Wednesday, May 08, 2002
Seattle Slew: death of a champion
The Associated Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. — John Sikura remembers the day Seattle Slew arrived at his farm to begin the long road back from spinal surgery.
“It was like seeing the Grand Canyon in person after just seeing it in pictures — very awe inspiring,” said Sikura, the owner of Hill 'n' Dale Farm.
“You could still see a brightness in his eye and that vigor that let you know that he was different from other horses,” he added.
That light flickered for the last time Tuesday as the only living Triple Crown winner died in his stall 25 years to the day after his victory in the 1977 Kentucky Derby.
The 28-year-old son of Bold Reasoning out of My Charmer was buried just outside Hill 'n' Dale's stallion barn shortly after his death.
Now, for the first time since Sir Barton won the Derby, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 1919, there is no living Triple Crown winner.
Affirmed, who became the 11th and last Triple Crown winner in 1978, died in January 2001 at 26.
Seattle Slew had 14 victories in 17 career starts with earnings of $1,208,726, but his impact in the breeding shed was even more remarkable.
Retired after his 4-year-old racing season, Slew went on to sire 102 stakes winners, including 1984 Kentucky Derby winner Swale, A.P. Indy, Capote and Slew o' Gold. His progeny alone have accounted for more than $75 million in purse money.
“There are a handful of horses each century who are exceptional racehorses,” said Dan Rosenberg, manager at Three Chimneys Farm where Slew stood for nearly 17 years before moving to Hill 'n' Dale last month. “Even fewer of them can transmit that to their offspring, and even fewer of their offspring can transmit that quality to their offspring.
“This was a very, very rare horse, and his influence will be felt by this breed forever.”
Owners Mickey and Karen Taylor, who moved to Lexington from their Montana home two years ago to care for Slew after his first spinal surgery in April 2000, were with the sinewy black stallion when he died.
“He was the most complete thoroughbred the industry has seen,” Mickey Taylor said. “He just kept raising the bar with every record he broke.”
Sikura and Rosenberg said the relationship between the Taylors and Slew was unique.
“He was a member of their family — physically, emotionally ... in every way,” Sikura said. “That horse took care of them for a lot of years, and I think it was important to them to spend these last few years taking care of him.”
Taylor, a former lumberman from Washington, and former partner Jim Hill bought the big, gangly yearling for only $17,500 at the Fasig-Tipton summer sale of 1975.
Although not physically impressive as a yearling, Slew didn't need long to show off his limitless talent. He won his first six races and had never trailed heading to the Derby on May 7, 1977.
When the Derby began, Slew smacked the gate and slammed into a horse next to him. Ridden by Jean Cruguet, Slew regained his stride, and by the time the field hit the first turn, he was on his way to a 1 3/4-length victory.
“I think that attitude of, "I'm the one. I'm better than all of you,' is what makes a horse dig down and find some more when the pressure's on,” Rosenberg said. “That's what makes them such fierce competitors. I think Seattle Slew had that in spades, more than any horse I've been around.”
In the Preakness, he was briefly second early on, but won by 1 1/2 lengths.
The Belmont was a start-to-finish celebration, with Cruguet standing in the irons and pointing his whip skyward just before Slew crossed the line four lengths in front.
“He was the fastest horse I ever rode,” Cruguet said. “Maybe not the greatest, but he was a speed demon, wouldn't let anyone ahead of him. He was a miler, but had great heart to finish first no matter what the distance.”
At 4, Slew had a new rider in Angel Cordero and new trainer in Doug Peterson. The colt also went out in style, beating Affirmed in the '78 Marlboro Cup and capping his career with a victory in the Stuyvesant Handicap at Aqueduct.
“He was a true champion,” Peterson said. “He broke track records his 3-year-old year, he broke them his 4-year-old year. ... He did everything and did it in a remarkable way.”
In the breeding shed, he confidently and efficiently handled a full book of mares each season well into his later years.
Less than a year after his first spinal operation to stem damage brought by a degenerative arthritic condition, Slew had 43 of 46 mares in foal at a stud fee approaching $300,000 each. His last breeding session was Feb. 23.
“Without any question, he was in charge all the time,” Rosenberg said. “As far as he was concerned, the world was his.
“We got along with him very well by posing questions and asking him for things rather than making demands and giving orders. He was very generous as long as it was posed as a question. You were in real trouble if you gave him an order.”
It didn't take long for word of Slew's death to travel from the lush, rolling green hills of Kentucky to both coasts and beyond.
A couple of hours after the death was announced, Sikura had received nearly 20 phone messages and several floral arrangements bearing cards reading “For Slew” and “For the Taylors.”
“The remarkable thing is that some of the calls are from fans who just wanted to know if the news was true,” Hill 'n' Dale staff assistant Stacey Wagoner said. “He obviously touched a lot of people.”
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Seattle Slew: death of a champion 
