Slew o' Gold (April 19, 1980 – October 14, 2007) was an American

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic ...

who was voted the 1983

Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Male Horse The American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when both ''Turf & Sport ...

and the 1984

Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Male Horse The title of American Champion Older Dirt Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a stallion or gelding, four years old and up, for performances on dirt and main track racing surfaces. In 1971, it became part o ...

Background

Bred by Kentucky's renowned

Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...

, he was owned and raced by Equusequity Stable, a partnership of Dr. Jim and Sally Hill and Mickey and Karen Taylor, who owned Oak Crest Farm in

Marion County, Florida Marion County is located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 375,908. Its county seat is Ocala. Marion County comprises the Ocala, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. it includes par ...

. Slew o' Gold was a half brother to the stakes winning

Coastal The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

Racing career

As a 2-year-old, Slew o' Gold ran in only three races, winning two. In the 1983

American Triple Crown In the United States, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The three ...

races, Slew o' Gold finished 4th in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-yea ...

, did not run in the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs ...

, and finished second in the Belmont Stakes. In the fall of 1983, Slew o' Gold blossomed as a top race horse by defeating top older horses in the

Woodward Stakes The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. It is named for prominent racehorse owner William Woodward. The race was first run in 1954 at Aqueduct Ra ...

and the

Jockey Club Gold Cup The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the ...

, while finishing a close second in the Marlboro Cup, narrowly missing a sweep of the 1983 Fall Championship Series at Belmont. Racing as a 4-year-old in 1984, Slew o' Gold did not make his first start until July 2 due to problems with his hooves, but won four major races, including the

Whitney Handicap The Whitney Stakes (run as the Whitney Handicap through 2013 and still sometimes referred to as such) is an American Grade 1 stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of miles. The current purse is $1, ...

at Saratoga and a sweep of the 1984 Fall Championship Series or Fall Triple Crown - the Marlboro Cup,

and

(mile and a half) at Belmont Park that earned him a $1,000,000 bonus. In his final start of 1984 and of his career, which was the first running of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the race produced an exciting finish between 30–1 longshot Wild Again on the inside, Gate Dancer on the outside and favorite Slew o' Gold in between. The three battled down the stretch with Wild Again bearing out and shifting his path away from the rail and Gate Dancer "lugging in" towards the rail, squeezing out Slew O' Gold. Wild Again finished a head in front of Gate Dancer with Slew o' Gold less than a length behind. After a 10-minute stewards' inquiry and controversial decision, Wild Again was left in first place but Gate Dancer was disqualified to third, and Slew o' Gold placed second.

Stud record

After the Breeders' Cup, Slew o' Gold was retired to stand at stud at Three Chimneys Farm near

Midway, Kentucky Midway is a home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, in the United States. Its population was 1,641 at the time of the year 2010 U.S. census. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town sits just off ...

. He sired the Grade I winners Awe Inspiring,

Golden Opinion Golden Opinion (23 February 1986 – after 2007) was an American-bred French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In a racing career which lasted less than six months she won four of her six races. As a three-year-old in 1996 she won ...

, Dramatic Gold, Gorgeous, Thirty Six Red and Tactile, along with stakes winner Nine Carat, who won the 1991 Prix Montenica, a Listed race at

Deauville-La Touques Racecourse Hippodrome Deauville-La Touques is a race track for thoroughbred horse racing located in Deauville in the Calvados département, in the Normandy '' région'' of France. Originally called Hippodrome de la Touques, it was named for the Touques Rive ...

in France. After 17 years in stud service, in 2002 Slew o' Gold was pensioned.

Honors

In 1992, Slew o' Gold was inducted into the

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...

. In '' The Blood-Horse magazine'' ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Slew o' Gold was ranked #58.

Death

Slew o' Gold was euthanized due to the infirmities of old age on October 14, 2007, at the age of 27. He is buried at Three Chimneys Farm.

Pedigree

External links

Video of Slew o' Gold's 1984 Jockey Club Gold Cup

References

slewogold.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slew O'gold 1980 racehorse births 2007 racehorse deaths Eclipse Award winners Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 9-f United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees