Conversation so far:
what was the affirmed, 1977 season like?
As a two-year-old, Affirmed won seven of his nine starts, with two placings, for earnings of $343,477.
what else affirmed did in 1977?
Affirmed won his first start in a maiden special weight race at Belmont Park on May 24, 1977.
what other races did he win as a two year old?
He followed up with a win in the Youthful Stakes on June 15 where he defeated Alydar by eight lengths.
did he beat alydar in any other race?
The two horses again faced off in the Belmont Futurity on September 10.
what was the outcome of this race?
In mid-stretch, Alydar had closed to within a head but Affirmed pulled away in the final sixteenth of a mile to win by half a length.

Question: what was the best of 1977 for affirmed?
Self-contained rewrite: what was the best of 1977 for affirmed?