A story about Seattle Slew (picture attached), “The only undefeated Triple Crown Winner” by his trainer, our friend, Paula Turner:
Dreamhorse
Though my parents live in NY, I’m raised in a N.C. orphanage, and called “horse crazy.” Very young, I “know” I had been a Native American Indian horse trainer. I learn to read with The Black Stallion, playing with other kids, constantly pretend to be the Black. Walter Farley’s books become greatest influence on my youth. Disobeying orders, I frequently get in trouble for riding the mule pulling the ice/garbage wagon, pretending she’s my Black Stallion. Throughout childhood, I have the same (sleeping) dream hundreds of times: I’m on a big, beautiful black stallion. I can feel and hear him. He is the fastest horse in the world, and I trained him…
At 18, two weeks after I fail to convince him not to go back, my first boyfriend is killed in Vietnam. The military uses his funeral parade through main street to cannon fodder… At 19, I go north to walk hots at Laurel Racetrack, become one of the first women exercise riders, and marry a trainer. In ’68, my stepfather commits suicide. A few months later, while my husband and I are living with her, my mother also commits suicide. I throw myself even more into horses.
My husband and I form a training partnership: I train on the farm and Md. Tracks, then send the horses to him in New York. I fill the hours not training racehorses, with training for 3-Day Eventing, until I’m spending fourteen hours a day riding. A riding accident at Saratoga –horse almost goes through a wooden rail, drops me on it -leaves me with little use of left leg. One month later, I ride my first national 3-Day Event almost totally on one leg, finish second. For almost a year, I force myself to practice dressage, through tears of pain… Never regain more than sixty percent use of leg. Within two years, I am consistently finishing in the money, beating the best international riders.
Seattle Slew, a gangly colt,is sold for only $17,500. because of a potentially crippling deformity, a crooked leg, and sent to me. I nickname him Baby Huey. The next day, I decide the only way to save the leg is triple the degree of collection training I’ve ever done. I make a radical departure from racehorse training, and never gallop him, using high-level dressage from my Three Day Eventing background for strengthening therapy. For eight months, I teach him how to use his body like a Lippazzaner, instead of galloping, spending hours each day working him. I instill his immature psyche with self-confidence, then teach him courage, by facing him with unique “monsters” as a rite of passage. The average racehorse gets a third grade education; I take Huey through graduate school. Within eight months, I’ve erased fear and “can’t” from his vocabulary, and send him to the track with an Ali attitude: “I am the greatest…”
I’m on Huey in first Belmont gallop: time slowed. From his back, I feel the future; and know Huey is destined for greatness, and I predict it. At Saratoga, I give Huey his first two breezes (speed workouts.) Again time slows, he runs with such power and ease, it’s like controlling a rocket. Again, I predict his greatness.
Walter Farley could have scripted. Huey’s Derby (see enclosure.) The Blood-Horse racing magazine states Huey is my Black Stallion. Walter Farley comes to meet me, and says, “You know you’re living my dreams, don’t you?”
I answer, “And you wrote mine.” He’s with me when Huey becomes the only undefeated Triple Crown winner in history. Farley says he hadn’t wanted to write since his daughter (my age) was killed. He tells me our friendship and my story inspire him to write again. He puts the dedication in his Black Stallion’s Filly: “For Paula Turner, whose dream came true.” end
Read the whole story on the writers forum: Click Here.
Read more about Seattle Slew: http://www.seattleslew.com/
Saturday Derby Day …. Racing with the Queen!
This is the 133rd running of The $2,000,000 Grade I Kentucky Derby.
- SEDGEFIELD: Turf and Polytrack seem to be his game.
- CURLIN: Is he good enough to overcome the inexperience?
- ZANJERO: Definitely not as good as the best ones.
- STORM IN MAY: Calder shipper seems miscast.
- IMAWILDANDCRAZYGUY: Will need a career best effort for a small share.
- COWTOWN CAT: Nice colt is at the top of the “B” class.
- STREET SENSE: If the rail is open, look out!
- HARD SPUN: Recent 5-furlong drill most certainly can’t help.
- LIQUIDITY: Californian is overmatched in here.
- TEUFLESBERG: Has already had 15 starts. Look elsewhere.
- BWANA BULL: King of the Northern California sophomores is up against it.
- NOBIZ LIKE SHOBIZ: Enigmatic colt must “get his act” together.
- SAM P.: Removes blinkers for toughest test to date.
- SCAT DADDY: Honest colt is getting good at the right time.
- TIAGO: Don’t expect lightning to strike twice.
- CIRCULAR QUAY: Great fresh runner returns from an 8-week hiatus today.
- STORMELLO: Multiple cross-country travels have taken a toll on him.
- ANY GIVEN SATURDAY: Much better than his last. Not impossible.
- DOMINICAN: Does have some familiarity with Churchill Downs.
- GREAT HUNTER: I’ve always believed he’s a closing sprinter.
Championships, Events, Horses | 1 Comment »
