The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Jon — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:36:16 GMT

People seem to forget that Cordero's foot came out of the iron around the first turn too. And that was after Slew broke through the gate. So I don't buy Affirmed's excuse of his saddle slipping. Slew had his own problems. He ran hard early and he ran hard late. I run the 1978 JCGC race over and over in my mind to this day and Slew regains the lead at the wire instead of one jump past. It was his greatest race. And...as for his Marlboro Cup race, he was way out in the middle of the track all the way around and still finished in 1:45 4/5. What could it have been if Cordero had dropped him over to the rail coming down the stretch? A track record for him! Slew was the best pure athletic horse I ever saw. Simply the best ever. He never stopped prancing.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Slew — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:00:01 GMT

Billy D....don't forget, that year, Affirmed had already been by 3 lengths by Slew in the Marlboro, and 2 weks later Exceller was beaten by 4 lengths by Slew in the Woodward. Slew won OLDER male horse in 1978. Affirmed, as the TC winner won HOY. You need also consider that another great champion was nosed out in 7 of 10 races with Affirmed, and he never received any honors, Alydar. He remains the only horse to finish 2nd in all TC races.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Billy D. — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:06:20 GMT

In my opinion, The greatest loss was the fact Exceller did NOT win Horse of the year! The only horse in history to beat TWO Triple Winners in the same race no less! Even though Cordero lost an iron going into the clubhouse turn it didn't matter that day. Even if Affirmed's saddle doesn't slip, I think he was a tired horse at that point in the year. Give credit where credit is due and Exceller deserved a lot more than he got.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Rachel — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:43:10 GMT

It was a great decade of great racehorses unafraid to face each other...

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Scott H — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:02:06 GMT

I saw Slew in '80 and '99. He was absolutely The King and my all-time hero. Incredible heroism in the Gold Cup. I was 17 at the time and said, "That race took 5 years off my life!" Still recall Jack Whittaker's post-race remark (speaking as Slew), "No, I WON'T let you beat me!" Affirmed was great, no doubt, but who ever heard of a Triple Crown Winner needing a rabbit?!

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

wendyg — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:11:47 GMT

Not only was Slew a champion on the track, but he was a champion in the breeding shed. He produced champions.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Slew — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:20:19 GMT

Joe C...You're right...we cannot forget Slew O'Gold, or any of Slew's progeny....but there are soooo many who became champions. Lava Man, A.P.Indy,Slew City Slew,Cigar, etc...etc...there's simply not enough room to name them all. Even today, mostly through AP Indy, we can keep following the Slew's bloodline. I Want Revenge, Friesan Fire, Ron the Greek, Eskendereya...they're all carrying a little bit of Slew. How fortunate are we that Slew was not just a champion race horse, but a prodigious sire.

(by the way...by all accounts Slew was 16 hands...but whenever he entered the scene, all puffed up, didn't he look bigger than life, and so huge that our memory views him as bigger than Rock Hard Ten?)

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Dona — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:45:35 GMT

Racingfan........You are absolutely right and I am ashamed of myself for not mentioning the great Native Dancer losing not only the Derby but the Tripple Crown and as you said, would have retired unbeaten. Too me, he was the greatest of my lifetime and although I was a very young girl watching his televised Derby run and subsequent loss, it broke my heart when I realized how close he came even with such a disastrous ride. Seattle Slew losing the 1978 Jockey Gold Cup didnot have the same reverberation as the Dancers Derby loss. Native Dancer was a national icon and the loss not only cheated his fans but history was well. "A champion hailed rather than merely acknowledged" and "A horse of the ages", so wrote Charles Hatton in the American Racing Manual, also writing in the Daily Racing Form that Native Dancer was "one of the few truly great performers in 300 years of American racing.......Some have said that 'for the great, death dies.' The Dancer will live on indefinitely in his species".

How true.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Dawn — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:42:35 GMT

Deb--Slew was my first love too.

I remember sitting in front of the TV cheering him on and kind of shocked that he lost.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

joe c. — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:04:15 GMT

Seattle Slew remains my all time favorite. I saw all of his televised races starting with the Champagne. As great a record as he left, pity it isn't better-didn't former trainer Billy Turner say after the Stuyvesant win that he should be retiring undefeated? I stood near his greatness-believe me, he knew it!-twice at Three Chimneys. When we recall sons Swale-loved that one-and Vindication, let's not forget Slew's two time champion Slew O' Gold, who TWICE avenged his pop's Jockey Club defeat. Exceller should have been voted grass male of 78. Horrible to contemplate his end; Slew, Affirmed, Exceller join Big Red, Forego, the Bid, Ruffian in defining racing's great(est) decade.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Ragsy — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:36:02 GMT

Yes, your right Seattle Slew, What a horse and Exceller still stops my heart....what a shame he was executed...without a trial, evil people..

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Matthew W — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:22:49 GMT

Affirmed won the Triple Crown...

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Matthew W — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:22:15 GMT

Carlos in Cali look it up--compare their seasons, then tell me Slew deserved the Eclipse over Exceller! No way am I saying Slew wasn't great--I am saying his season was far from as accomplished as Exceller's--there is a difference!

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

sidekickflats — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:26:07 GMT

The announcer carries on about how great a job Angel Cordero did getting Slew stopped when he broke out of the gate and never mentions the assistant starter who never lets Slew go. Whoever that guy was, he deserved some reconnition.

Amazing race.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Slewartic — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:23:56 GMT

That race has to be one of the greatest displays of what a Thoroughbred racehorse is supposed to be. A few notes...

You can see it in the video but it should be pointed out the muddy/sloppy conditions which makes Slew's fractions even more impressive.

Credit should be given that assistant starter for being able to hang onto Slew when he broke through the gate. If he hadn't, knowing Slew's nature, not sure when Cordero would have had him pulled up.

Cordero did a masterful job of giving Slew a little breather when Affirmed dropped back.

In the gallop out, you can see that Slew continued on with his charge to stay in front of Exceller - mission accomplished in his mind.

One of the greatest (if not the ultimate) combinations of pure "catch me if you can" speed with stamina there ever was...or probably will be - Seattle Slew.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Racingfan — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:10:36 GMT

Seattle Slew was a great horse! I got hooked on him when I watched his Wood Memorial win! BUT, IMO, the greatest loss ever was Native Dancer's Kentucky Derby. But for jockey error, he would have retired undefeated and a triple crown winner, both which he was much deserving!

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Footlick — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:53:26 GMT

I think they were both amazing horses. Carlos, yes Exceller never carried the weight Seattle Slew did. But, on the other side Seattle Slew never won in Europe nor did he ever win on turf. Exceller did both, and won on dirt. He won Gr 1's on two continents and on two surfaces. They were two totally different horses with two totally different styles and two totally different careers. Exceller was an amazing horse in his own right, who accomplished more than he gets credit for in the US.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Judy ~ Burbank, CA — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:49:57 GMT

The first thing that came to mind, now days, the track vet checks the horse out before reloading. They didn't do that back then??

Also, I've heard that Angel Cordero could be pretty tough on a horse. Is it my imagination or did he whip SEATTLE SLEW a lot?

One final note, too bad they didn't have a split screen like today. We could have seen Exceller's move on the backstetch eating up ground.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Karen in Indiana — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:51:08 GMT

Wow! That raised goosebumps!

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

FourCats — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:30:19 GMT

Never understood how Affirmed could be voted HOTY over Seattle Slew that year. Slew beat him both times that they met. Even if you buy the saddle slip in the JCGC, there was no excuse for Affirmed in the Marlboro. If winning in head-to-head competition isn't good enough for HOTY, then the title means nothing.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Danylson — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:02:24 GMT

The biggest loss with a big historic influence is the 1989 classic. Easy Goer proved what a monster horse he was, his Jockey didn't. He gave 8 lenghts to Sunday Silience and came up A head short of the greatest 3 year old Season ever!! and because of this loss he is rank#34 on all time list, if he wins he would be top 5. That is a Big loss.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

CRob87 — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:32:58 GMT

As great as Secretariat and others were, I believe that Seattle Slew has to be considered the Ultimate Rags to Riches thoroughbred of all time.

First being sold as a yearling for only $17,500.

Then grabbing the Brass Ring of thoroughbred racing (The Triple Crown).

And then becoming the Holy Grail of thoroughbred breeding (A Sire Of Sires). As well as Re-igniting the Bold Ruler sireline.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Carlos in Cali — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:24:00 GMT

Ah yes, Seattle Slew. The greatest Racehorse/Sire combination ever,bar none.

Matthew W.

Exceller never carried the kind of weight Slew did.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Tim — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:11:58 GMT

That was a little before my time since I was only 4 but the best finish I've witnessed was was the 1998 Belmont.

re: The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Dona — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:58:46 GMT

I remember it well, being a west coast gal and madly in love with Bill shoemaker: this was the epitome of a great jockey displaying patience and good judgment. Had Shoemaker been lured into moving sooner because of the pace, remember he was 22 lengths behind and still sat there waiting untill the right moment. Sure Slew came back, a testiment to his heart, courage and will to win but Shoemaker was there and if you want a great looking back at series, just put together the races he won when up against the best. Cougar vs Kennedy Road is one of my all time favorites because as good as he was, Kennedy Road was no Cougar! (pun intended) Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Exceller were all great horses but that day belonged to the Shoe.