1977 Preakness Stakes (segments missing) -- Seattle Slew

I've been reluctant to post this video because it's incomplete. I believe there are two segments missing, totaling about 12 seconds.

Again, I recommend Seattle Slew Dot Com for a full summary. I've used some of their info here.

This was probably Seattle Slew's most difficult race during the Triple Crown, certainly the one I was somewhat worried about. The speedball Cormorant was lurking and drew the inside post. English 2-year-old champ J.O Tobin was also fresh and drew inside Slew, who was far outside at #8 in a field of 9. Cormorant and J.O. Tobin had combined for 11 wins in 14 starts including a recent 7 race streak by Cormorant. Stretch runner Iron Constitution had just nipped Cormorant in the Withers.

Many racing writers including Andy Beyer and William C. Phillips were touting Cormorant's chances leading up to this race.

Phillips wrote, "The luck of the post position draw put Seattle Slew on the outside in a field of nine at a time when the rail advantage is coming up stronger than ever before, if that is possible. It does not figure that he will be able to take a clear lead from some of the fast breakers nearer the rail in the run to the clubhouse turn, or that jockey Jean Cruguet will ask him to expend the necessary energy to accomplish the feat if he can avoid it. This leads to the conclusion that Seattle Slew is coming up to the sternest test of his entire career. Undefeated, and in the opinion of many, never extended, he is on the verge of greatness if he is able to overcome the post position disadvantage and the rivals who have been honed to a razor-sharp edge in anticipation of this moment.

"Conversely, if ever a horse had the best of a situation going in it is Cormorant, who has the speed, the Number 1 post position, and a jockey that knows its advantage and how to use it. And there is evidence that Cormorant might even be as good or better than Seattle Slew."

Nice job by Jean Cruguet and Billy Turner to keep Slew settled slightly behind Cormorant during the rapid fractions, including the fastest mile in Preakness history, 1:34 2/5.

It's obvious there are missing seconds in the video. Slew hits the wire at about 1:48 in a race that took 1:54 2/5. Plus, the gate doesn't open until slightly before the 4 second mark, and horses are given a running start before the clock starts. Slew should have hit the wire at about the 2:00 mark.

I've reviewed many times and I believe there are two breaks. The first is at about 1:18. Slew and Cormorant are basically even and buses are still visible in the background. Then in a flash Slew is about a length in front, just as a green Volkswagen shows up in the background. The audio also shifts awkwardly.

The second missing section is about 1:31, the top of the stretch. The race caller says a quarter mile to go then it takes only about 17 seconds for Slew to hit the wire. Remarkable. A significant segment between the quarter pole and eighth pole is missing. My memory is Slew extended his lead during that portion then began to slow, but I'd have to see it.

This is from the ABC coverage. You'll hear Howard Cosell briefly before the gate opens and Jim McKay after Slew wins.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• 1977
• Preakness
• Seattle
• Slew
• Cormorant
• Iron
• Constitution
• J.O
• Tobin
• Pimlico
• Jean
• Cruguet
• Billy
• Turner
• Triple
• Crown

[AwsiDooger]

BTW, I posted another version of this race, with the missing segments pasted, courtesy of a video from cf1970 that included those segments. It's a bit awkward since the camera angles and lighting are somewhat different but at least it displays the race in full.

[jess4metoo]

Thank you for posting.  But I notice the footage starts out like a NYRA re-play and ends like an ABC telecast.

[AwsiDooger]

It's the original ABC telecast, but missing two segments. You can hear Howard Cosell of ABC before the gate opens, handing it over to the track announcer.

[cf1970]

An absolutely stunning win by Slew...as usual. He really showed that all the talk about Cormorant and others upsetting him was rubbish...pure rubbish.

Great video. Thanks a ton for sharing it!

[AwsiDooger]

Yes, it was a great job to put away Cormorant.

The final 3/8 was somewhat slow at 19 3/5. That could have made Slew vulnerable to a stretchrunner and Iron Constitution did come much closer to Slew than in previous meetings.

I'd like to believe Slew could have finished faster if pushed, but that's open for debate. Hard to tell, since the chunk of the stretch run is missing in this video.

[AwsiDooger]

Final 3/16 was 19 3/5, not final 3/8.

[pnutbutrncrackers]

Slew knew no quit.

[Jazzgirl8888]

This is a great video of Slew !

Thank you so much for posting .

I appreciate it very much!

Keep up the great work!

[rscarbro100]

@BladerunnerNYC What if The Slew had an abscess at the bit I wonder what he would have ran in the Wood? Slew ran the strecth here in 19 4/5 not 19 3/5. Secretariat ran the strecth in 17.60 not touch with the whip.made a swift early move that would cooked most horses so said veteran horseman. Iron Constitution was closing on him fast, Secretariat pulled away from Sham who ran it under 1:54. Reason Slew just ran the strecth in 19.80 was because he was cooked from the fast pace.

[disciple90633]

Seattle Slew is my fave horse of all time. I was at the Swaps in 1977 in person when he lost to J.O. so it is good to see him beat him here :)

[BladerunnerNYC]

Seattle Slew ran a faster Wood compared to AL, Sham and Secretariat, Seattle Slew ran a faster Champagne compared to Secretariat- as a matter of fact- it was the fastest mile ever run by a two year old at that time in the history of racing. Final times in races to prove what horse was superior is an idiotic point. The only horses to beat Seattle Slew were ALL champions and Slew won the Triple Crown undefeated and twice crushed Affirmed. In the Preakness- you can check whatever book you

[gotch09]

they just don't make 'em like the Slew any more.

[allaboutthecake]

Excellent. No problem for having missing segments. it's an awesome horse race.

[LiquorWreckedEm]

Amen dude. Running fractions like that almost always make horses give it up in the stretch. Watch horseraces on TV sometime and see what speed horses do when they are challenged the whole race with those fractions.  VERY few hold up, but Seattle Slew seemed to do it every race, and against some great competition. God I would have loved to see Slew vs Secretariat for two or three races, because a case could be made for either horse to be the best ever.

[jumpthejump04]

that is awesome!!