1977 Wood Memorial - Seattle Slew

Seattle Slew's final prep before the Derby. I recommend the full write up on this race at Seattle Slew dot com. It describes the track conditions at Aqueduct in spring '77 -- "dull, deep and loose" -- and properly takes a shot at Andrew Beyer, although he isn't named specifically. Seriously, how are you supposed to make a speed rating when it's the only race of the day on the main track, and only the 6th race of the year run on the main Aqueduct track? The winterized inner track was being used almost exclusively.

Billy Turner wanted Slew to relax, become more accustomed to competition around him, and have a comparatively easy race heading to the Derby. It's obvious Cruguet uses much different early tactics than at Hialeah.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• 1977
• Wood
• Memorial
• Seattle
• Slew
• Aqueduct
• Jean
• Cruguet
• Billy
• Turner

[alan1199]

When did Dave Johnson join ABC?

[AwsiDooger]

I'll paste a section of his biography on IMBD:

"Johnson, who grew up in the St. Louis area, spent five years (1972-77) as the track announcer for Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga racetracks in New York State, also doing a local TV racing show with Charlsie Cantey and Frank Wright. Johnson and Cantey followed Wright (a CBS Sports mainstay) to the big time in 1978, with Johnson calling his first Derby for ABC-TV and Cantey reporting her first Belmont Stakes for CBS."

[davemock]

He used it sparingly - and more as a mention rather than an oration - during his NYRA years from 1972 to 1977. It became more pronounced when he started doing more network gigs.

[DanielSong39]

Races like these make me wonder whether Seattle Slew was actually underrated as a racehorse.

Sure, his times may not have been that great, but just look at the track conditions and how the races play out... it's obvious that he is a very fast horse. He is consistent and seems to win so easily!

He may not have won the Belmont by 31 lengths while running on concrete but he did just about everything else. A champion for the ages!

[WaltGekko]

@AwsiDooger Exactly. Dave Johnson was the regular track announcer for the NYRA tracks at the time of the Wood before moving later that year to The Meadowlands, where he would become better known for.

[WaltGekko]

@cf1970 That is true about it being the lone race on the main track that day. That winter (1976-'77) was the coldest on record and the first that NYRA had the inner track. From what I read, NYRA had many problems getting the main track ready then, and is was far from the first time they had problems with the main oval following a harsh winter (1982, '84, '93, and 2003 also come to mind), and why NYRA now stays on the inner at Aqueduct until the end of March.

[SWALE1984]

This is an excellent video. Thanks for posting. Check out GRIT AND VALOR: THE STORY OF SWALE, to read about one of SLEW'S greatest sons.

[rscarbro100]

@DanielSong39 It is also a fact that Slew never left the experts shaking their heads like Secretariat did. Its the same with you guys withe the Marlboro Cup race where Whitney Tower Sportswriter for SI who was there said the track was 'Wet Fast' But you jonnycomelatelys want to make everyone think it was a lightning fast track. You were proven wrong once more. You just can't get by with it. How in the hell can a horse can impress you so much when he never could run a 1 1/4 mile under 2 minutes.

[rscarbro100]

@DanielSong39 For your information it is well documented that Cruguet make the statement that Slew probably was not the best horse ever & Angel Cordero said Secretariat was the best he ever seen. Secretariat ran a workout in 'MUD' much faster than Slew did here in this race in 1:47 4/5 'Pullin Up' the last furlong. Eddie Arcaro has seen Slew And as you know he said Secretariat was the fastest damm horse he ever seen. Sad But you Secretariat haters will not admit it.

[rscarbro100]

@DanielSong39 i hate to get on here & correct your mis-statements concerning Secretariat. Where in the hell do you get that Belmont was a concrete track when Secretariat ran it in 1973?? You make up shit without any proof whatsoever. Andrew Beyer, Steve Christ & Watchamaker figured his speed figure using a .08 to .09 variant. No 'ONE' during the race before or after ever stated that track was lightning fast. You really get my goat.

[Arps103]

He said it once in a while when he called at NYRA, but it he didint use it all the time until he joined abc in the late 1970s

[jess4metoo]

Just curious. I thought it was his trademark. Thanks!