Bob Baffert’s ponies have always drawn attention at the racetrack. Popular and well known, they have included Smokey as well as two striking palominos, Sunny and Amarillo (also known as I’m In It to Whiz It).
Few athletes, human or equine, ever burst onto the national scene as quickly as Steve Cauthen. In 1977, one year after he began riding, he paced all jockeys with 487 victories and emerged as the first to earn as much as $6 million in purses in a single season. In 1978, “The Kid” gained the distinction of being the youngest jockey to win the Triple Crown as his precocious talent helped Affirmed repel Alydar in one of the fiercest rivalries any sport has known.
The bay colt was cooling out following his final serious bit of work before the most serious race of his life. And as he was walked and bathed, the masses gathered at the far end of Barn 42 at Churchill Downs, a plethora of media seeking insight into one of the more prominent storylines set to manifest May 2.
