My favorite horse racing game

It’s hard to believe that no horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. That’s 37 attempts and no winner; the closest was Real Quiet, who lost by a nose in the heart-breaking 1998 Belmont. I’ve got my fingers crossed that American Pharoah can break through this Saturday. I’m not a horse-player anymore, but I still follow the Sport of Kings on occasion, especially during the Triple Crown season and the Breeder’s Cup.

Pictured above is a horse racing game my parents gave to me and my brothers after Affirmed joined the exclusive Triple Crown winners club. We loved that game and it had the same thrill for us as watching the real thing. We would name each of the game’s six horses before every race: Affirmed and his nemesis Alydar were regular names, while Seattle Slew, Spectacular Bid, and a few others made it onto our little racetrack.

It’s currently listed at $99.00 on ebay, so unless I make it out to the track and hit a few exactas or trifectas, the game will remain on my wish list for another 37 Triple Crowns.