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Affirmed was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the eleventh winner of the American Triple Crown. Affirmed was well-known for his famous rivalry with Alydar, whom he met ten times, including coming second in all three Triple Crown races. After Affirmed won the Triple Crown, there was a 37-year wait until American Pharoah swept the series in 2015, more than a quarter of a century later.

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Alydar was a chestnut colt and an American Thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the 1978 Triple Crown. With each successive race, Alydar narrowed Affirmed's margin of victory; Affirmed won by 1.5 lengths in the Kentucky Derby, by a neck in the Preakness and by a head in the Belmont Stakes. Alydar has been described as the best horse in the history of Thoroughbred racing never to have won a championship. Alydar's fame continued when he got older. He died under suspicious circumstances.

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Fair Salinia was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the classic Oaks Stakes in 1978. In a racing career which lasted from September 1977 until September 1978 she won four of her eight races. As a two-year-old in 1977 she won on her debut before finishing second in the Cheveley Park Stakes. As a three-year-old she finished second in the 1000 Guineas before being moved up in distance and winning the Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks. She was retired to stud at the end of the season and had some influence as a broodmare. She died in 2004 at the age of twenty-nine.

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John Henry was an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by Ole Bob Bowers out of Once Double. John Henry had 39 wins with $6,591,860 in earnings, was twice voted the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year, and was listed as #23 on Blood Horse magazine's Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century.

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Le Moss was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A specialist stayer, he excelled at distances of two miles and beyond, winning eleven times from fifteen races between 1977 and 1980. He showed good form as a three-year-old, winning the Queen's Vase and finishing second in the classic St Leger Stakes, but reached his peak as an older horse. In 1979 he completed the "Stayers' Triple Crown" by winning the Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup. He won the same three races as a five-year-old, defeating the future champion Ardross on each occasion, and in doing so becoming the only horse ever to win the "Stayers' Triple Crown" twice. He was then retired to stud where he had some success as a sire of steeplechasers.

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Overskate (1975–1992) was a Canadian Thoroughbred Champion Hall of Fame racehorse. Sired by Nodouble out of the dam Overstate who was a descendant of the great sire Princequillo as well as Man o' War, Overskate was foaled at his owner's farm in Port Elgin, Ontario.

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Shirley Heights was a British-bred and British-trained Thoroughbred race horse, winner of the Derby in 1978. The colt had previously won the Royal Lodge Stakes and the Dante Stakes and went on to win the Irish Derby before his racing career was ended by injury. He went on to be a highly successful breeding stallion.