN NY SPORTS HISTORY

Saturday, June 10, 1978

Affirmed scored his third straight narrow victory over rival Alydar in the Belmont Stakes to win the 11th Triple Crown in horse racing history. Affirmed had beaten Alydar by 11/2 lengths in the Kentucky Derby and by a neck in the Preakness Stakes, setting up the Belmont showdown. The 3-year-olds pulled away from the pack on the backstretch and were side-by-side the rest of the way. Jockey Steve Cauthen pushed Affirmed forward by a head at the finish line . Affirmed clocked 2:264/5. It was the horse's seventh victory over Alydar in nine career meetings at that point. Affirmed's Triple Crown was the third in six years after a stretch of 25 years without one.