Today I’m gonna talk about how I got my hands on that famous Affirmed Triple Crown trophy. You know, the one from way back in 1978? Yeah, that one.
So, first off, you gotta understand what the Triple Crown is. It’s not just any horse racing thing. It’s THE horse racing thing. We’re talking about a 3-year-old thoroughbred horse winning three big races: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. And they gotta win all three in the same year. That’s a tough ask for any horse.
Now, Affirmed, he was a special horse. Born on February 21st, this horse was a legend, man. Back in ’78, he went up against his big rival, Alydar, in all three races. It was a nail-biter every time, but Affirmed pulled through. That’s how he became the eleventh horse to ever win the Triple Crown.
Getting my hands on the trophy, though? That was a whole other story. It wasn’t like I could just walk into a store and buy it. This trophy, it had history. After Affirmed’s trainer, Laz Barrera, passed away in ’91, his family sold it. Since then, it’s been bouncing around between some serious sports memorabilia collectors. I had to do some digging, make some calls, you know how it goes.
- I started by looking into past sales.
- Then I reached out to a few collectors I know.
- After that, I spent weeks going back and forth, negotiating.
The Real Work Begins
After a long time working, Finally, on May 9, 2014, I finally got it. It was amazing, let me tell you. Holding that trophy, thinking about all the history behind it… it was something else.
But the story doesn’t end there. See, owning a piece of history like this, it comes with responsibility. I had to make sure it was properly taken care of, you know? Preserved for future generations and all that. I did a lot of research on how to best care for it, what kind of conditions it needed to be kept in. It’s a lot more work than you’d think.
Fast forward to today, August 27, 2024. It’s been a wild ride. When it comes to degree of difficulty, this whole experience has been up there. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s not just about owning a trophy. It’s about being a part of something bigger, a part of history. And that’s pretty cool, if you ask me.