Patrice Wolfson remembers Affirmed

NEW YORK (AP) - Patrice Wolfson can still see Affirmed refusing to yield to Alydar in one of the greatest finishes to a Triple Crown.

``There are times I still think about that race every day,'' Wolfson said. ``It is an indelible memory. It seems like a bygone era with wonderful memories and wonderful history. It's hard to believe it was 33 years ago.''

Wolfson was the guest of honor for the Belmont Stakes post-position press conference on Wednesday morning. She co-owned Affirmed, the last horse to sweep the series in 1978, with her late husband, Louis Wolfson. Affirmed prevailed in that epic Belmont battle, nipping archrival Alydar in a head-to-head battle over every inch of Belmont Park's seemingly endless stretch.

She reflected on the magnitude of the Triple Crown, and it's unique place in racing. Even though Affirmed returned for another brilliant campaign the following season, the Triple Crown sweep was always everyone's point of reference.

``Nobody remembers what a great racehorse he was the following year,'' she said.

Wolfson believes horses were tougher then, which made the Triple Crown a more achievable goal. Three races in a five week span is often cited as a reason today's runners fall short. Wolfson said Laz Barerra, her trainer, thought nothing of running horses every two weeks. The current training protocol suggests horses need three or four weeks recuperation between starts.

``Racing has changed,'' Wolfson said. ``Maybe for the better. Sometimes not.''

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OFF TO THE HOUNDS: Master of Hounds will be released from quarantine at nearby Aqueduct on Thursday. The protective isolation was required when he left the U.S. and returned to Ireland following a fifth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

Once the quarantine is complete, Master of Hounds will join the other contenders at Belmont Park. He is 10-1 on the morning line from the rail with Garrett Gomez again set to ride.

The Derby was the colt's first race on dirt. It was also the second start of the year for a well-traveled horse who missed by a nose in the UAE Derby in Dubai in March.

``He's been training very, very well since then,'' T.J. Comerford, assistant to trainer Aidan O'Brien, said of the period since the Derby. ``He'll definitely put up a good show here. The mile-and-a-half will hit him on the head. The reason we're coming here is he really ran well in the Kentucky Derby.''

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BROOKLYN BOUND: Belmont weekend kicks off Friday with the Brooklyn Handicap, a welcome development for Drosselmeyer. The Brooklyn is one of the few major dirt stakes run at the Belmont distance of 1 1/2 miles.

Drosselmeyer, last year's Belmont winner in a 13-1 upset, heads the Brooklyn field at his favorite track. He has run only three times since the Belmont, finally winning last time out in a minor stakes race at the track.

``It was a given that the Brooklyn would be a reasonable spot to run him in, and he's coming off a win over the track,'' Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. ``He obviously likes the track.''

Drosselmeyer gave Mott his first win in a Triple Crown race.

Eldaafer looks like the main competition. Like Drosselmeyer, the longer the race for Eldaafer, the better. He won the 1 3/4 mile Breeders' Cup Marathon at Churchill Downs in November.

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RING THAT BELL: Barry Irwin, founder of the group that owns Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, will ring the opening bell of the NASDAQ Stock Market on Thursday morning.

Other members of Team Valor International will be on hand, along with Sam Grossman, Belmont Park's ``Sam The Bugler''.

Several of jockeys in the Belmont will also be busy Thursday morning with the annual visit to Ronald McDonald House in nearby New Hyde Park.

John Velazquez, the Derby winner's rider, is part of the group that will mingle with the kids and distribute gifts.

Ronald McDonald House is a facility for families caring for seriously ill children undergoing medical treatment in area hospitals.