A Different Kind of Wednesday Clip

I'm failing, shamefully, to uphold my vow of keeping things from getting one-dimensional around here. But hey, it's only Wednesday. I have four more days to win back your trust. Have I told you that I like what you're wearing tonight? Because I do.

So, instead of the usual music clip, I present the tripartite treat below. Only 11 horses have won the Triple Crown -- the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. The last horse to do it was Affirmed in 1978, but it's impossible to say the name Affirmed without also thinking of Alydar, who finished second in all three races that year. The rivalry picked up steam as it progressed over the course of that spring. I'm posting all three races below. In the Derby, Alydar comes up late to take second. In the Preakness, things are tighter. The Belmont is insane. I don't think you need to be a horse racing fan to watch at least that one, the final clip below. Affirmed needed to win for the crown, and Alydar hooked up with him about midway through the race, matching strides the rest of the way. But as my dad said while watching it with me a minute ago, "Alydar could just never pass Affirmed. The horse would not be passed."