![]() ![]() “I don’t know that there could have been a happier day in his life,” said Michael Veitch, who serves as historian at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York. John had a very good sense of racing history and he was fully aware of what was going on in that sense of the word.”Īlydar beat Affirmed three times in his career, including the 1977 Champagne Stakes and the 1978 Travers Stakes via disqualification.Īlydar was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1989 and Veitch joined the horse there in 2007. “Being so respectful and not hesitating to be gracious. “What I remember about it most is that he was such a sportsman in the national spotlight,” Michael Veitch said. Affirmed’s victory gave racing back-to-back Triple Crown winners, with Seattle Slew having swept all three races in 1977. In the Belmont, Alydar and jockey Jorge Velasquez battled Affirmed and Steve Cauthen side-by-side from the middle of the far turn all the way to the finish line. Affirmed beat Alydar by 1 1/2 lengths in the Kentucky Derby, by a neck in the Preakness and by a head in the Belmont Stakes. Veitch is best remembered for overseeing Alydar, who with Affirmed formed one of racing’s most storied rivalries. He trained Proud Truth to victory in the 1985 Breeders’ Cup Classic. Veitch trained four champions: fillies Our Mims, Davona Dale and Before Dawn, as well as Sunshine Forever, the nation’s top male turf horse in 1988. Veitch was a memorable figure in the winner’s circle with his bald head and penchant for wearing suits and ties. two years later and again trained for Calumet Farm. In 1998, Veitch closed his public stable and became racing consultant to a member of Saudi Arabia’s royal family. ![]() He later trained for real estate developer John W. In the late 1970s, Veitch became head trainer for famed Calumet Farm, which he helped revitalize before leaving in 1982. His father, Sylvester, is in the Hall of Fame and the younger Veitch started out as his assistant. He was born into a family that had been training horses for three generations. Veitch died of natural causes at home in Lexington, Kentucky, said Michael Veitch, his second cousin who spoke to Veitch’s daughter, Shannon.ĭuring his training career from 1974 to 2003, Veitch had 410 winners from 2,340 starts and earnings of $20,097,980, according to Equibase. John Veitch, who trained Alydar to narrow losses in all three Triple Crown races against rival Affirmed in 1978 during a Hall of Fame career, died at 77. ![]()
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