Seattle Slew--the last living Triple Crown winner--died on May 7, 2002 at the age of 28. As one of only 11 Triple Crown winners in history, he is by default one of the greatest horses in the history of thoroughbred racing. Of those 11 legendary animals, Seattle Slew was the only one to complete the Triple Crown with an undefeated record, as well as the only one to have been purchased at a public auction. After retiring in'78, Slew became one of the most important and successful stud horses in the history of the sport. He sired 1,066 foals including 102 stakes race winners. Among this impressive group of offspring was the'84 Kentucky Derby winner, Swale. All told, Slew's offspring have won an amazing $76 million dollars at the race track. Slew's stud fee of $300,000 made him a very profitable horse even after his racing career was over. Slew wasn't a particularly attractive horse, but he had the toughness of a championship boxer and the sort of intestinal fortitude and desire that can only be given by The Creator.
The Seattle Slew story began very modestly at a public auction in Lexington, Kentucky. The Keeneland Summer Yearling sale wasn't supposed to be the marketplace of champions, and the idea that this particular horse would ever amount to anything other than a farmhand was downright laughable. Slew looked clumsy, due primarily to a right forefoot that splayed outward and resulting in a shuffling gait at a trot. He also wasn't a majestic beast like his predecessor by a few years, Secretariat. Slew was borderline ugly. So ungainly a creature was he that he was given the less than inspiring nickname "Baby Huey" by the Keeneland staff. He was purchased by two couples (Karen and Mickey Taylor and Jim and Sally Hill) for $17,500. What wasn't apparent at the yearling sale was the intangibles that make up a championship thoroughbred--poise under pressure, love of competition, toughness, heart and desire. The Taylor's and Hill's had stumbled onto an equine Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan who's competitive fire quickly became apparent to the trainers that worked with him and the jockeys that rode him. His first race came at Belmont in'76, and the three races he entered--and won--as a 2 year old gave a hint of what was to come.
Slew quickly became a horse to watch as a three year old as he won three Derby prep races including the Wood Memorial. In the Derby, Slew got off to a terrible start as he stumbled out of the gate. He recovered from the miscue and essentially bulled his way through a pack of horses to lead at the 1/4 mile pole. Slew would win the Derby by a length and 3 quarters. He took another tough victory at the Preakness before clinching the Triple Crown with a 4 length victory in the Belmont Stakes.
Slew ran in a few races as a 4 year old but in the pre-Breeders' Cup days there wasn't as many opportunities for an older horse. He retired to stud in'78, where he sired champions such as the aforementioned Swale and'92 Belmont Champ AP Indy.
Slew was in someways overshadowed during his prime by his predecessor--and arguably the greatest thoroughbred race horse in history--1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. In hindsight, however, it has finally been noted what an exceptional horse he really was. Jockey Angel Cordero, who rode Slew during the twilight of his career noted "If I had a chance to take any horse in the world, if someone said your life is depending on riding one horse to win, I would take (Slew). I rode 44,000 horses, but he was special, he was different. He was muscled, like a wrestler. He ran different than any other horse. It was like he came from another planet."
Slew was laid to rest at Hill 'n' Dale Farm in Lexington, under a statue.
The Seattle Slew story began very modestly at a public auction in Lexington, Kentucky. The Keeneland Summer Yearling sale wasn't supposed to be the marketplace of champions, and the idea that this particular horse would ever amount to anything other than a farmhand was downright laughable. Slew looked clumsy, due primarily to a right forefoot that splayed outward and resulting in a shuffling gait at a trot. He also wasn't a majestic beast like his predecessor by a few years, Secretariat. Slew was borderline ugly. So ungainly a creature was he that he was given the less than inspiring nickname "Baby Huey" by the Keeneland staff. He was purchased by two couples (Karen and Mickey Taylor and Jim and Sally Hill) for $17,500. What wasn't apparent at the yearling sale was the intangibles that make up a championship thoroughbred--poise under pressure, love of competition, toughness, heart and desire. The Taylor's and Hill's had stumbled onto an equine Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan who's competitive fire quickly became apparent to the trainers that worked with him and the jockeys that rode him. His first race came at Belmont in'76, and the three races he entered--and won--as a 2 year old gave a hint of what was to come.
Slew quickly became a horse to watch as a three year old as he won three Derby prep races including the Wood Memorial. In the Derby, Slew got off to a terrible start as he stumbled out of the gate. He recovered from the miscue and essentially bulled his way through a pack of horses to lead at the 1/4 mile pole. Slew would win the Derby by a length and 3 quarters. He took another tough victory at the Preakness before clinching the Triple Crown with a 4 length victory in the Belmont Stakes.
Slew ran in a few races as a 4 year old but in the pre-Breeders' Cup days there wasn't as many opportunities for an older horse. He retired to stud in'78, where he sired champions such as the aforementioned Swale and'92 Belmont Champ AP Indy.
Slew was in someways overshadowed during his prime by his predecessor--and arguably the greatest thoroughbred race horse in history--1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. In hindsight, however, it has finally been noted what an exceptional horse he really was. Jockey Angel Cordero, who rode Slew during the twilight of his career noted "If I had a chance to take any horse in the world, if someone said your life is depending on riding one horse to win, I would take (Slew). I rode 44,000 horses, but he was special, he was different. He was muscled, like a wrestler. He ran different than any other horse. It was like he came from another planet."
Slew was laid to rest at Hill 'n' Dale Farm in Lexington, under a statue.
About the Author:
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
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