MAY 7th IS SEATTLE SLEW DAY!

I am officially declaring May 7th to be Seattle Slew Day! On May 7, 1977, the 16 hand, dark brown colt won the Kentucky Derby. On May 7, 2002, he died.

Seattle Slew was the tenth out of eleven horses to win the Triple Crown.
Every year I hope we will have a new triple crown winner even though it hardly ever happens. This year I am rooting for last Saturday's Kentucky Derby winner, American Pharaoh. In 1977, I was living in Salem, Oregon and pregnant with my first child, Bethany. But you can bet I was rooting for Seattle Slew to win the triple crown.

Seattle Slew was born on February 15, 1974 at White Horse Acres Farm new Lexington, Kentucky. He was rejected from the prestigious Keeneland Yearling Sale based upon his weak pedigree and his appearance. Everyone thought he was ugly. (Does that remind you of Seabiscuit?) He was purchased at another yearling sale by two couples from Washington State, an airline stewardess, Karen Taylor,  her lumberjack husband, Mickey and their friends Jim and Sally Hill. Jim Hill was a veterinarian. His name came from the city of Seattle and the sloughs that loggers in the Pacific Northwest use to transport heavy logs. They float them down canals. Karen changed the spelling to "slew" because she was afraid no one would spell it correctly.

This is a picture of Seattle Slew in the winner's circle at the Flamingo Stakes in Hialeah, FL.
Left to right: Groom, owner Karen Taylor and Jocky Jean Cruguet.

I wanted to include this picture of the cover of Sports Illustrated from June 20, 1977 because I love the headline: "Riding High and Handsome." Not bad for a horse that was considered too ugly to qualify for the Keeneland Auction! 

It is also important to note that Seattle Slew is the only undefeated horse to win the Triple Crown.

So remember: May 7th is SEATTLE SLEW DAY!

In the second book of The Mist Trilogy titled Mists of Darkness, the book opens with the first mist of darkness as it descends on Churchill Downs. No one can see or hear anything...except the horses who hear the evil unicorn Hasbadana trying to talk them into joining his army to conquer the world. As you might guess, only the unhappy horses agree to follow him. 

You can get the Mist Trilogy wherever books are sold. Get autographed copies on the website: www.themisttrilogy.com