Triple Crown profile: Seattle Slew

The Kentucky Derby has been postponed until September, but Churchill Downs will still celebrate the first Saturday in May with a nationwide virtual "Kentucky Derby at Home" party. This special, day-long event will aim to raise $2 million for COVID-19 emergency relief efforts and will feature a thrilling simulated race that includes the 13 Triple Crown winners.

To get you ready for the virtual race, BetAmerica is publishing a profile on each Triple Crown winner leading up to the big day. Get ready to travel back in time to some of the greatest moments in Thoroughbred racing history.

Seattle Slew (1977)

Owner: Tayhill Stable

Trainer: William H. Turner, Jr.

Jockey: Jean Cruguet

Before the Derby

Seattle Slew was sired by Bold Reasoning, a son of Bold Ruler, the sire of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. Seattle Slew’s dam was 1972 Fair Grounds Oaks winner My Charmer, a descendent of Hall of Fame mare Myrtlewood. 

Because of his awkward conformation, the Kentucky-bred sold for a somewhat low $17,500 as a yearling to Tayhill Stable. Seattle Slew’s gangly state delayed his unveiling until September of 1976, when he took a six-furlong maiden race by five lengths at Belmont Park, under regular rider Jean Cruguet.

After he defeated allowance foes with ease two weeks later, Seattle Slew jumped up in class in the Champagne Stakes, to face Belmont Futurity winner For The Moment. Slew shook off his challengers early and waltzed home a 9 3/4-length victor. The three-race workload was light for his day, but he was still named champion 2-year-old in 1976.

Seattle Slew found little worthwhile wintertime competition at Hialeah Park, where he crushed allowance foes and coasted in the Flamingo Stakes. He got in one more tune-up before the Kentucky Derby, the Wood Memorial, and it resulted in another multi-length score.

The Derby

It was hard to poke holes in Seattle Slew’s 6-for-6 record on Derby day, though his light foundation was occasionally floated as a detraction. After he acted up in the crowded Churchill Downs paddock, Seattle Slew was somewhat rattled on the track, which may have contributed to his subpar break from the gate.

Despite a stumbling start from post 3, Seattle Slew challenged frontrunning For The Moment into the first turn. The champion colt wrested a three-length lead at the quarter pole and never looked back. He defeated runner-up Run Dusty Run by 1 3/4 lengths and was under a hand ride for the final furlong.

Completing the Triple Crown

Seattle Slew, the 1-2 Derby favorite, was bet down to 2-5 in the Preakness Stakes, against eight others two weeks later. Multiple stakes winner Cormorant led a solid group of “new shooters, which included English 2-year-old champion J. O. Tobin and Withers Stakes winner Iron Constitution.

Forced to chase Cormorant in the two-path against an apparent rail bias, Seattle Slew dispatched that rival around the far turn and held off Iron Constitution to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

Three weeks later, Seattle Slew encountered a muddy track for the first time in the Belmont Stakes, which drew a field of eight.

Run Dusty Run fought bravely against the 2-5 favorite, but Seattle Slew was a much-the-best, four-length winner. Slew was the 10th Triple Crown winner, but the first to do it while still undefeated.

After the Triple Crown

Seattle Slew’s undefeated record was tarnished just three weeks later, in Hollywood Park’s Swaps Stakes. J. O. Tobin outsprinted Seattle Slew, who wound up boxed in for most of the race, and won in gate-to-wire fashion. The Triple Crown champ checked in a distant fourth.

Trainer William H. Turner Jr. pinned the blame for the loss on his colt’s owners in a nasty public spat, and he was replaced as Seattle Slew’s conditioner by Doug Peterson before 1978. Seattle Slew won Horse of the Year honors for 1977.

A medication issue delayed Seattle Slew’s 4-year-old debut, but he returned in May and crushed allowance foes at Aqueduct.

After one more allowance romp at Saratoga, Seattle Slew was sent to the Meadowlands for the Patterson Handicap, supposedly an easy tune-up for the prestigious Marlboro Cup at Belmont. But he was caught late in the 1 1/8-mile heat by Dr. Patches, the eventual champion sprinter of the year (split with J. O. Tobin). The loss, and subsequent criticism of Slew’s training regimen by Cruguet, led to Angel Cordero Jr. taking over in the irons.

Seattle Slew ran in the Marlboro Cup two weeks later, but for the first and only time in his career, he was not the post-time favorite. The Triple Crown winner of 1978, Affirmed (1-2), was the public choice over Slew (2-1). But Seattle Slew went gate to wire under Cordero for an impressive victory.

After he won the Woodward in his next start, Seattle Slew tasted defeat for the third and final time in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Exceller, whom Slew had beaten handily in the Woodward, took advantage of an ideal setup to win by a nose, as rabbit Life’s Hope, entered for the benefit of Affirmed, softened Seattle Slew up just enough. Slew was a brave second, while Affirmed never factored in over a sloppy surface.

Seattle Slew made his final start in the Stuyvesant Handicap at Aqueduct, where he spotted his overmatched rivals anywhere from 19 to 27 pounds as the 1-10 favorite. Slew into the sunset a 3 1/4-length winner. He retired with a 14-2-0 record and earnings of $1,208,726 from 17 starts.

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Tune into Churchill Downs’ virtual ‘Kentucky Derby at Home’ party on NBC on May 2 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. EDT