He looked like a disaster. Honestly, if you were standing by the rail at Churchill Downs on May 7, 1977, and you saw the heavy favorite lunging sideways out of the gate, you probably thought the dream was over. Seattle Slew wasn't just a horse; he was an undefeated phenomenon coming into that race. But when the latch clicked and the gates flew open, the "people’s horse" didn't glide out like a champion. He stumbled. He swerved. He nearly unseated Jean Cruguet before the race even really began.
It was a mess.
People remember the Triple Crown. They remember the glory. But the Seattle Slew Kentucky Derby victory was actually a masterclass in panic management and raw, unadulterated power. This wasn't a smooth wire-to-wire jog. It was a street fight.
The $17,500 Bargain Nobody Wanted
To understand why that Derby win was so ridiculous, you have to look at where this horse came from. Slew wasn't some blue-blooded prince born into a dynasty of winners. He was a "plain" dark bay colt with big ears and a slightly turned-out front foot. The high-society scouts at the Keeneland July sale didn't even want him. They rejected him.
Eventually, Karen and Mickey Taylor—a young couple from Washington who lived in a mobile home at the time—bought him for $17,500. In the world of elite horse racing, that’s basically pocket change.
They named him after Seattle (their home) and the "slews" (swamps) of Florida where their partner, Dr. Jim Hill, grew up. They even changed the spelling from "slough" to "slew" because they thought people wouldn't be able to spell it. Smart move, probably.
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That Messy Start at Churchill Downs
Going into the 103rd Kentucky Derby, Slew was the 1-2 favorite. He had already demolished fields in the Wood Memorial and the Flamingo Stakes. But Churchill Downs does weird things to horses. The humidity was thick. The crowd was 120,000 strong and loud.
Then there was the national anthem incident.
Just as Slew was being led through the tunnel, the band struck up the anthem at full blast. It sent the high-strung colt into a frenzy. By the time he reached the gate, he was washed in sweat. Most experts will tell you a "washy" horse is a losing horse. They’re burning all their energy before the bell.
When the race started, Slew took a sharp right turn into the flank of a horse named Get the Axe. He lost several lengths immediately. Jean Cruguet later described it as Slew "falling out of the gate." For a few heart-stopping seconds, the undefeated superstar was buried in the back of a 15-horse pack, eating dirt and trapped behind a wall of moving meat.
The Recovery
Cruguet didn't wait. He knew he couldn't. He began "picking holes," basically bullying the other horses to get Slew to the outside. It was aggressive. It was borderline dangerous. But it worked.
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By the time they hit the first quarter-mile, Slew had somehow teleported from the back of the pack to second place. He was breathing down the neck of the leader, For the Moment. Most horses would have been gassed after a recovery like that. Slew? He was just getting warmed up.
The "War Dance" and the Finish Line
Slew had this habit called the "War Dance." Before a race, he’d tiptoe on his hind legs, prancing like he was too big for his own skin. It was pure intimidation. On Derby day, he brought that same arrogance to the homestretch.
Despite the terrible start, despite the blistering :45 4/5 half-mile (which is insanely fast for a 1.25-mile race), Slew didn't quit. At the top of the stretch, Cruguet asked him for one more gear. Slew responded by putting four lengths between himself and Run Dusty Run.
He crossed the wire in 2:02 1/5. It wasn't a record-breaking time like Secretariat’s, but it didn't have to be. He’d done the impossible: he’d spotted the field several lengths, fought through traffic, and still won convincingly.
Why the 1977 Derby Still Matters
- The Undefeated Record: Slew became the first horse to ever win the Triple Crown while remaining undefeated. (Justify would later join him in 2018, but Slew was the pioneer).
- The Price Point: He proved that a cheap yearling from "nowhere" could beat the million-dollar stables of the East Coast.
- The Resilience: Most Derby winners have a "perfect" trip. Slew had a nightmare trip and won anyway.
What Most People Get Wrong
There's a common myth that Seattle Slew was an easy horse to handle. He wasn't. He was a handful. His trainer, Billy Turner, once said Slew was "almost too fast for his own good." He was known to be "fiery" and sometimes downright mean in the stall.
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Another misconception? That he was just a "speed horse." While his early speed was his weapon, his Derby performance showed he had "bottom"—the stamina to survive a mistake and keep grinding. If he were just a sprinter, he would have collapsed at the three-quarter pole.
Taking Action: How to Appreciate Slew Today
If you want to really get into the history of the Seattle Slew Kentucky Derby win, don't just look at the stat sheet.
- Watch the head-on footage: Don't just watch the broadcast. Look for the "head-on" camera angle of the 1977 start. You can see Slew nearly fall over and how Cruguet has to physically yank him back into line.
- Visit Three Chimneys: While Slew passed away in 2002 (exactly 25 years to the day after his Derby win), his legacy lives on through his descendants. Most top-tier Thoroughbreds today, including legends like A.P. Indy, carry his blood.
- Check the Pedigrees: Next time you're watching the Derby, look at the "Sire" line. You’ll be shocked how often the name Seattle Slew pops up in the third or fourth generation. He didn't just win a race; he redesigned the modern American racehorse.
The 1977 Derby wasn't just a win. It was a recovery mission that turned into a coronation. It reminds us that in horse racing—and pretty much everything else—it’s not how you start; it’s how you handle the stumble.
Next Step: You should look up the 1977 Belmont Stakes footage to see Jean Cruguet stand up in the stirrups and wave to the crowd before they even hit the finish line—the ultimate "mic drop" in sports history.