Horse Racing: Seattle Slew, the Triple Crown champion thoroughbred
Foaled on the 15th of February 1974, the American thoroughbred racehorse Seattle Slew is the tenth of the eleven winners of the United States Triple Crown. On the basis of his great contributions to the American horse racing industry, he has been
ranked #9 in the list of the Top 100 United States Racehorses of the 20th century.
Sired by Blood Reasoning out of My Charmer, the brown coloured stallion was owned by Karen and Mickey Taylor and bred by Ben S. Castleman. At the time of his retirement, the great thoroughbred had earned $1,208,726 under the training of William H. Turner
Jr. and Douglas R. Peterson.
Seattle Slew started his athletic career as a two year old colt. His maiden race was the fifth race run at Belmont Park on Long Island. The six furlong race was won by the racehorse by five lengths. That racing season, Slew contended and won two more races,
one being an allowance race which he won by 3 ½ lengths. The other race, Champagne Stakes was won by Seattle Slew in a track record time of 1 minute and 34 2/5 seconds by 9 ¾ lengths. He was thus named the United States Champion two year old colt for the year
1976.
Before heading toward the three legs of the Triple Crown races, Seattle Slew won two major races of his career. The first one was the Flamingo Stakes that was run on the 26th of March 1977, which he won in the third fastest time in history and
by four lengths. Seattle Slew then went on to win the Wood Memorial Stakes on the 23rd of April 1977 by 3 ¼ lengths.
The talented racehorse was then sent out to run in the first jewel of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby as a heavy favourite. The great horse held off the runner up Run Dusty Run by a distance of 1 ¾ lengths and won the start.
The champion had to face another strong competitor Cormorant in the Preakness Stakes that was scheduled two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. Seattle Slew did not find it hard to hold off Cormorant and Iron Constitution, and clinched the victory in the event
by 1 ½ lengths.
He then finally made it to grab the Triple Crown after he won the Belmont Stakes by four lengths. The tenth winner of the United States Triple Crown was then also adorned with the United States Champion three year old colt and American Horse of the Year
awards in 1977.
As a four year old colt, Seattle Slew could only manage to win two major races. After recovering from a viral infection that caused sudden outbreaks of sweat, Seattle Slew started training under Douglas Peterson. Slew then won the Woodward Stakes (1978),
the Stuyvesant Stakes (1978) and most importantly the Marlboro Cup (1978). Acknowledging his spectacular performances, he named the United States Champion Older Male Horse for that racing season.
When the great thoroughbred racehorse retired, he had won 14 meets out of his 17 starts. After his retirement, Seattle Slew was sent to stand at stud at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. The legendary colt died at the age of 28 while sleeping. His
statue has been raised in his honour by the Three Chimneys Farm in the stallion’s honour.
Seattle Slew was also awarded with the Leading sire in North America title in the year 1984. The champion thoroughbred racehorse was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in the year 1981.
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