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

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, 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 bas ...

who was voted the 1983 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Male Horse 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 of ...

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 a county located in the North Central region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 375,908. Its county seat is Ocala. Marion County comprises the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan S ...

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

Coastal A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

Racing career

As a 2-year-old, Slew o' Gold ran in only three races, winning two. In the 1983 American Triple Crown races, Slew o' Gold finished 4th in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

, did not run in the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

, and finished second in the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

. In the fall of 1983, Slew o' Gold blossomed as a top racehorse by defeating top older horses in the

Woodward Stakes The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade Il 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, held at the Saratoga Race Course in the United States, that is open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fal ...

, 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 four 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 Stud may refer to: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco * ...

Three Chimneys Farm Three Chimneys Farm is an American Thoroughbred race horse breeding farm in Midway, Kentucky, established in 1972 by Mr. & Mrs. Robert N. Clay. Three Chimneys has been home to a number of famous horses including U.S. Triple Crown champion Sea ...

near

Midway, Kentucky Midway is a Home rule, home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, Woodford County, Kentucky, in the United States. Its population was 1,741 at the time of the year 2020 U.S. census. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan St ...

. He sired the Grade I winners Awe Inspiring, Golden Opinion, 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 (department), Calvados Departments of France, département, in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy ''Regions of France, r ...

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 horse racing, Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and Horse trainer, trainers. In 1955, the museum ...

. In ''

The Blood-Horse magazine ''The Blood-Horse'' (also referred to simply as ''Blood-Horse'' and displayed on its nameplate in upright all-capital letters without hyphenation as BLOODHORSE) is a news magazine that originated in 1916 as a monthly bulletin of the Thoroughbred ...

'' 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