Jack Whitaker was introduced to Thoroughbred racing as a mere lad back in 1935, the year Omaha became only the third Triple Crown winner in history. Thankfully, that accomplishment made a lasting impression on the young Whitaker, who would go on to cover some of Thoroughbred racing's greatest moments in his 53-year career as one of broadcasting's most eloquent and insightful announcers.

Before his days at the television networks -- CBS, ABC and eventually ESPN -- Jack worked in radio. In 1948, when a horse named Citation captured the nation's attention, Jack was a sportscaster (among other things) at WIP, a radio station in Philadelphia. Having won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, Citation needed only to win the Belmont to become just the eighth horse to ever capture the Triple Crown. But Jack remembers that Citation made a stop on the way to New York from Baltimore.

"In those days, horses were much sturdier," Whitaker says. "Running every two or three weeks was no big deal. In fact, in between the Preakness and the Belmont, Citation won the Jersey Derby at Garden State Park on Memorial Day. To him it was just like a workout."

Whether it was because horses were more sturdy, or just more lucky at that time, the 1940's was the most productive decade for Triple Crown winners. Whirlaway started things off in 1941, and was followed soon by Count Fleet in '43, Assault in '46 and finally Citation in '48. "We got so used to Triple Crown winners, we thought we'd have one at least every other year," says Whitaker.

"Then we had a drought of 25 years and it seemed like we'd never get another one. Actually I thought Riva Ridge was going to break the long string, (1972). He won the Derby and the Belmont and probably would have won the Preakness on a dry track."

But it came up sloppy that day and a horse named Bee Bee Bee stopped history from being made.

"The year before Riva Ridge, in 1971, we had Canonnero II," Whitaker recalls. "He came to New York from out of nowhere, with a chance to win the Triple Crown, and it seemed like the entire Latin community turned out. What a scene that was! But a longshot named Pass Catcher upset the party." The quarter-century drought ended with Secretariat sweeping the three races fairly easily in 1973. "It might have looked easy at the end, winning the Belmont by 3l lengths," he says, "but nobody was expecting it after he ran third in the Wood Memorial. Then he blows the whole thing apart."

To Whitaker, racing's greatest decade was the 1970's. "Early in the decade there was Cannonero II, Riva Ridge and of course Secretariat," he observes. "Then a few years later we had Seattle Slew and then the great battle between Affirmed and Alydar. And as if we didn't have enough drama from those two, we had Spectacular Bid and the safety pin [that prevented him from winning the Belmont] in '79. To me, though, Affirmed and Alydar was the greatest Triple Crown show we have ever had."

One of the things that made the Affirmed/Alydar match-up so special was that they traded victories as 2-year-olds and continued the rivalry into the Triple Crown, with Alydar running second each race, getting a little closer each time. The Belmont concluded with them matching strides, a head apart the last mile of the race.

The victory made Affirmed the 11th and last Triple Crown winner on June 10th, 1978. Whitaker covered the race for CBS and concluded the telecast that day in a way only he could: "No Triple Crown winner was ever pressured as much as Affirmed. No colt ever gave chase as gladly as Alydar. We shall see them run forever in our mind."