Seattle Slew was born on February 15, 1974. He was the "ugly duckling" of Bold Reasoning and My Charmer. Bold Reasoning was the grandson of Bold Ruler, who sired the mighty Secretariat, and My Charmer descended from Myrtle Charm, the champion filly of 1948.
Seattle's head was too large for his body, and his legs seemed way too long. So, he was taken to an auction, where many onlookers thought of him as "just another yearling."
Karen and Mickey Taylor were among the bidders. They had been horse-owners for two years, and now they wanted to try their hand at the large world of horseracing. A veterinarian, Dr. Jim Hill, teamed up with the Taylors. He strongly suggested bidding for the "Bold Reasoning colt." The Taylors did exactly that, and got the colt for $17,500 dollars. They took him to their home in Seattle, Washington. Karen wanted a snappy name for him, and she wanted one that reflected on the dual ownership of the Taylors and Dr. Hill. Seattle was, of course, where the Taylors lived, and slew was the name of the swampy areas where Dr. Hill had grown up. Thus, the colt was named, "Seattle Slew."
The colt was sent to a farm in Maryland, where Paula Turner broke in "the Slew," as he was affectionately called. Then he was sent to Bill Turner in New York for training on the Belmont racetrack.
Soon, when the colt was two, he was entered in his first race on September 20, 1976. The Slew won by five lengths, even though he broke from the gate last in a field of ten. A trainer sidled up to Turner and offered $300,000 for the dark bay colt. It was turned down.
Turner wasted no time in entering the colt in his second race on October 5. He won it easily by three and one half lengths. The colt was then entered in the Champagne Stakes, his last race of the year, and he won it by nine and three quarters lengths.
On March 20, 1977, the colt won another race by nine lengths. Then he won his fifth race by four lengths, and his sixth race by three and a quarter lengths. He was clearly ready for the upcoming Kentucky Derby, which had the Taylors very excited.
The day of the Kentucky Derby arrived, and the Slew didn't seem to be himself. He hated the large crowd of over 124,000 all screaming. He was the 1-2 favorite, however.
The gates opened, and the Slew swerved right out of the gate. He was last behind a wall of straining horses. His jockey, Jean Cruguet, edged him up through openings in the wall, and soon he was competing with the leader, For the Moment. He broke into the lead, and lead the horses down the backstretch and into the homestretch. Now Run Dusty Run was trying to compete for first, but Seattle Slew left him behind and raced under the finish pole with a commanding one and three fourth length win.
Two weeks later, in the Preakness, only two horses from the Kentucky Derby dared to try again at the Slew: Run Dusty Run, who came in second, and Sir Sir, who came in twelfth. But Cormorant seemed to be the only major challenger. However, he was never headed in the entire race, and he won by one and one half lengths.
With high hopes of becoming the tenth Triple Crown Winner and the first undefeated horse to sweep the Triple Crown, the Slew was entered in the Belmont Stakes.
The track was muddy, and the pace was very slow. The Slew dominated the race, and won it by four lengths, with Run Dusty Run running in second. Close to the finish line, Cruguet stood in his stirrups and waved to the crowd. Turner got scared that he would fall before the race was over, but he did not.
After becoming the tenth Triple Crown winner and first undefeated horse to win the Triple Crown, Turner wanted to rest the Slew. But the Taylors insisted, and two weeks later, the horse was raced. He finished fourth.
The Slew raced in other races, losing about three, and winning more, including a race in which Affirmed, a recent Triple Crown winner was entered. He beat the young horse.
Seattle Slew was finally retired and stood at stud at Three Chimneys Farm in Lexington. He bred with about seventy mares a year, and some of his foals became champions. At the age of twenty-eight, he was taken to a farm to rest until he died.
The day that he died, the Taylors' black lab went into the horse's stall and licked his nose; then the horse lay down and went to sleep, never to rise again.
So was the story of the champion "ugly duckling."
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