JUST AS great racehorses do not always make great sires, great sires do not always make great sires of sires. For every *Nasrullah or Northern Dancer, there are several Bull Leas or Alydars.

Seattle Slew, a son of Bold Reasoning out of My Charmer, by Poker, surely qualifies as a great racehorse. Thoroughbred racing’s only unbeaten Triple Crown winner, he lost that undefeated distinction in his next start but had only two more defeats in his 17-start career, and he retired to stud as the acknowledged champion of his generation. Seattle Slew also can claim to be, at worst, the second-best horse of American racing’s gilded age-the 1970s. Although Secretariat retired before the son of Bold Reasoning was born, Seattle Slew twice defeated Affirmed, who in turn defeated Spectacular Bid, the other male candidates for that distinction.

Seattle Slew has been unquestionably a great sire, though he does have his weaknesses. Leading sire in 1984, he continued to produce top-class runners until his death on May 7, 2002.

Table 1 highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of Seattle Slew as a stallion. The table compares Seattle Slew’s career statistical record with the average achievements of the top 1% of stallions for the decade of 1991-2000, a period contemporaneous with much of his stud career. Seattle Slew is clearly superior to the average top stallion in producing stakes winners and especially group or graded winners, but his numbers fall far below the average elite stallion in every measure that is an indicator of basic soundness. As breeders have long recognized, if you get a good Seattle Slew, it can be very, very good, but he also sired more than his share of unsound individuals.

His accomplishments to date as a sire of sires lie somewhere between the Northern Dancers and the Bull Leas. Seattle Slew has successfully handed on his male line to such star sire sons as A.P. Indy and Capote without achieving as much distinction in that sphere as have his near contemporaries and competitors Northern Dancer and Mr. Prospector.

Inexpensive star

Born in Kentucky in 1974 and bred by Covington, Kentucky, restaurateur Ben S. Castleman, Seattle Slew was consigned to the second annual Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale of selected yearlings in 1975. New York racetrack veterinarian Jim Hill purchased him for $17,500 on behalf of the young Seattle couple Karen and Mickey Taylor, with Hill and his wife, Sally, as partners.

The Hills and Taylors sent their big, heavy-boned colt to young trainer Billy Turner, whose wife, Paula, broke the colt at Middleburg Training Center in Virginia. Seattle Slew at first earned the nickname “Baby Huey” after the cartoon character because he was so playful and clumsy, but by the time he left Middleburg for Belmont Park, Paula Turner knew he had exceptional talent.

Billy Turner gave the big colt plenty of time, and he made his debut on September 20, 1976, at Belmont Park. He won that six-furlong maiden race in a canter by five lengths, and followed up with a 3 1/2-length romp in a seven-furlong allowance race.

Seattle Slew burst upon the national consciousness in his final start at two, galloping to a 9 3/4-length victory in the Champagne Stakes (G1), earning the juvenile championship by running one mile in a stakes-record 1:34 2/5. Slew continued unbeaten and unchallenged at three, demolishing his fields by four lengths and 3 1/4 lengths in the Flamingo (G1) and Wood Memorial (G1) Stakes, respectively. His free-running style, high mettle, and pedigree made many pundits doubt Seattle Slew’s ability to stay the 1 1/4 miles of the Kentucky Derby (G1), but he blasted away those insinuations by bulling his way to a 1 3/4-length win at Churchill Downs.

Seattle Slew completed his Triple Crown with easy victories in the Preakness (G1) and Belmont (G1) Stakes, but his owners insisted on running him in the Swaps Stakes (G1) three weeks later, despite the fact that Turner had backed off on his training after the Belmont. They paid for their hubris with Seattle Slew’s first defeat, a bad fourth behind winner J. O. Tobin. Slew did not race again that year but had done enough to earn Horse of the Year honors.

Seattle Slew almost died that winter from colitis-X, but when he recovered, he was clearly as great as ever. Now trained by Doug Peterson, he defeated Affirmed in the Marlboro Cup Handicap (G1) and was a short horse when beaten by a neck by champion sprinter Dr. Patches in the Paterson Handicap. Seattle Slew also lost the 1 1/2-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), though it was perhaps his greatest performance. After dueling Affirmed into defeat with six furlongs in 1:09 2/5 and a mile in 1:35 2/5 in sloppy going, he was passed by the dour stayer Exceller. But Seattle Slew’s tigerish spirit would not give up. He fought back from almost a length down to be beaten by only a nose.

Seattle Slew retired to stud at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington in 1979 with a record of 14 wins, two narrow seconds, and one fourth in 17 starts, a Horse of the Year title, three championships, earnings of $1,208,726, and a syndication value of $14-million. In 1987, he was transferred to Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky.

In the spring of 2002, he was transferred to Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms, where he died a few weeks later on the 25th anniversary of his Derby triumph.

First-crop star

As Table 1 shows, Seattle Slew also achieved greatness as a stallion. While Seattle Slew is not as consistent a sire as some, his percentage of horses of the highest class-group and graded stakes winners-has lifted his stud career above that of almost all his contemporaries.

Although Seattle Slew early on developed a reputation for siring a relatively high percentage of gawky, overgrown, coarse individuals, he sired two champions in his first crop and continued to produce championship-quality individuals throughout his career.

The ill-starred filly Landaluce (out of Strip Poker, by Bold Bidder) was the first horse to make it obvious that Seattle Slew would be an important sire.

That same crop included his first champion son, Slew o’ Gold (out of Alluvial, by Buckpasser). Slew o’ Gold made a great start at stud, with 1989 European highweight Golden Opinion and Grade 1 winners Awe Inspiring and Gorgeous in his first crop, and classic-placed Thirty Six Red in his second.

Slew o’ Gold did not do as well in later crops, however, and, though he occasionally sired a top-class runner, his offspring had a reputation for soundness problems.

Slew o’ Gold’s best son, Awe Inspiring, was far less successful at stud in Japan than his name, his outstanding pedigree, and his excellent race record promised. Awe Inspiring’s death at age seven in 1993 did not prove much of a loss to Japanese breeders since he failed to sire any stakes winners from 158 foals.

Second-best son of Seattle Slew’s first crop was Slewpy (Rare Bouquet, by Prince John), a Grade 1 winner at two and three despite marked inconsistency as a racehorse. Slewpy also has been an inconsistent sire, getting 27 stakes winners, a 4.8% strike rate. Slewpy’s best son, Thirty Slews, was gelded, and his second-best, Mr. Nickerson, died on the racetrack. Slerp, his only significant son to stand at stud, proved unsuccessful in California.

Best sire from Seattle Slew’s first crop, however, was probably Slewacide, who made extraordinary use of the opportunity available to him in Oklahoma. Bred on the same cross as Slew o’ Gold (out of Evasive, by Buckpasser), Slewacide raced only once, finishing third, but he sired 44 stakes winners (7%), including Grade 1 winners Clever Trevor and Slew of Damascus. Unfortunately, all four of Slewacide’s graded stakes-winning sons were geldings, putting an immediate halt to what could have been a successful branch of the Seattle Slew male line.

Unlucky sire of sires

In truth, Seattle Slew’s career as a sire of sires (Table 2) has been dogged by persistent bad luck. His best second-crop son (and perhaps his best son of all), Swale (Tuerta, by *Forli), died shortly after adding a win in the 1984 Belmont Stakes to his Kentucky Derby victory. His second-best son of that crop, Seattle Song (Incantation, by Prince Blessed), died young, and the latter’s best son, Group 1 winner Cudas, died at four.

Seattle Song was quite a good sire of grass horses, an unusual affinity for a son of Seattle Slew. His fillies generally were better than his colts, and his best remaining son, Whadjathink, has not carried on the line in Illinois.

Like most other outstanding sires of sires, Seattle Slew has produced sons who do not have to be successful racehorses to succeed as stallions, at least on a regional basis. Slewacide was a national talent in a regional market, and several other sons of Seattle Slew have been big successes on a regional basis while occasionally throwing a nationally prominent runner.

Slewdledo, his unraced son out of graded winner M’lle. Cyanne, by Cyane, from his second crop, has been one of the best sires in Washington for years, siring 42 stakes winners (6%), including five graded winners.

The beautifully bred Air de France (Allez France, by *Sea-Bird) raced only twice, winning once, but sired Group 1-winning geldings Air Seattle and Bomber Bill. Each of Air de France’s six group-winning sons was a gelding, putting an immediate end to his branch of the line.

Two of Seattle Slew’s lesser sons, Slew Prince (Princess Arjumand, by *Prince Taj) and Slewbop (Full Card, by Damascus), led the sire list in Venezuela in the 1990s. Slew Prince was unraced, but Slewbop had enough talent to run second in the 1988 California Derby (G2).

Synastry (Municipal Bond, by Nashua) placed in four stakes and began his stud career in the nether reaches of Idaho. He sired 25 stakes winners. Avenue of Flags (Beautiful Glass, by Pass the Glass) only placed in a stakes but scored in California with eight graded winners among his 24 stakes winners.

Seattle Slew’s good third-crop son Khozaam (Par Excellance, by L’Enjoleur) enjoyed intermittent success in New Zealand, siring nine stakes winners, including group winners Seattle Gem, Narousa, and Khopromise. Unfortunately, his best sons have all been geldings.

Septieme Ciel (Maximova [Fr], by Green Dancer) won at the top level in both France and the United States and has sired six group or graded winners while never attracting much patronage despite his good record. Septieme Ciel is now at stud in England.

Commercial success

The first son of Seattle Slew to gain commercial success was 1986 champion two-year-old male Capote (Too Bald, by Bald Eagle). Heavily inbred to *Nasrullah (5x5x3x4), Capote hit the commercial bull’s-eye by siring fast, precocious two-year-olds in his first few crops. After a brief downturn, his stock rose again after his first foals sired at Three Chimneys arrived. His best son, Boston Harbor, earned champion juvenile male honors in 1996 but was sold to Japan.

As shown in Table 3, Capote has sired 62 stakes winners (7.3%) to date, second among Seattle Slew’s sons, and may yet establish his own branch of the Seattle Slew line.

Seattle Slew’s good racing sons Slew City Slew (Weber City Miss, by Berkley Prince) and General Meeting (Alydar’s Promise, by Alydar) both proved to be good sires, with the former siring multiple Grade 1 winner Lava Man, a gelding.

A.P. Indy, Seattle Slew’s most successful son on the racecourse, is also his most successful son at stud. A half brother to 1990 Preakness winner Summer Squall out of Weekend Surprise, by Secretariat, he topped the ‘90 Keeneland July yearling sale at $2.9-million and has proved his worth many times over. Winner of the Hollywood Futurity (G1) at two, A.P. Indy overcame a foot injury at three to win the Belmont and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) to secure 1992 Horse of the Year honors.

Retired to his co-breeder’s Lane’s End farm in Versailles, Kentucky, A.P. Indy has met the high expectations held for him, siring 114 stakes winners to date (12%). Sixty-three of those, a remarkably high ratio, are group or graded winners, including 2001 champion two-year-old filly Tempera, ‘03 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, and Grade 1-winning colts Golden Missile, Aptitude, Stephen Got Even, and A P Valentine.

A.P. Indy reached new heights in 2003, emulating his sire by heading the sire list by North American earnings. He was leading general sire in 2006, when his roster included champion three-year-old male Bernardini, now at stud. A.P. Indy has indicated he will succeed in handing on the Seattle Slew male line to the next generation, since his first good son, Pulpit, has sired 20 graded stakes winners from his first eight crops. Pulpit’s son Tapit sired 2008 Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Stardom Bound.

A.P. Indy is a fair copy of Seattle Slew in terms of the types of horses he sires. His offspring tend to be either very good, as indicated by his high percentage of group or graded winners, or unsound.

Seattle Slew’s son Vindication, undefeated champion two-year-old male of 2002, died in ‘08 after completing his fifth season at stud.

Seattle Slew has clearly succeeded in rescuing the male line of Bold Ruler for at least another generation. How far his sons-particularly A.P. Indy and his sons-will carry the line remains unclear, but it should be remembered that, in 1974, when Seattle Slew was born, the Bold Ruler male line appeared to be one of the most powerful on the planet with leading sire sons What a Pleasure, Raja Baba, and Bold Bidder, and a pretty good racehorse named Secretariat yet to be heard from as a sire.

Since then, things have changed dramatically. Seattle Slew, his sons, and his grandsons are now the most likely conduit into the future of the most successful American sire of runners of the 20th century.

John P. Sparkman is bloodstock editor of Thoroughbred Times. Sales editor Pete Denk contributed to this article.