Seattle Slew

As Orb charged to the wire at Churchill Downs last weekend, he established his clear superiority to the other 18 thoroughbreds on horse racing's biggest stage, the Kentucky Derby. But compared to Derby champions of the past, Orb's time is less impressive - his 2:02.89 run doesn't rank among the top 10 in the race's history. It is slower than the times of many winners from the 1950s and 1960s, and well behind Secretariat's 1973 record. Blame the muddy track? Fair enough, but none of the past decade's Derby winners recorded a top 10 time either.

As Orb charged to the wire at Churchill Downs last weekend, he established his clear superiority to the other 18 thoroughbreds on horse racing's biggest stage, the Kentucky Derby. But compared to Derby champions of the past, Orb's time is less impressive - his 2:02.89 run doesn't rank among the top 10 in the race's history. It is slower than the times of many winners from the 1950s and 1960s, and well behind Secretariat's 1973 record. Blame the muddy track? Fair enough, but none of the past decade's Derby winners recorded a top 10 time either.

Billy Turner will be in the stands at Belmont Park on Saturday, a shock of silver hair - and a slew of memories - tucked beneath his familiar Irish-peaked cap. At 72, he is the only living trainer of a Triple Crown champion. For now. I'll Have Another  could change that, with a victory in the Belmont Stakes. And Turner, who took Seattle Slew to the top in 1977, likes this colt's chances. "He's a really good horse," Turner said of I'll Have Another, who has won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

Once again, horse racing will have to wait for a new hero. The erstwhile Sport of Kings will not have its first Triple Crown since 1978. Not this year. The shocking news that I'll Have Anotherhad to be scratched from Saturday's Belmont Stakes is another huge blow to an industry desperately trying to become relevant for a new generation of sports fans. The fact that the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner had to withdraw just a day before making his bid to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed added some drama to the disappointment.

FAIR HILL -- Jonathan Sheppard, the nation's champion steeplechase trainer 17 times, extended his lead for the 1990 title by sending out the gelding, Yaw, to win the $25,000 Manly Challenge Cup at Fair Hill yesterday.The 8-year-old son of Seattle Slew led virtually all of 16 fenceand 2 3/8 miles, and finished 4 3/4 lengths in front of Senator Brady, the second choice who stalked the leader all the way.Third came Morewoods, followed by Cadent and Make AzilianThe morning-line favorite, Victorian Hill, was scratched, as was Double Barrel.

By the time Seattle Slew arrived at Pimlico for the 102nd Preakness on May 21, 1977, the fairy tale was one-third told.A modest $17,500 purchase as a yearling, Seattle Slew had starred in the rags-to-riches story of winning the Kentucky Derby. His owners -- two fun-loving couples in their 30s dubbed the "Slew Crew" -- were the darlings of American racing.The nation's sports fans watched eagerly as Seattle Slew -- this dark-brown blaze of speed so awkward as a baby that his handlers called him "Baby Huey" after the clumsy comic-strip character -- tried to do what no horse had ever done: win the Triple Crown without having lost a race.

Seattle Slew, the last living winner of the Triple Crown, died yesterday in his sleep at Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington, Ky. The gallant Slew was 28. His death leaves racing without a living Triple Crown winner for the first time since 1919, when Sir Barton became the first horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Only 11 horses have accomplished the feat, considered the sport's holy grail. Seattle Slew was the 10th, capturing the series in 1977, and the only one to do it undefeated.

When Arazi generated breathless hyperbole in the weeks leading up to this year's Kentucky Derby, Billy Turner was reminded of a similar buildup and a simpler time.The year was 1977, the horse was Seattle Slew and the expectations were no less enormous."He was an undefeated 2-year-old," said Turner, Seattle Slew's trainer. "Being the 2-year-old champ, he had run the fastest mile a 2-year-old had ever run. The heat was intense."Then, as this year with Arazi, there were attempts at comparison with the incomparable Secretariat.

Billy Turner is rooting for Big Brown in Belmont Stakes on Saturday. As the only living trainer of a Triple Crown champion, he would like Maryland native Rick Dutrow to join the exclusive club. "It has been a long time," Turner said. "It's time for somebody to win the Triple Crown, or it will get too discouraging to try." In 1977, Turner's horse, Seattle Slew, became the 10th winner of the Triple Crown. At the time, Turner trained his horses in Harford County, and he still trains at Belmont Park.

Forty-three years ago this week, a white-knuckled young horseman sat in the stands at Pimlico Race Course, gripping his program as a 2-year-old thoroughbred named Salerno breezed to a seven-length victory. "What a thrill that was," Billy Turner said of the win, his first as a trainer. Ten years later, in 1977, Turner sent another of his charges — a dark-brown colt with blue-collar roots — onto the same track, in the Preakness Stakes. Seattle Slew won his race, too. And the next one, which sealed the Triple Crown for Slew and thrust the curly-topped Turner into a coveted group.

Billy Turner will be in the stands at Belmont Park on Saturday, a shock of silver hair - and a slew of memories - tucked beneath his familiar Irish-peaked cap. At 72, he is the only living trainer of a Triple Crown champion. For now. I'll Have Another  could change that, with a victory in the Belmont Stakes. And Turner, who took Seattle Slew to the top in 1977, likes this colt's chances. "He's a really good horse," Turner said of I'll Have Another, who has won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

Forty-three years ago this week, a white-knuckled young horseman sat in the stands at Pimlico Race Course, gripping his program as a 2-year-old thoroughbred named Salerno breezed to a seven-length victory. "What a thrill that was," Billy Turner said of the win, his first as a trainer. Ten years later, in 1977, Turner sent another of his charges — a dark-brown colt with blue-collar roots — onto the same track, in the Preakness Stakes. Seattle Slew won his race, too. And the next one, which sealed the Triple Crown for Slew and thrust the curly-topped Turner into a coveted group.

Billy Turner is rooting for Big Brown in Belmont Stakes on Saturday. As the only living trainer of a Triple Crown champion, he would like Maryland native Rick Dutrow to join the exclusive club. "It has been a long time," Turner said. "It's time for somebody to win the Triple Crown, or it will get too discouraging to try." In 1977, Turner's horse, Seattle Slew, became the 10th winner of the Triple Crown. At the time, Turner trained his horses in Harford County, and he still trains at Belmont Park.

Jockey Kent Desormeaux took what he called an "armchair" ride on Big Brown yesterday, easing his way down the front stretch at Pimlico Race Course to a memorable Preakness victory that will send him on a historic journey. Just 1 minute, 54.80 seconds after leaving the starting gate, Big Brown crossed the line, his ears pricked, his legs rising and falling in a comfortable gallop, his closest competitor 5 1/4 lengths up the track. Big Brown is going to the Belmont Stakes on June 7 with a shot at becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years.

Sam P. Siciliano, the Pimlico Race Course publicist who during the 1970s and 1980s coordinated national media coverage of such famed Preakness Stakes winners as Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed, died of heart failure Tuesday at his home in Shrewsbury, N.J. He was 89. Mr. Siciliano was born and raised in Neptune, N.J., and graduated in 1935 from what is now Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J. He began his career in the late 1930s as...

High-profile trainers Nick Zito, Bob Baffert, Todd Pletcher and D. Wayne Lukas saddled half the field in the 20-horse Kentucky Derby. The best any of their horses finished was seventh. By contrast, the top three finishers - Giacomo, Closing Argument and Afleet Alex - were trained by Derby novices John Shirreffs, Kiaran McLaughlin and Tim Ritchey, respectively. What's more, Shirreffs became the third straight trainer to win the Derby on his first try, following John Servis with Smarty Jones last year and Barclay Tagg with Funny Cide the year before.

Vindication, undefeated winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and leading contender for the Kentucky Derby, will miss the Triple Crown series after injuring a suspensory ligament while training at Santa Anita Park in California. The news came yesterday after a week of speculation about the colt's condition. Trainer Bob Baffert had abruptly changed Vindication's training regimen and then bristled at questions about the popular horse, a son of Seattle Slew owned by Florida-based Padua Stables.

LAUREL -- There is life after Seattle Slew.Doug Peterson -- who trained the Triple Crown winner after the infamous firing of the horse's former trainer, Billy Turner, in 1977 -- re-surfaced at Laurel Race Course this week.The 40-year-old horseman is trainer for starter Dolly's Fortune in today's Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash.Peterson has a string of 17 horses at Hollywood Park. Kent Desormeaux had his choice of two California-based, 3-year-olds to ride in the De Francis race and chose the one trained by Peterson.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Like the Pied Piper, the little red colt emerged from Barn 5 and led us out onto the Belmont track. There was no mistaking what was happening between Smarty Jones and anyone paying attention to him. This was the lightheaded moment of spectacular anticipation, which must explain why Triple Crown trainer Billy Turner (Seattle Slew) drove by Barn 5 at that exact moment and why Barclay Tagg, looking like Ichabod Crane, rode by on horseback. Ghosts of Triple Crowns past. Slew won. Funny Cide, trained by Tagg, lost.