Hialeah Allowance 1977 - Seattle Slew

This was Seattle Slew's 3-year-old debut, a track record at 7 furlongs at Hialeah despite a hand ride and being eased in the final sixteenth, with Cruguet twice looking over his shoulder.

The 1:20 3/5 stood as the track record through Hialeah's closing in 2001. The 1:08 through six furlongs also broke the track record at that distance. Slew had broken the 5-furlong Hialeah record during a pre-race workout, going 56 flat.

White Rammer was a speedball who was undefeated until this race.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Seattle
• Slew
• 1977
• Hialeah
• Park
• Allowance
• Jean
• Cruguet
• White
• Rammer

[all66books]

White Rammer-now there's a name I had forgotten. I saw him race in NJ, and he could blaze for six furlongs. Here's a thought-what kind of track record performances do you think we'd have seen from Slew had he run primarily at 6f to 1 1/16? Something to chew on.

[AwsiDooger]

Yes, fascinating question. No doubt a flurry of startling tracks records. But also doomed to eventual obscurity, minus the Classics.

Once you win them, there's natural pressure to remain at 1 1/8 and up. I guess it could vary if a freakish miler like Dr. Fager had been around, and the racing world desperate for a matchup at that distance.

There's almost a reverse to the question. If Secretariat had run 12 furlongs repeatedly, how often would he approach Belmont level? I have no idea.

[cf1970]

Wonderful post! I'd been hoping to see this race.

Slew sure was dominant, he ran away from White Rammer like he was standing still and made it look easy.

I have to say, it was horrible the way White Rammer's jockey absolutely LASHED his mount through the stretch, that poor horse, he gave all he had. He was chasing a legend after all, if they only knew!

Thanks again, Awsi. Keep 'em coming!

Have a great day!

[AwsiDooger]

I agree about White Rammer's jockey. Ridiculous. I almost mentioned it in the write up. His name was Lazaro Samuell.

There's a very good summary of this race at Seattle Slew dot com. The fractions were 22:1, 44 and 1:08.

White Rammer recovered to have a nice career, a graded stakes winner and overall he won 14 races. Then he was a successful sire of quarter horses and thoroughbreds in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma.

[cf1970]

Samuell hopefully was reprimanded in some way for that crap. Shake my head every time I watch it. Terrific to hear White Rammer did well in his career.

Slew's fractions are amazing, 1:08 is sensational. I remember that Discreet Cat went 1:07.75 in the the Cigar last year on his way to a 1:32.46 for the mile.

If only this had been a flat mile race. I'm sure his time would have been very close to Fager's record. Thanks again.

Take care.

[AwsiDooger]

Slew only ran a mile once, in the Champagne where he ran 1:34 2/5, breaking the record for a 2-year-old at that distance. I'm not sure if there were plans to run him in the Met Mile as a 4-year-old. He was stabled at Hialeah and scheduled to race several times there in early '78, before contracting the virus that sidelined him until May at Aqueduct.

Slew vs. Dr. Fager at a flat mile. Wow, that would have been breathtaking to watch.

[gcy911]

And Hialeah sits empty except for a second rate quarter horse meet. Is this what we've come to??

[BE109]

White Rammer was no slouch(won the Triple Bend at 4),but this race was over long before the 1/4 pole. That jock was riding him HARD(I agree with others on his excessive use of the stick). Top class jocks would soon realize they were up against a monster,and they would also sense that their mount is giving everything he has. No need to punish such a noble animal,he'd never ride one of my horses again after that nonsense. This a case of a GREAT HORSE making a very good horse,look very average.

[all66books]

AD wrote: "Slew vs. Dr. Fager at a flat mile. Wow, that would have been breathtaking to watch." Throw Ghostzapper into the mix to make it even more interesting.