Seattle Slew
Encyclopedia
Seattle Slew was an American Thoroughbred
race horse
who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century
, Seattle Slew is ranked ninth.
A descendant of the great sire Nearco
through his son, Nasrullah, Seattle Slew was sired by Bold Reasoning and out of My Charmer. He was foaled at Ben Castleman's White Horse Acres Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. Not expected to be a great racehorse, he was sold to Karen and Mickey Taylor of White Swan, Washington. They named him for the city of Seattle and the sloughs which loggers once used to transport heavy logs. But Karen felt that the spelling of slough — a slow-moving channel of the Pacific Northwest
— would be too hard for people to remember, so the spelling was changed to Slew. The colt
's co-owners were Jim and Sally Hill. Another co-owner was Glenn Rasmussen, the accountant for the equine partnerships.
on Long Island, New York. The big, nearly-black colt was bet down to the 5–2 favorite. He gave the public its first look at what was later called his "war dance" (his habit of tiptoeing on the track before his races), and won by five lengths. Seattle Slew started only twice more as a two-year-old, winning an allowance race on October 5, 1976 by 3½ lengths and the one-mile Champagne Stakes 11 days later by 9¾ lengths in a fast 1:34. Despite starting just three times, Seattle Slew was named Champion 2-Year-Old of 1976.
in winning an allowance race by nine lengths. On March 26, Seattle Slew won the Flamingo Stakes
by four lengths in the third-fastest time in the stakes' 51-year history. On April 23, he completed his Kentucky Derby
preparation with a 3¼-length victory in the Wood Memorial Stakes
.
Seattle Slew went off as the odds-on 1-2 favorite in the 1¼-mile Kentucky Derby on May 7. A "speed horse", who normally broke well and went right to the lead, he swerved at the start and was taken up by jockey Jean Cruguet
. However, Cruguet and Seattle Slew recovered and got to the lead, dueling with For the Moment for the first mile of the race. At the top of the stretch, Seattle Slew pulled away to win by 1¾ lengths over Run Dusty Run.
Two weeks later, in the 1-mile Preakness Stakes
, Seattle Slew faced a new rival in multiple-stakes
- winner Cormorant. Many handicappers believed the predicted speed duel with Cormorant would jeopardize the Derby winner's chances; Andrew Beyer
picked Cormorant to win in his Washington Post column. Seattle Slew outstayed Cormorant, holding off Iron Constitution to win by 1 lengths.
The Belmont Stakes
was a coronation for the Triple Crown champion, who won by four lengths before a large, enthusiastic crowd. He became the tenth American Triple Crown winner, and (with his nine-for-nine record) was the first Triple Crown winner to finish the series undefeated.
After the Triple Crown Seattle Slew was sent to Hollywood Park Racetrack, which offered a $400,000 purse to lure him to run in the Swaps Stakes
on July 3. In the Swaps Seattle Slew (who normally broke on the lead, as noted above) was unable to get to the front. Jockey Bill Shoemaker sent J.O. Tobin (whom Seattle Slew had defeated in the Preakness
) to the lead. J.O. Tobin set fast early fractions for a 1¼-mile race – 22.40 for the first quarter-mile, 45.40 for the half, 1:09.20 for six furlongs and 1:33.60 for the mile. Seattle Slew could not keep up and tired badly in the stretch, finishing fourth, 16 lengths behind J.O. Tobin. J.O. Tobin won by eight lengths in 1:58.40, less than half a second off the American record for the distance at the time. After this loss, rest and physical problems would sideline Seattle Slew for almost a year. Despite the season-ending loss, however, Seattle Slew was honored at year's end as champion three-year-old and the Eclipse Award
for American Horse of the Year.
and was expected to make three starts in Florida
before contesting the one-mile Metropolitan Handicap
in New York. In Florida the horse (who had recovered from a cough as a three-year-old) took a turn for the worse in January. He stopped eating, occasionally broke into hours-long sweats and sometimes fell when he tried to stand. Co-owner Jim Hill diagnosed a severe viral infection, and feared for Seattle Slew's life.
"Slew" recovered slowly. By the time he made it back to the races on a sloppy track at Aqueduct in May, Billy Turner had been replaced as his trainer by Doug Peterson. Seattle Slew won that allowance race at Aqueduct by 8½ lengths, and won another seven-furlong allowance by six lengths at Saratoga Race Course
in August. In preparation for a matchup against the 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed
, Seattle Slew was sent to the Meadowlands
for a night race, the Paterson Handicap. He lost to Dr. Patches, in a major upset. Jean Cruguet lost his mount after that race, after expressing doubt that the horse was sufficiently trained for the race.
In the Marlboro Cup
, the first matchup of two Triple Crown winners, Seattle Slew was not the favorite (for the only time of his career). Angel Cordero, Jr. took the reins as his new jockey. Affirmed was the 1–2 favorite, and Seattle Slew the 2–1 second choice. Affirmed's arch-rival Alydar
was scheduled to run, but was scratched the week before the race.
Affirmed and Seattle Slew were both speed horses. Seattle Slew broke on top, and stayed there into the homestretch. Cordero took him away from the rail off the final turn; Affirmed came up on on him for a moment, but Seattle Slew responded to beat Affirmed by three lengths in the good time of 1:45.80 for 1 miles, .40 second off the track record set by Secretariat
. Two weeks later, he easily won the 1¼-mile Woodward Stakes
over Exceller
by four lengths.
In October, Seattle Slew and Affirmed met again in the 1½-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup
at Belmont, which was televised nationally on the CBS
network. Affirmed's trainer, Laz Barrera
, did not want Seattle Slew to get an easy lead and dictate the pace as he did in the Marlboro Cup, so Barrera also entered a "rabbit" (Life's Hope) in an attempt to tire the horse. Barrera's plan was compromised; Seattle Slew set a blistering pace, chased by Affirmed and Life's Hope. "Slew" drew away; Affirmed's saddle then slipped, eliminating him from contention (he would finish 5th). Seattle Slew ran in fractions of 22.60 for the first quarter, 45.20 for the half and 1:09.40 for three-quarters – unheard-of early times for a long race.
Sitting far back, Willie Shoemaker (on Exceller
) was able to take advantage of the fast pace. Exceller made a strong move on the far turn, and was able to save ground by moving inside Seattle Slew as the tiring horse bore out turning for home. Exceller took the lead at the top of the stretch, but Seattle Slew gamely fought back and lost by a nose in a photo finish. This stretch run is still remembered as among the all-time best, ranking with Sunday Silence
and Easy Goer
's Preakness
in 1989 and the battles between Affirmed
and Alydar
. Despite the defeat, many analysts considered this to be Seattle Slew's greatest performance. Andrew Beyer
(a Seattle Slew skeptic when the horse was a three-year-old) wrote for his lead, "Exceller won Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup. Seattle Slew was its hero."
Seattle Slew's last race was an easy victory under the high weight of 134 pounds (60.8 kg) in the Stuyvesant Handicap
in November at Aqueduct Racetrack
by 3¼ lengths. He retired with 14 wins in 17 races and earnings of $1,208,726. Seattle Slew was named Champion Older Horse in 1978 but lost the Horse of the Year balloting to the horse he defeated in the Marlboro Cup, Affirmed
. He was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
in 1981.
in Midway, Kentucky, where he was stabled across from Point Given
. He was the leading sire of 1984, when his son Swale
(who died later that year) won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. His other progeny include the talented, ill-fated 1982 champion two-year-old filly, Landaluce
, Slew o' Gold (winner of the 1983 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Male Horse and the 1984 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Male Horse), the 1992 Horse of the Year A.P. Indy
(sire of 2006 Preakness Stakes winner Bernardini
), 2000 champion three-year-old filly Surfside, and 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches
. He is also the only Belmont Stakes winner to sire a Belmont Stakes winner (A.P. Indy), who in turn sired a Belmont Stakes winner (Rags to Riches).
A primary conduit for Seattle Slew's continuation of his male line has been through A.P. Indy
. A.P. Indy has done well at stud
in Kentucky
, siring (among others) the 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft
. One of Seattle Slew's most successful grandsons is the California champion Lava Man
(sired by Slew City Slew). Seattle Slew's son, Slewacide
, was the broodmare sire of 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Funny Cide
. In 2006, Lava Man became the first horse to win the Santa Anita Handicap
, Hollywood Gold Cup
and Pacific Classic Stakes
in the same year. Seattle Slew was also a leading broodmare sire, his daughters producing (among others) Cigar
(leading North American money-earner of his day). Races in honor of his dam (My Charmer) include the My Charmer Handicap
held at Florida's Calder Race Course
annually and the My Charmer Stakes held at Kentucky's Turfway Park
.
Rags to Riches
, a granddaughter, won the 2007 Belmont Stakes
– the third filly to win the race, after Ruthless
in 1867 and Tanya
in 1905. The victory earned jockey John Velazquez and trainer Todd Pletcher
their first wins in any Triple Crown
race. Rags To Riches was the 22nd filly to run in the Belmont. In 2002, ESPN
telecast a "SportsCentury" on Seattle Slew.
25 years to the day after he won the Kentucky Derby, Seattle Slew died in his sleep at age 28. He is buried in a courtyard at Hill 'n' Dale Farms
near Lexington, Kentucky
. Three Chimneys Farm
erected a statue of Seattle Slew near the stallion barn in his honor. Since fellow Triple Crown winner and rival Affirmed
had died the year before, he was the sole living Triple Crown winner. Ironically, Smarty Jones
(the first undefeated Kentucky Derby winner since Seattle Slew) now occupies his predecessor's former stall. In 2008 (when Big Brown
was syndicated), racing fans wanted Big Brown to have the stall; Three Chimneys denied the request.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
race horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century
Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century
In 1999, a panel for The Blood-Horse magazine was made up of distinguished horse racing people: Howard Battle, Lenny Hale, Jay Hovdey, William Nack, Pete Pedersen, Jennie Rees and Tommy Trotter. These experts compiled a list of what they considered to be the top 100 United States thoroughbred...
, Seattle Slew is ranked ninth.
A descendant of the great sire Nearco
Nearco
Nearco was an Italian bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by Thoroughbred Heritage as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He was not only unbeaten, winning 14 races at distances from 5 furlongs to 1 mile 7 furlongs ,...
through his son, Nasrullah, Seattle Slew was sired by Bold Reasoning and out of My Charmer. He was foaled at Ben Castleman's White Horse Acres Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. Not expected to be a great racehorse, he was sold to Karen and Mickey Taylor of White Swan, Washington. They named him for the city of Seattle and the sloughs which loggers once used to transport heavy logs. But Karen felt that the spelling of slough — a slow-moving channel of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
— would be too hard for people to remember, so the spelling was changed to Slew. The colt
Colt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
's co-owners were Jim and Sally Hill. Another co-owner was Glenn Rasmussen, the accountant for the equine partnerships.
2-year-old season
Seattle Slew made his first start in a six-furlong maiden race on September 20, 1976, the fifth race at Belmont ParkBelmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
on Long Island, New York. The big, nearly-black colt was bet down to the 5–2 favorite. He gave the public its first look at what was later called his "war dance" (his habit of tiptoeing on the track before his races), and won by five lengths. Seattle Slew started only twice more as a two-year-old, winning an allowance race on October 5, 1976 by 3½ lengths and the one-mile Champagne Stakes 11 days later by 9¾ lengths in a fast 1:34. Despite starting just three times, Seattle Slew was named Champion 2-Year-Old of 1976.
Triple Crown season
Billy Turner and Paula Turner (http://www.paulaturnertrainingstables.com/), "Slew's" trainers, waited to start Seattle Slew as a three-year-old until March 9, 1977 when he set a seven-furlong track record at Hialeah Park Race TrackHialeah Park Race Track
The Hialeah Park Race Track is a historic site in Hialeah, Florida. Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenue, and from East 22nd Street on the south to East 32nd Street on the north. On March 5, 1979, it was added to the U.S...
in winning an allowance race by nine lengths. On March 26, Seattle Slew won the Flamingo Stakes
Flamingo Stakes
The Flamingo Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in March at the Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida. Run over a distance of nine furlongs, the inaugural race took place in 1926 at the Tampa, Florida racetrack...
by four lengths in the third-fastest time in the stakes' 51-year history. On April 23, he completed his Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
preparation with a 3¼-length victory in the Wood Memorial Stakes
Wood Memorial Stakes
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
.
Seattle Slew went off as the odds-on 1-2 favorite in the 1¼-mile Kentucky Derby on May 7. A "speed horse", who normally broke well and went right to the lead, he swerved at the start and was taken up by jockey Jean Cruguet
Jean Cruguet
Jean Cruguet is an French-American thoroughbred horse racing jockey who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing....
. However, Cruguet and Seattle Slew recovered and got to the lead, dueling with For the Moment for the first mile of the race. At the top of the stretch, Seattle Slew pulled away to win by 1¾ lengths over Run Dusty Run.
Two weeks later, in the 1-mile Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
, Seattle Slew faced a new rival in multiple-stakes
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
- winner Cormorant. Many handicappers believed the predicted speed duel with Cormorant would jeopardize the Derby winner's chances; Andrew Beyer
Andrew Beyer
Andrew Beyer is an American expert on horse race betting who designed what has become known as the Beyer Speed Figure.In the early 1970s, while working for the Washington Daily News, Beyer did extensive work on the concept of speed figures and wrote books that helped popularize their use...
picked Cormorant to win in his Washington Post column. Seattle Slew outstayed Cormorant, holding off Iron Constitution to win by 1 lengths.
The Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
was a coronation for the Triple Crown champion, who won by four lengths before a large, enthusiastic crowd. He became the tenth American Triple Crown winner, and (with his nine-for-nine record) was the first Triple Crown winner to finish the series undefeated.
After the Triple Crown Seattle Slew was sent to Hollywood Park Racetrack, which offered a $400,000 purse to lure him to run in the Swaps Stakes
Swaps Stakes
The Swaps Stakes is a race for Thoroughbred horses run annually at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. The race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it carries a purse of $350,000.Run in mid July, this race is...
on July 3. In the Swaps Seattle Slew (who normally broke on the lead, as noted above) was unable to get to the front. Jockey Bill Shoemaker sent J.O. Tobin (whom Seattle Slew had defeated in the Preakness
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
) to the lead. J.O. Tobin set fast early fractions for a 1¼-mile race – 22.40 for the first quarter-mile, 45.40 for the half, 1:09.20 for six furlongs and 1:33.60 for the mile. Seattle Slew could not keep up and tired badly in the stretch, finishing fourth, 16 lengths behind J.O. Tobin. J.O. Tobin won by eight lengths in 1:58.40, less than half a second off the American record for the distance at the time. After this loss, rest and physical problems would sideline Seattle Slew for almost a year. Despite the season-ending loss, however, Seattle Slew was honored at year's end as champion three-year-old and the Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
for American Horse of the Year.
1978
In early 1978 Seattle Slew was stabled at HialeahHialeah Park Race Track
The Hialeah Park Race Track is a historic site in Hialeah, Florida. Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenue, and from East 22nd Street on the south to East 32nd Street on the north. On March 5, 1979, it was added to the U.S...
and was expected to make three starts in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
before contesting the one-mile Metropolitan Handicap
Metropolitan Handicap
The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile," is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile .The Met Mile was first...
in New York. In Florida the horse (who had recovered from a cough as a three-year-old) took a turn for the worse in January. He stopped eating, occasionally broke into hours-long sweats and sometimes fell when he tried to stand. Co-owner Jim Hill diagnosed a severe viral infection, and feared for Seattle Slew's life.
"Slew" recovered slowly. By the time he made it back to the races on a sloppy track at Aqueduct in May, Billy Turner had been replaced as his trainer by Doug Peterson. Seattle Slew won that allowance race at Aqueduct by 8½ lengths, and won another seven-furlong allowance by six lengths at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
in August. In preparation for a matchup against the 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed
Affirmed
Affirmed was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh and most recent winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing...
, Seattle Slew was sent to the Meadowlands
Meadowlands Racetrack
The Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing...
for a night race, the Paterson Handicap. He lost to Dr. Patches, in a major upset. Jean Cruguet lost his mount after that race, after expressing doubt that the horse was sufficiently trained for the race.
In the Marlboro Cup
Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap
The Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap was a Thoroughbred horse race first run in September 1973 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A Grade 1 race for horses 3 years old and up, it was raced over a distance of 1 1/8 miles on a dirt track....
, the first matchup of two Triple Crown winners, Seattle Slew was not the favorite (for the only time of his career). Angel Cordero, Jr. took the reins as his new jockey. Affirmed was the 1–2 favorite, and Seattle Slew the 2–1 second choice. Affirmed's arch-rival Alydar
Alydar
Alydar was a chestnut colt and an American thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat not achieved before or repeated since.-Racing career:Trained by John M...
was scheduled to run, but was scratched the week before the race.
Affirmed and Seattle Slew were both speed horses. Seattle Slew broke on top, and stayed there into the homestretch. Cordero took him away from the rail off the final turn; Affirmed came up on on him for a moment, but Seattle Slew responded to beat Affirmed by three lengths in the good time of 1:45.80 for 1 miles, .40 second off the track record set by Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
. Two weeks later, he easily won the 1¼-mile Woodward Stakes
Woodward Stakes
The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. Named for prominent racehorse owner, George Nicholas Woodward, it is run at 1⅛ miles on the dirt for a purse of $750,000.The Woodward was run as a handicap in...
over Exceller
Exceller
Exceller is widely considered one of the best horses to race in the United States not to win a year-end championship. Despite his exemplary achievements as a racehorse, and his unique accomplishment in being the only horse to ever defeat two Triple Crown winners in the same race , Exceller is now...
by four lengths.
In October, Seattle Slew and Affirmed met again in the 1½-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a prestigious thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It is typically the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers Stakes is of the...
at Belmont, which was televised nationally on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network. Affirmed's trainer, Laz Barrera
Laz Barrera
Lazaro Sosa Barrera was a Cuban-born American Hall of Fame thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Born in Havana, "Laz" Barrera was one of nine brothers who went on to become involved in thoroughbred horse racing in the United States...
, did not want Seattle Slew to get an easy lead and dictate the pace as he did in the Marlboro Cup, so Barrera also entered a "rabbit" (Life's Hope) in an attempt to tire the horse. Barrera's plan was compromised; Seattle Slew set a blistering pace, chased by Affirmed and Life's Hope. "Slew" drew away; Affirmed's saddle then slipped, eliminating him from contention (he would finish 5th). Seattle Slew ran in fractions of 22.60 for the first quarter, 45.20 for the half and 1:09.40 for three-quarters – unheard-of early times for a long race.
Sitting far back, Willie Shoemaker (on Exceller
Exceller
Exceller is widely considered one of the best horses to race in the United States not to win a year-end championship. Despite his exemplary achievements as a racehorse, and his unique accomplishment in being the only horse to ever defeat two Triple Crown winners in the same race , Exceller is now...
) was able to take advantage of the fast pace. Exceller made a strong move on the far turn, and was able to save ground by moving inside Seattle Slew as the tiring horse bore out turning for home. Exceller took the lead at the top of the stretch, but Seattle Slew gamely fought back and lost by a nose in a photo finish. This stretch run is still remembered as among the all-time best, ranking with Sunday Silence
Sunday Silence
Sunday Silence was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, earning distinction as 1989 American Horse of the Year over American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse Easy Goer. He was foaled in 1986, sired by Halo out of Wishing Well by Understanding. Though he was registered as a dark bay/brown, he was in...
and Easy Goer
Easy Goer
Easy Goer was an American Champion Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse, famous for earning American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors in 1988, and defeating 1989 American Horse of the Year Sunday Silence in the Belmont Stakes by 8 lengths. The victory deprived Sunday Silence of the Triple Crown...
's Preakness
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
in 1989 and the battles between Affirmed
Affirmed
Affirmed was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh and most recent winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing...
and Alydar
Alydar
Alydar was a chestnut colt and an American thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat not achieved before or repeated since.-Racing career:Trained by John M...
. Despite the defeat, many analysts considered this to be Seattle Slew's greatest performance. Andrew Beyer
Andrew Beyer
Andrew Beyer is an American expert on horse race betting who designed what has become known as the Beyer Speed Figure.In the early 1970s, while working for the Washington Daily News, Beyer did extensive work on the concept of speed figures and wrote books that helped popularize their use...
(a Seattle Slew skeptic when the horse was a three-year-old) wrote for his lead, "Exceller won Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup. Seattle Slew was its hero."
Seattle Slew's last race was an easy victory under the high weight of 134 pounds (60.8 kg) in the Stuyvesant Handicap
Stuyvesant Handicap
The Stuyvesant Handicap is an American thoroughbred horse race held in the fall of the year at Aqueduct Race Track in Queens, New York. A Grade III event, it is set over nine furlongs on the dirt for three-year-olds and up...
in November at Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
by 3¼ lengths. He retired with 14 wins in 17 races and earnings of $1,208,726. Seattle Slew was named Champion Older Horse in 1978 but lost the Horse of the Year balloting to the horse he defeated in the Marlboro Cup, Affirmed
Affirmed
Affirmed was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh and most recent winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing...
. He was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
in 1981.
Retirement and legacy
Seattle Slew stood at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky and later at Three Chimneys FarmThree Chimneys Farm
Three Chimneys Farm is an American thoroughbred race horse breeding farm in Midway, Kentucky established in 1972 by Mr. & Mrs. Robert N. Clay. Widely known as one of the world's preeminent horse farms, Three Chimneys has been home to a number of famous horses including U.S. Triple Crown champion...
in Midway, Kentucky, where he was stabled across from Point Given
Point Given
Point Given is an American Hall of Fame champion racehorse foaled on March 27, 1998 in Kentucky. As a three-year-old, he won the 2001 Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, along with the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year...
. He was the leading sire of 1984, when his son Swale
Swale (horse)
Swale was an American thoroughbred racehorse. He is best known for winning the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in 1984...
(who died later that year) won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. His other progeny include the talented, ill-fated 1982 champion two-year-old filly, Landaluce
Landaluce
Landaluce was, for the briefest of moments, a champion American Thoroughbred race horse. Landaluce was out of the first crop sired by the great Seattle Slew, 1977’s Horse of the Year and the 10th winner of America's Triple Crown...
, Slew o' Gold (winner of the 1983 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Male Horse and the 1984 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Male Horse), the 1992 Horse of the Year A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired...
(sire of 2006 Preakness Stakes winner Bernardini
Bernardini
Bernardini is a thoroughbred race horse foaled on March 23, 2003 at Darley Stable in Kentucky. A son of A.P. Indy, he is out of Cara Rafaela who won almost a million dollars over the course of her racing career...
), 2000 champion three-year-old filly Surfside, and 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches
Rags to Riches (horse)
Rags to Riches is an American thoroughbred filly racehorse who in 2007 became the first filly to win the Belmont Stakes in over a century. She was sired by 1992 U.S. Horse of the Year and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee A.P. Indy, who in turn was a son of 1977 U.S...
. He is also the only Belmont Stakes winner to sire a Belmont Stakes winner (A.P. Indy), who in turn sired a Belmont Stakes winner (Rags to Riches).
A primary conduit for Seattle Slew's continuation of his male line has been through A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired...
. A.P. Indy has done well at stud
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, siring (among others) the 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft
Mineshaft (horse)
Mineshaft was a multi-millionaire American thoroughbred racehorse and successful stallion. He was sired by 1992 U.S. Horse of the Year and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee A.P. Indy, who in turn was a son of 1977 U.S. Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. His dam, Prospectors Delite, is by the...
. One of Seattle Slew's most successful grandsons is the California champion Lava Man
Lava Man
Lava Man is a dark bay thoroughbred gelding by Slew City Slew out of L'il Ms. Leonard . He who rose from the lowest levels of race horse claiming races to become regarded by many racing fans and members of the racing media as a legend in his own time...
(sired by Slew City Slew). Seattle Slew's son, Slewacide
Slewacide
Slewacide was an American thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Oklahoma. He was out of the Buckpasser mare, Evasive, by the undefeated 1977 Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew....
, was the broodmare sire of 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Funny Cide
Funny Cide
Funny Cide is a Thoroughbred race horse who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in 2003. He is the first New York-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby and the first gelding to win since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929.-Bloodlines:...
. In 2006, Lava Man became the first horse to win the Santa Anita Handicap
Santa Anita Handicap
The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up , and is considered the most important race for older horses in North America during the winter racing season...
, Hollywood Gold Cup
Hollywood Gold Cup
The Hollywood Gold Cup is an American Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred horses inaugurated in 1938 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. It was run as a handicap race until 1997 when it was switched to weight-for-age conditions...
and Pacific Classic Stakes
Pacific Classic Stakes
The Pacific Classic Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for runners aged 3-year-old or up run at the classic American distance of a mile and a quarter...
in the same year. Seattle Slew was also a leading broodmare sire, his daughters producing (among others) Cigar
Cigar (horse)
Cigar , is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, who in 1995 and 1996 became the first American racehorse racing against top-class competition to win 16 consecutive races since the Triple Crown winner, Citation did so in 1948 and 1950...
(leading North American money-earner of his day). Races in honor of his dam (My Charmer) include the My Charmer Handicap
My Charmer Handicap
The My Charmer Handicap is an American Grade IIIT Thoroughbred horse race run on the turf course at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida each year....
held at Florida's Calder Race Course
Calder Race Course
Calder Casino & Race Course is a casino and horse racetrack in Miami Gardens, Florida in the United States.-History:In the mid-1960s, real estate developer Stephen A. Calder envisioned summertime racing in Florida; in 1965, on the advice of Mr. Calder, the Florida Legislature approved a bill...
annually and the My Charmer Stakes held at Kentucky's Turfway Park
Turfway Park
Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located just outside the city limits to the north of Florence, Kentucky, about 10 miles south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati...
.
Rags to Riches
Rags to Riches (horse)
Rags to Riches is an American thoroughbred filly racehorse who in 2007 became the first filly to win the Belmont Stakes in over a century. She was sired by 1992 U.S. Horse of the Year and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee A.P. Indy, who in turn was a son of 1977 U.S...
, a granddaughter, won the 2007 Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
– the third filly to win the race, after Ruthless
Ruthless (horse)
Ruthless was an American Thoroughbred filly and a National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inducted racehorse.-Early life:Owned and bred by Francis Morris of New York, and was foaled on Morris' farm at Throgg's Neck, New York...
in 1867 and Tanya
Tanya (horse)
Tanya was an American thoroughbred filly racehorse bred and raised in Kentucky. She was bred by William Collins Whitney and foaled at his Brookdale Farm in Lincroft, New Jersey. Sired by the outstanding English stallion Meddler, she was out of the mare Handspun.Unfortunately, before Tanya could...
in 1905. The victory earned jockey John Velazquez and trainer Todd Pletcher
Todd Pletcher
Todd Pletcher is a leading American thoroughbred horse trainer. He has won four consecutive Eclipse Awards as outstanding Trainer of the Year, while topping the leader board in purse earnings in 2004, 2005, and 2006. His horse Super Saver won the 2010 Kentucky Derby, the first of his 24 horses...
their first wins in any Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
race. Rags To Riches was the 22nd filly to run in the Belmont. In 2002, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
telecast a "SportsCentury" on Seattle Slew.
25 years to the day after he won the Kentucky Derby, Seattle Slew died in his sleep at age 28. He is buried in a courtyard at Hill 'n' Dale Farms
Hill 'n' Dale Farms
Hill 'n' Dale Farms is a thoroughbred race horse breeding farm in Canada and the United States. It was founded in 1960 in Aurora, Ontario in 1960 by John Sikura, Jr., who died mysteriously in an unsolved 1994 car fire. The Canadian operation is now run by his son, R. Glenn...
near Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. Three Chimneys Farm
Three Chimneys Farm
Three Chimneys Farm is an American thoroughbred race horse breeding farm in Midway, Kentucky established in 1972 by Mr. & Mrs. Robert N. Clay. Widely known as one of the world's preeminent horse farms, Three Chimneys has been home to a number of famous horses including U.S. Triple Crown champion...
erected a statue of Seattle Slew near the stallion barn in his honor. Since fellow Triple Crown winner and rival Affirmed
Affirmed
Affirmed was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh and most recent winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing...
had died the year before, he was the sole living Triple Crown winner. Ironically, Smarty Jones
Smarty Jones
Smarty Jones is a thoroughbred race horse, and winner of the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He finished second in the Belmont Stakes that took place on June 5th, 2004....
(the first undefeated Kentucky Derby winner since Seattle Slew) now occupies his predecessor's former stall. In 2008 (when Big Brown
Big Brown
Big Brown is a retired champion American Thoroughbred racehorse and winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby and 2008 Preakness Stakes. Bred by Dr. Gary B. Knapp's Monticule Farms in Lexington, Kentucky, he won his first five race starts. He was sired by Grade III winner Boundary, a son of North American...
was syndicated), racing fans wanted Big Brown to have the stall; Three Chimneys denied the request.
Pedigree
Further reading
- Mearns, Dan. Seattle Slew. (Eclipse Press : 2000) ISBN 1-58150-047-5
- Cady, Steve. Seattle Slew. (Penguin Books : 1977) ISBN 0-14-004758-1
External links
- Seattle Slew's Official Website
- Seattle Slew at Three Chimneys Farm: racing record, news, pedigree, conformation
- Seattle Slew's Kentucky Derby
- Seattle Slew profile at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame