Lookin at Lucky Poised to Join Elite Company

1905 - Sysonby 1908 - Colin 1910 - Sweep 1920 - Man O’ War 1923 - Zev 1928 - Reigh Count 1934 - Cavalcade 1940 - Bimelech 1942 - Alsab 1943 - Count Fleet 1948 - Citation 1950 - Hill Prince 1953 - Native Dancer 1955 - Nashua 1956 - Needles 1966 - Buckpasser 1973 - Secretariat 1977 - Seattle Slew 1978 - Affirmed 1979 - Spectacular Bid 20 Impressive horses. Soon you can add the name of Lookin at Lucky to that esteemed list. His accomplishments of 2010 have all but made him a shoo-in for his second Eclipse Award, thus becoming the first horse in 31 years to parlay a juvenile championship with a repeat award at three-years-old. Hard to believe, but no horse since Spectacular Bid has been able to turn the trick … until Lookin at Lucky that is. Further investigation into this list of horses who were able to wrap up the double, displays a veritable who’s who of American racing. From Man O’ War to Secretariat, from Citation to Seattle Slew, this is an accomplished group. In fact, 19 of these 20 stars also found there way into racing’s Hall of Fame, with only Sweep being denied.  In becoming lucky number 21 to complete the deal, Lookin at Lucky has carved out a place for himself in the record books, but how will he be remembered? I believe his legacy will be one that improves over time. He was unlucky often, and he ran into a couple of older buzz saws in Blame and Zenyatta in his finale, but he proved as consistent as they come. It is hard not to like a horse who fires every shot. Did the winner of eight grade 1 or grade 2 stakes races in only 13 lifetime starts retire before his time? Yes, but that is an article for another day. For now, I will send off the son of Smart Strike to retirement with this singular thought ... Is he Hall of Fame material? Lookin at History, I say Yes to Lookin at Lucky.

Remembering ... Affirmed

The first time I recall seeing Affirmed in person was the 1977 Champagne Stakes. I will not sugar coat what I am about to tell you. Affirmed was not the horse I rooted for. The three year stretch from 1977 through 1979 may have been the greatest run in the history of racing. Not that the several years proceeding it weren’t great, but there was something special about those years with Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Alydar, and Spectacular Bid. The Triple Crown could not have been more tangible. Slew won it, Bid should have won it, and Affirmed and Alydar staged the greatest series that will ever be seen in Louisville, Baltimore, and New York. But back to my dirty little secret; I rooted for Alydar against Affirmed time and time again. I rooted for Seattle Slew against Affirmed, and I most certainly rooted for Spectacular Bid against Affirmed. Do not hold this against me. Now more than thirty years removed, I come not to bury Affirmed, but to praise him. Please do not misunderstand, I never disliked the great chestnut colt, I just happened to like his main adversaries more. No rival was more important to Affirmed than Alydar. So intense and so long running was their rivalry, that you can not possibly recall one without thinking of the other. Affirmed and Alydar. Alydar and Affirmed, and so it was in the Fall of 1977. Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew was on the shelf, and two powerful juveniles were more than willing to step up and take center stage. The big showdown at Belmont in the Champagne was not the first match up of the best two youngsters in the nation, but it was the most important to date. Affirmed had already gotten the best of his Calumet rival in three out of four meetings, including consecutive wins in the Hopeful and the Futurity with his new teenage rider Steve Cauthen. Affirmed was made the favorite, but my group and I were all there to see Alydar beat him. As the race unfolded, Affirmed was part of a four prong battle on the turn, and as he slowly pulled away from the rest, it was Alydar who swung out to the middle of the track and began to fly. Affirmed could not quicken enough to challenge Alydar’s explosive kick and the most important juvenile race of the year went to Alydar. Leaving the track that day we all felt that it was Alydar who was destined to be the great champion. Little did we know that he would never again finish ahead of Affirmed. The colts came back a few weeks later at Laurel and Affirmed got the best of Alydar for the fourth time. Unlike the Champagne, where Alydar struck quickly and swooped by on the outside, Affirmed was ready for Alydar and outfought him to the wire. The Laurel Futurity clinched the championship for the son of Exclusive Native, out of the Crafty Admiral mare, Won’t Tell You. A Florida homebred for Louis Wolfson, Affirmed ran under Wolfson’s Harbor View Farm silks and was conditioned by Cuban born trainer, Laz Barrera. It was Barrera’s duty to have his charge ready for the big races upcoming. The Belmont was a fitting finale to an amazing Spring. In the Belmont, Alydar hooked Affirmed early in the race and they proceeded to run around the immense Belmont oval in unison. Matching strides, heart, and will in perfect tandem, neither great colt would give an inch. An adoring Belmont crowd went crazy, as the rivals traded narrow advantages down the stretch. What led to this unforgettable encounter was right out of a Hollywood movie script. Not wanting to battle with Alydar all Winter, Barrera took Affirmed to California to prepare for the Derby. Affirmed was an easy winner in an allowance, the San Felipe, the Santa Anita Derby, and the Hollywood Derby in March and April. The juvenile champ marched to the Run for the Roses on a five race win streak. On the other side of the nation, Alydar was laying waste to his opposition. So impressive was the son of Raise a Native that he, and not Affirmed, was made the favorite in Louisville. The stage was set for an epic battle, and it was not wise to underestimate Affirmed. He earned hard fought victories in the Derby and then two weeks later in the Preakness, with Alydar not far behind in either contest. Thus setting up Affirmed’s attempt at immortality as a Triple Crown winner, and against the bravest of foes. The crowd screamed as Affirmed surged on the rail to stick his nose in front. Alydar stayed with him, but could not get by. Affirmed won by desperate inches in what may have been the greatest race ever run. The Test of Champions produced two, but only one could win, and once again it was Affirmed. He became the 11th Triple Crown champion. 32 years later we are still waiting for the 12th. Saratoga was the site of the tenth edition of Affirmed and Alydar. I have never seen such a crowd at Saratoga, as I did that day for the Travers. Since the Belmont, Alydar destroyed an Arlington Classic field and then did the same to older horses in the Whitney. Meanwhile Affirmed was life and death to get up in the last few strides against the quality speed horse, Sensitive Prince in the Jim Dandy. Once again Alydar fans had hope that this time it could be different. Different it was. In a blink of an eye Affirmed, with replacement rider Laffit Pincay sitting in the irons, cut in front of the charging Alydar entering the far turn. The move severely hampered Alydar’s chances and when Affirmed hit the wire in front of Alydar, the inquiry signal went up immediately. The infraction had been bad enough to take down the Triple Crown winner. Alydar was declared the winner, giving him his third victory in ten tries against Affirmed. It would be the last time the two would ever meet. Like a great team getting better as the year goes on to peak for the playoffs, the four-year-old Affirmed was building momentum for the huge races in the Fall at Belmont. After the Travers DQ, Affirmed had not been able to handle the older Seattle Slew in the Fall races as a three-year-old. The losing streak hit five when Affirmed lost his first two efforts of 1979. What was wrong with the Triple Crown winner? People did not have to wonder for long as Affirmed, now reunited with Laffit Pincay after being part of Steve Cauthen’s horrible losing streak, began winning again. Beginning with a ten length romp in the Strub Stakes, Affirmed would reel off six straight wins, including five grade 1 stakes. It was clear there was only one horse that could challenge the powerhouse that Affirmed had become. His name was Spectacular Bid, and Spectacular he was. The super sophomore became the third truly great horse to challenge Affirmed. The meeting would be the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Horse of the Year honors were on the line. Sent to the lead early, the beautiful chestnut was impossible to pass. Each time Spectacular Bid would make a run at Affirmed, the older colt would have an answer. He crossed the Belmont Park finish line ¾ of a length the best. Affirmed was the bond that tied together Seattle Slew, Alydar, Spectacular Bid, and himself. A Golden Age of racing, and more often than not, Affirmed was the victor. The win was the great Affirmed’s final race. He was rightfully honored once again. Affirmed was the 2-year-old Champion of 1977, 3-year-old Champion of 1978, Handicap Male Champion of 1979, as well as Horse of the Year of both 1978 and 1979. Despite his outstanding competition, Affirmed finished first in 23 of his 29 lifetime starts, with a disqualification in the Travers. He became the first horse ever to earn $2 million, was an obvious induction into racing’s Hall of Fame, and was the greatest horse ever for his Hall of Fame trainer and riders. Affirmed was syndicated at a then-record 14.4 million dollars. At stud, Affirmed became a solid and steady success. He may not have sired the immediate brilliance of Alydar or Seattle Slew, but much like he did on the track, Affirmed kept fighting on. He sired over 80 stakes winners, including nine champions. Notable offspring included Flawlessly, The Tin Man and Peteski. Affirmed’s sons and daughters were equally adept on turf as dirt and today I consider him to be one of the best broodmare sires in the world. In a curious personal side note to the story of Affirmed, I was at Calumet Farm in the early 80’s when an older mare was to be sent to the breeding shed for an encounter with Alydar. The mare was none other than Won’t Tell You. Someone in my group coined the date, Alydar’s final revenge. Affirmed’s mom had a travel issue that day and we never saw the mating, but it was nice for us Alydar fans to know that he finally ended up on top. But I digress, Affirmed was a star by every sense of the word. The great horse’s life ended at the age of 26, when in 2001, he was euthanized after falling seriously ill with laminitis. The fight with laminitis was the champion’s first battle that he could not win. I remember you Affirmed.

Remembering ... Seattle Slew

The first time I ever laid eyes on Seattle Slew was October 16, 1976. It was the day of the Champagne Stakes. The Champagne was the most important juvenile race in the country in those days, and everyone was buzzing about the flashy black colt who had run away with a maiden and an allowance in his first two starts. I remember reading the form that afternoon from the front row of our grandstand seats, and thinking that For The Moment is really a nice two-year-old. This Seattle Slew character would have to be awfully good to handle him in only his third start. Following the Seattle Slew pre-race war dance, the race went pretty much as planned with the unbeaten Slew on the lead and For the Moment in close pursuit. As they straightened out, For the Moment threw his haymaker. Problem was it made absolutely no impact on the big, impressive colt. Seattle Slew commenced a runaway that I had never seen before in such a young horse. It was breathtaking. In a period of four weeks he had gone from an unraced, inexpensive juvenile to an undefeated champion and a clear favorite for next Spring’s Kentucky Derby. Where had he come from? Foaled in Lexington, Seattle Slew was a son of the talented, but unproven combination of Bold Reasoning and My Charmer. Taken to the Lexington auction conducted by Fasig-Tipton Company in July, Seattle Slew was bought for a bargain basement price of $17,500 by Mickey Taylor, a former lumberman from Washington, his wife Karen, and partner, Dr. Jim Hill. It was Hill who had recommended the purchase to the Taylors. Slew was sent to the Turners, first to Paula who broke the big youngster and then on to husband Billy to take over the race training. His three-year-old season began much the way his juvenile season ended. Billy Turner waited patiently to begin his season until March 9, when he won an allowance race by nine lengths at Hialeah in track record time for seven furlongs. A few weeks later, Seattle Slew won the Flamingo Stakes by four lengths in the third fastest time in stakes history. Slew then headed back north for the Wood Memorial where he scored another easy victory in his final prep for the Kentucky Derby. The 1977 Triple Crown would be all about Slew. The only real drama was in the first few seconds of the Kentucky Derby, when the heavy favorite was sideswiped coming out of the gate and got a way slowly. It proved no issue for the great horse. Within a quarter mile, he joined For the Moment on the lead and the drama of the Triple Crown was all but over. He crossed the wire first in the Derby over Run Dusty Run, and first in the Preakness over Iron Constitution. Neither margin was big, but it was clear that Slew was much the best. When he crossed the finish line in the Belmont Stakes four lengths ahead of Run Dusty Run, he became the tenth horse ever to win the Triple Crown and the first to do so undefeated. To this day, Seattle Slew is the only horse ever to win the Crown unbeaten. Unfortunately, in the weeks following the Belmont, The Taylors insisted that Slew be shipped to the West Coast to run in Hollywood Park’s Swaps Stakes. It was an ill conceived plan, and one that trainer Billy Turner wanted no part of. The owners won out and it resulted in Slew’s only black mark, as he was not himself in running a distant fourth to the razor sharp J.O. Tobin. This ended the relationship between the Taylors and Turner. It also ended Seattle Slew’s sophomore season, but Slew would be back. Perhaps Seattle Slew’s greatest attribute was an amazing spirit that so few horses possess the way he did. It was never more apparent than in 1978, when he fought off a life-threatening collapsed left jugular vein at the beginning of the year, and made it successfully back to the races by May. Veterinarians were concerned for his life and had suggested that he would never race again, but Seattle Slew was simply a different kind of horse than the doctors were familiar with. During that four-year-old campaign, Slew also overcame a suspensory ligament injury, a filled ankle, and several other hurdles that would send any other horse off to retirement. Instead Slew emerged once again as a champion under the guidance of new trainer Doug Peterson and produced some of the greatest performances in his career. After rounding back into top form, despite his ailments, Slew was ready to tackle the new hotshot in racing. Affirmed had become the new toast of racing with his Triple Crown heroics. I remember thinking youth would be served in the Marlboro Cup and surely Slew would succumb to his young challenger. I have never been so wrong. Slew dispatched Affirmed with disdainful ease in the first ever match up of Triple Crown winners. A few weeks later he won the Woodward in even easier fashion, this time he dispatched top handicap horse Exceller. There was no doubt that Seattle Slew was the greatest horse in the world after those performances. In the Jockey Club he would face his two biggest rivals again. It would prove to be the greatest challenge of his career. Here is what I wrote about the race in a previous piece: It was on to the Jockey Club and there were some changes in store for Slew. This time both Affirmed and Exceller would challenge him and at a distance, 1 ½ miles, that both horses had proven to excel (no pun intended). To make things even more difficult, Harbor View Farm entered a rabbit into the mix. A decent handicap horse named Life’s Hope, who in the JCGC would run as fast as he could for as far as he could, was entered only to bolster the chances of their big horse, Affirmed. If you thought things were stacked against Seattle Slew before the race, it would only get worse. First Slew broke through the starting gate expending precious energy. Then one of the strangest things that I have ever seen in a big race happened. Affirmed broke like a shot and was right in the middle of what could only be called a suicidal speed dual (It was explained after the race that Affirmed‘s saddle slipped and Steve Cauthen had lost control of the great 3-year-old). Seattle Slew had to not only deal with the rabbit, but also the horse that the rabbit was designed to help. Fractions of :22 and 3, :45 and 1, and 1:09 and 2 were amazingly carved out of the Belmont dirt. Remember this was a 1 ½ mile test of endurance. Almost immediately the other three horses, including Exceller were 20 or more lengths behind. First Life’s Hope fell away and then Affirmed soon followed. Slew had sent his rivals on the front packing. But how could he possibly survive this blistering pace himself? He couldn’t. Exceller, with Bill Shoemaker aboard was gobbling up chunks of ground on the rail at an alarming rate. It looked like he could call his own margin of victory over the tiring Slew. But then something happened. Seattle Slew, the champion that he was, fought back. It still gives me goose bumps to think about. Seattle Slew and Angel Cordero were coming back at him…Wow! Exceller, who had taken almost a full length lead was now desperate to hold of the valiant Slew. The wire came too soon and Exceller had held on to win by a nose. Defeated, but still the champion, Slew went out in style. After his incredible effort in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, his connections found a fitting stakes race to make his farewell. On November 11, 1978, Seattle Slew made his final start a winning one with an easy score in the Stuyvesant Handicap at Aqueduct Race Track. It was vintage Slew, as he sprinted to the lead and rolled around the track. The appreciative crowd knew it was his swan song and they roared in approval for their hero. In 17 races, Seattle Slew won easily 14 times, ran 2nd twice in photo finishes, and was only once clearly beaten. He won eclipse awards in each of his three seasons of racing, and he was quickly ushered into Racing’s Hall of Fame after retirement. Slew was further honored by being named as one of the top ten horses in American racing history by various outlets. On my all-time list, Seattle Slew ranked #8 of the greatest of the greats. Often the very greatest horses can not reproduce anything close to themselves. Seattle Slew was clearly an exception to this rule. A sire of well over a hundred stakes winners, Slew also became a champion Broodmare sire. Slew was so successful at stud that I have little doubt that he proved himself to be the greatest combination of runner and sire of modern American racing. He was the strongest sire of the powerful Bold Ruler line and still today, his descendants carry on the great Seattle Slew line. A very short list of champion sons or daughters sired by Slew include: A.P. Indy, Landaluce, Slew O’ Gold, Swale, and Vindication. Seattle Slew is arguably the most unforgettable horse of my lifetime. When you consider the talent he displayed throughout his career, the heart and tenacity he displayed in his toughest races, the way he overcame physical setbacks, the flare he showed in winning race after race and the prodigious amount of top horses he produced. Seattle Slew passed in his sleep at the age of 28 on May 7, 1999. Ever the showman, Slew died on the 25th anniversary of his win in the Kentucky Derby. Slew was unforgettable the first time I saw him in the Champagne and he only got better. I remember you Seattle Slew.

The Big 'Cap - Then and Now

I love Big 'Cap day. It fills me with a strong sense of history. Today’s running will be the 73rd Big ‘Cap, and once again it has put me into a reflective mood. There are not many races with a richer and more storied past than the Santa Anita Handicap. The story of the early years were dominated by the rags to riches horse himself, Seabiscuit. In 1937 and 1938, he lost tight finishes, the second loss coming to Stagehand, who carried 30 pounds less than the great Seabiscuit. He suffered what was expected to be a career ending injury while preparing for the 1939 Big ‘Cap, but his legend was secured when he came back to win the 1940 edition, in his final career race. Ten years later, it was the unheralded Noor who made big news by defeating the mighty Citation. It was the first of five races between the great rivals and it was the race that got Noor rolling to a championship season. In 1958 the great Round Table scored his only Big ‘Cap victory on the way to a Horse of the Year title with a young Willie Shoemaker in the saddle. It was already Shoemaker’s third Big ‘Cap victory…he would go on to win an incredible eleven. In my lifetime, the Santa Anita Handicap has been magical, one of those races where I did not want to miss no matter what. It has been a race where the big horses ran and won. Ack Ack in ‘71, Affirmed in ‘79, Spectacular Bid in ‘80, Alysheba in ‘88, Best Pal in ‘92, Tiznow in ‘01, the list goes on. John Henry won back to back editions in the early 80's and Milwaukee Brew and Lava Man repeated the feat this past decade. Two of my favorite Big ‘Caps were won by near white horses. They were both horses that captured my attention in a big way and used this race to put a stamp on their excellent careers. In 1978, I was enthralled with a silver streak named Vigors. He had been a very good turf horse, but his career exploded with a switch to dirt. In the Big ‘Cap Vigors continued his dirt streak by unleashing a furious rally that left poor Mr. Redoy, who looked like a sure winner at the top of the stretch, with no joy. Just watch the “big white horse” go… In 1999 it was another chance for one of my all-time favorite horses, Free House, to gain some revenge against his long time rival, Silver Charm. Throw in the very talented Event of the Year, and it was a most memorable edition of the Big ‘Cap. Happiness filled the Zipse household that day, as the beautiful, near white horse was as game as could be and scored one of his biggest career victories.  Take this guest blogger Jay... Today’s race may not have the most stellar field, but what it lacks in proven grade 1 winners, it makes up for with a large, evenly matched field offering excellent wagering opportunities. The only female in the field, St Trinians is the morning line favorite. She has been unbeatable against the girls since arriving from England last year, but I am going to take a stand against her today against the boys. My top pick is Loup Breton. The French import has consistently run against top competition on the grass and is perfectly suited for the 1 ¼ distance. His form has been excellent since arriving to California last Fall and with the penchant for Santa Anita’s synthetic surface being kind to turf horses, he should have no problem with the switch to the main track. My top longshot pick in the race is the Canadian Eagle Poise. He proved to be of high quality last Fall as a three-year-old north of the border. His first race in California was a race he figured to be less than sharp, coming out of a 14 furlong race at Woodbine. The beautifully bred colt should be much sharper today and should also appreciate the added furlong of the Big ‘Cap.

Extraordinary Thoroughbred Crops

I started a poll, there on the left, a few days ago and the more I considered the votes coming in, the more I realized it required a little write-up. These are the ten crops that I have identified as the best in American racing history. To qualify, the horses did not need to be bred in America, but they did need to have made a name for themselves on American racetracks. I highlighted each year by listing the top five runners (not an easy task in many cases) of each year. The year represents the standouts' three-year-old season. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did researching it, and please let me know what you think…which year did I leave out? What horse should I have included in my top fives? 1948 - You do not need to look much farther than the roster at Calumet Farm to realize the excellence of this crop. Citation, Coaltown, and Bewitch were all Calumet runners. Throw in handicap star Noor, and the filly Miss Request, to complete a special crop. 1955 - Swaps and Nashua were true superstars of 1955. Summer Tan, Dedicate, and High Voltage round out this year’s top five. 1957 - Round Table, Bold Ruler, and Gallant Man were all Hall of Fame runners and great sires. Gen. Duke was a star before injury and Clem became a top handicap horse, making this class possibly the greatest of all time. 1967 - Dr. Fager and Damascus were two all-time greats. Include Gamely, Fort Marcy, and In Reality and you have one of the greatest crops in American history. 1969 - An underrated crop…Everyone remembers the Triple Crown match-up between Majestic Prince and Arts and Letters, but do not underestimate the greatness of a couple of fillies Gallant Bloom and Shuvee. Ack Ack gets the five spot by a whisker over Ta Wee. 1973 - Secretariat, Forego, Sham, Dahlia, and Desert Vixen…enough said. 1978 - Affirmed and Alydar will be remembered forever, but speed merchants Sensitive Prince and Dave’s Friend were members of this crop, and oh yeah, a plucky gelding named John Henry. 1987 - Depth was the word for the word this top class crop. Narrowing it to five is not easy; I will go with Alysheba, Personal Ensign, Bet Twice, Miesque, and Java Gold. 1997 - See 1987. Forced to narrow this crop down to five, I went with Silver Charm, Free House, Touch Gold, Awesome Again, and Kona Gold. Captain Bodgit loses the photo one last time. 2007 - Led by sure to be Hall of Fame runners Curlin and Zenyatta, 2007 was the best crop of the young century. Street Sense, Hard Spun, and Rags to Riches cement that standing.

The Greatest Loss There Ever Was

Seattle Slew was a winner. In 17 races, he won 14 times. The Slew won racing’s greatest achievement, the Triple Crown. He also won the hearts of millions of devoted fans. These wins are not the topic of the day, but rather one of his losses. Seattle Slew’s performance in the Jockey Club Gold Cup displayed everything you could ever ask of a racehorse. I was lucky enough to be in the stands at Belmont Park that October day and I will forever remember the greatest loss there ever was. In the Fall of 1978, Seattle Slew vindicated his shocking upset loss to Dr. Patches at the Meadowlands by proving that he was once again the best horse in the world with his easy wins in the Marlboro Cup and the Woodward Stakes over future Hall of Fame horses. In the Marlboro, Slew maintained an easy lead over the reigning Triple Crown champion, Affirmed, the entire race. The great 3-year-old simply could not put a dent into Seattle Slew’s working margin. Slew accelerated in the stretch to win by three lengths in the first ever match-up of Triple Crown winners. Final time was a great 1:45 and 4. In the 1 ¼ mile Woodward, it was Exceller’s chance to watch Seattle Slew’s tail. Slew rolled that day as he repelled Exceller’s advances with ease in tallying by four lengths. It was on to the Jockey Club and there were some changes in store for Slew. This time both Affirmed and Exceller would challenge him and at a distance, 1 ½ miles, that both horses had proven to excel (no pun intended). To make things even more difficult, Harbor View Farm entered a rabbit into the mix. A decent handicap horse named Life’s Hope, who in the JCGC would run as fast as he could for as far as he could, was entered only to bolster the chances of their big horse, Affirmed. If you thought things were stacked against Seattle Slew before the race, it would only get worse. First Slew broke through the starting gate expending precious energy. Then one of the strangest things that I have ever seen in a big race happened. Affirmed broke like a shot and was right in the middle of what could only be called a suicidal speed dual (It was explained after the race that Affirmed‘s saddle slipped and Steve Cauthen had lost control of the great 3-year-old). Seattle Slew had to not only deal with the rabbit, but also the horse that the rabbit was designed to help. Fractions of :22 and 3, :45 and 1, and 1:09 and 2 were amazingly carved out of the Belmont dirt. Remember this was a 1 ½ mile test of endurance. Almost immediately the other three horses, including Exceller were 20 or more lengths behind. First Life’s Hope fell away and then Affirmed soon followed. Slew had sent his rivals on the front packing. But how could he possibly survive this blistering pace himself? He couldn’t. Exceller, with Bill Shoemaker aboard was gobbling up chunks of ground on the rail at an alarming rate. It looked like he could call his own margin of victory over the tiring Slew. But then something happened. Seattle Slew, the champion that he was, fought back. It still gives me goose bumps to think about. Seattle Slew and Angel Cordero were coming back at him…Wow! Exceller, who had taken almost a full length lead was now desperate to hold of the valiant Slew. The wire came too soon and Exceller had held on to win by a nose. In defeat, I believe Seattle Slew had run his greatest race. He would have only one more start after that in winning the Stuyvesant Stakes in easy fashion. But it was the 1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup where you showed us all what you really had, thank you Seattle Slew, for running the greatest loss there ever was.