NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 28, 2008
Contact: Robert Bolson, Director of Corporate Marketing
Blood-Horse Publications
(859) 276-6809; rbolson@bloodhorse.com
BLOODHORSE.COM MARKS 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF AFFIRMED vs. ALYDAR RIVALRY WITH SPECIAL VIDEO INTERVIEW SERIES WITH LEGENDARY JOCKEYS STEVE CAUTHEN AND JORGE VELASQUEZ
The Blood-Horse brings together the two jockeys responsible for the magical series of epic races in 1978 that wowed the world of horse racing.
Lexington, Ky. - To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the classic rivalry between Thoroughbred legends Affirmed and Alydar, and the last Triple Crown winner, BloodHorse.com recently conducted an exclusive two hour interview session with Hall of Fame riders Steve Cauthen and Jorge Velasquez to allow them to relive three of Thoroughbred racing's most celebrated races. The video interview will be available online on BloodHorse.com in four segments. The first segment, already posted on the Web site, details the background of how each jockey got the mounts on Affirmed and Alydar, and of the horses' 2-year-old seasons. The next segment will be available April 29 and focus on their Kentucky Derby clash. The third and fourth segments will be released the week of the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, respectively, and will spotlight those historic and memorable races.
Cauthen became a professional jockey at 16, riding his first race at Churchill Downs on May 12, 1976. Almost two years later to the date, he rode Affirmed to victory in the Kentucky Derby and went on to take the Triple Crown, a feat accomplished by only nine other jockeys (Eddie Arcaro won two). Cauthen still considers the Belmont stretch battle between Affirmed and Alydar the highlight of his storied career. Velasquez rode Alydar to second-place finishes behind Affirmed in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes. The duo later defeated Affirmed in the Travers. Velasquez also later won the Derby and the Preakness with Pleasant Colony in 1981.
In order to conduct the special interview with both Cauthen and Velasquez simultaneously, BloodHorse.com flew Velasquez to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport where he joined Cauthen at nearby Turfway Park. Cauthen's farm is also located in Northern Kentucky. Award-winning Blood-Horse writer Lenny Shulman conducted the engaging and entertaining interview. Blood-Horse Publications' videographer Russell Johnson did the filming and editing.
"What made this such a fun project to participate in was the fact that Steve and Jorge are such good friends, and have been so since Cauthen first got to New York in 1976," noted Shulman. "Jorge took him under his wing and showed him the ropes, and the two have remained great buddies ever since, including through the Triple Crown series. It was extremely gratifying to watch them greet each other at Turfway; there was such a warmth between them that it made all of us feel honored to have played a part in reuniting them. It also made the interview go smoothly, the fact that they interacted so well with each other and are able to kid one another about their rides in these races.
"Certainly, their knowledge of these three races-the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes of 1978, are etched into their brains. As they watched the tapes we played for their analysis, they were intimately familiar with each key moment and what they, and the other, were trying to do at all times. They displayed great levels of respect and grace for one another, their trainers, owners, and both horses."
Special Note: The Blood-Horse expresses its sincere thanks to Turfway Park for its hospitality; as well as to Jorge Velasquez and Steve Cauthen for taking time out of their busy schedules to relive the classic rivalry; and also thanks Pimlico and the New York Racing Association for allowing us to utilize the taped footage of the Preakness and Belmont during the production of this notable video interview.
To view segment one of the series, sponsored by AdenaRacingVenture.com, visit BloodHorse.com.
About BloodHorse.com:
BloodHorse.com was voted the #1 horse industry Web site in 2007, 2005, and 2002 by the American Horse Publications Association, and was previously selected as a Top Seven Equestrian Web site by Forbes magazine. It is the preferred choice of industry professionals and racing enthusiasts alike for up-to-the-minute racing news and information. From award-winning, comprehensive editorial to fan-favorite Breeders' Cup and Triple Crown Mania channels and the engaging BloodHorse.com "Talkin' Horses" weekly feature, there is something for all Thoroughbred racing professionals and enthusiasts. BloodHorse.com is operated by Blood-Horse Publications, the Thoroughbred industry's foremost publishing company. Blood-Horse Publications also publishes The Blood-Horse, the leading weekly Thoroughbred racing and breeding news and information magazine; the award-winning The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care, a monthly equine health care magazine; TBH MarketWatch, a newsletter for Thoroughbred investors and recipient of the prestigious Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX) for 2006 and 2005; the official Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup souvenir magazines; Auction Edge; and Keeneland magazine. In addition, Blood-Horse Publications also publishes equine-related books and videos under the Eclipse Press banner, and operates a family of award-winning Web sites including TheHorse.com, StallionRegister.com, ExclusivelyEquine.com, the official store of Blood-Horse Publications, BloodHorseNOW.com, and TrueNicks.com.
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For more information, contact:
Robert Bolson
Director of Corporate Marketing Services
Blood-Horse Publications
Tel.: (859) 276-6809
rbolson@bloodhorse.com
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