1978 Kentucky Derby

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1978 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
Grade I stakes race
LocationChurchill Downs,
Louisville, Kentucky
DateMay 6, 1978
Winning horseAffirmed
JockeySteve Cauthen
TrainerLaz Barrera
OwnerHarbor View Farm
ConditionsFast
SurfaceDirt
Attendance131,004[1]
← 1977
1979 →

The 1978 Kentucky Derby was the 104th running of the Kentucky Derby.[2] Affirmed, under jockey Steve Cauthen, won the race by 1 1/2 lengths over Alydar.[3][4] Believe It finished 3rd, 1 1/4 lengths behind Alydar, and 30:1 longshot Darby Creek Road finished 4th.[5][6] Affirmed won the Triple Crown by defeating Alydar by decreasing margins in the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.[3]

11 horses competed in the race.[3] Alydar went into the race as a 6:5 favorite, despite Affirmed having won 4 of the 6 previous races between the two.[3] Affirmed went off at 9:5.[3] Sensitive Prince and Believe It were the only other horses to go off at less than 30:1, at 9:2 and 7:1 respectively.[5] Sensitive Prince and Affirmed, both frontrunners, were near the lead early in the race behind long shot Raymond Earl.[5] Sensitive Prince took the lead at the first turn, but Affirmed gained the lead at the second turn.[2] After attaining the lead, Affirmed held it for the remainder of the race except for a brief moment when Believe It led by a head.[2][6] Alydar charged from the outside down the stretch, and overtook Believe It, despite the two horses bumping, but Alydar could not overtake Affirmed.[2][4][6]

Payout[edit]

The 104th Kentucky Derby Payout Schedule
Program
Number 		Horse Name
 Win
 Place
 Show
2 Affirmed $5.60 $2.80 $2.60
10 Alydar - $2.60 $2.40
9 Believe It - - $2.80

Results[edit]

Finished Post Horse Jockey Trainer Owner Time /
behind 		Odds
1st 2 Affirmed Steve Cauthen[a] Laz Barrera Harbor View Farm 2:01 1/5 9:5
2nd 10 Alydar Jorge Velásquez John M. Veitch Calumet Farm 11⁄2 6:5
3rd 9 Believe It Eddie Maple Woody Stephens Hickory Tree Stable 11⁄4 7:1
4th 7 Darby Creek Road Donald Brumfield Lou Rondinello James W. (Wally) & Jody Galbreath Phillips 30:1
5th 3 Esops Foibles Chris McCarron Loren Rettele Jerry Frankel 45:1
6th 11 Sensitive Prince Mickey Solomone H. Allen Jerkens Top of the Marc Stable (Joseph Taub) 9:2
7th 8 Dr. Valeri Rene Riera Jr. Aurelio M. Perez Virginio & Ronal Renzi 90:1
8th 5 Hoist the Silver Richard DePass[b] Richard J. Fischer Washington Stud (Jack E. Dasso/D. Golab/Perry Levinson/E.M. Solomon) 99:1
9th 6 Chief of Dixieland Anthony Rini Jake Morreale Dixie-Jake, Inc. 99:1
10th 1 Raymond Earl Robert L. Baird[c] Smiley Adams Robert N. Lehmann 99:1
11th 4 Special Honor Paul Nicolo Elwood D. McCann Linda Gaston & Alvin D. Haynes 99:1
  • aSteve Cauthen was the youngest to ever ride in the Kentucky Derby.
  • bRichard DePass became the first Jamaican jockey ever to ride in the Kentucky Derby.[7]
  • cRobert L. Baird was the oldest to ever ride in the Kentucky Derby.
  • Winning Breeder: Harbor View Farm; (FL)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "9‐5 Affirmed, Cauthen Up, Wins Kentucky Derby". The New York Times. 7 May 1978. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  2. ^ a b c d "Affirmed Wins!". Churchill Downs. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  3. ^ a b c d e Mitchell, R. (January 12, 2001). "Triple Crown Winner Affirmed Euthanized". Blood Horse. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  4. ^ a b Rees, J. (January 18, 2015). "Kentucky Derby countdown: Affirmed, 1978". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  5. ^ a b c 1978 Kentucky Derby telecast. ABC. May 1978.
  6. ^ a b c Sowers, R. (2014). The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes: A Comprehensive History. McFarland. p. 232. ISBN 9780786476985.
  7. ^ Nationwide Newsnet (2021-04-29). "No Caribbean Representative Will be at the Kentucky Derby". Nationwide Radio JM. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
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