Majestic bloodlines are a vital facet of horse racing and can be found in many of the sport’s great champions as well as the places where they were born.
Even the most casual racing fan probably is familiar with Affirmed, who was known for 37 years as "the last horse to sweep the Triple Crown." By extension, casual racing fans probably also are familiar with Affirmed’s archrival Alydar, whose epic duels with Affirmed in the three Triple Crown races are the stuff legends are made of.
How many times have some of the greatest sporting events in America been held? The Super Bowl is relatively young, having been contested 52 times. The World Series of Major League Baseball is more than twice that old with 113 editions in the history books.
The sports world is filled with events that are regarded as storybook tales. They are the times when heartwarming stories unfold as if they are scripted and not chapters of everyday life where skill, talent, and luck determine the outcome.
The reality, of course, is that storybook finishes are simply for storybooks. As much it would be so fitting or grand for something to happen, that alone is not enough reason to alter fate.
That lesson was painfully taught in 1999 when a 3-year-old colt named Charismatic chased a Triple Crown sweep.
