More than 30 years have passed since the two equine sports heroes, Seattle Slew and Secretariat strutted their respective stuff out on the race tracks across America. They were the ultimate kings of the sport of kings. Just a mere four years separated them. It was not nearly long enough to prevent comparisons. Yet, it was just long enough to prevent them from ever facing one another in a match race. But, what if things had been just a little different? What if they had both come from the same crop? What if they had actually gone head to head in a match race? What would have happened? Who would have won? Let’s compare them.
To begin with, Secretariat was 16.3 hands tall, and weighed about 1154 pounds. He had 74 inches of skeletal girth in December of his third year. He possessed a 36 foot long stride, and at full speed, could run over 41 miles per hour. A classic thoroughbred, Secretariat was more than capable of maintaining full speed over great distances. He was not the quintessential front-runner, [except for the 1973 Belmont stakes, of course]. He actually ran best when stalking the pace early on, then exploding like a rocket sled on rails, eventually building up enough momentum to rival that of a runaway freight train.
Secretariat raced 21 times over a two-year career. He won 16 of them in dominating fashion, to say the very least. He ascended to the Triple Crown in 1973, setting records at the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes that were earth-shattering, and still stand to this day, and probably always will. Secretariat came in second twice, once by a single length, and once by five lengths. He was also third twice and fourth once. He is universally regarded as one of the absolute greatest athletes who ever lived. So, how does he compare to Seattle Slew?
Seattle Slew was about 16.1 hands tall, and weighed approximately 1140 pounds. He had 74.9 inches of skeletal girth himself by December of his third year. “The Slew”, as he was affectionately known, also possessed a massive stride. His measured over 31 feet. And all-out, he could achieve speeds in excess of 41 miles per hour as well , and could also maintain it over great distances too.
Seattle Slew was the proto-type front-runner. He would come flying from the starting gate like a horse possessed, and take the lead with incredible brute force, and unequaled determination. Then, he would dare all the others to just try and catch him.
During his races, Seattle Slew would repeatedly build up huge leads of 10 to 12 lengths, then be eased across the finish line, coasting the last 1/16 of a mile, on his way to an easy victory. “The Slew” raced 17 times during a three-year career beginning in 1976, and culminating in 1978. He would win 14 of those with plenty of daylight to spare. He was a very, very close second twice, and fourth once.
Seattle Slew was also a Triple Crown winner. He accomplished that feat in 1977, and did so with an unprecedented, unequaled, and unrivaled record of 9 and 0. He remains to this day, the only thoroughbred to ever win the coveted Triple Crown with an undefeated prior record.
He displayed his mental toughness at the Kentucky Derby when he banged his head, and tore his mouth and tongue coming out of the starting gate. Yet, he still won the race with such ease. In a word, it was incredible. At the Belmont Stakes, he had to overcome a horribly muddy track, such like he had never encountered before. Yet, once again, as always, he won so easily, so effortlessly.
Seattle Slew battled back from adversity in the fall of 1978 to soundly defeat Affirmed twice. Then, he put on one of the most memorable displays of guts and stamina in the history of sports during the final 3/16 of a mile of the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He holds the record at the Champagne Stakes, where he ran the single fastest mile ever recorded by a two-year-old thoroughbred. He also holds the record at the Woodward Stakes, as well as the seven furlong Allowance Race at Hialeah in Florida. His resume is just as long and impressive as Secretariat’s.
Both of these great and indomitable champions had extremely powerful, and muscular frames. Secretariat was enormous in height and stature, while Seattle Slew possessed so many muscles on him from nose to tail, he looked as though he was going to explode right out of his skin at any given moment. Both of them loved to run. Both of them loved to win. Both of them were at their absolute best when it mattered most.
So, what would have happened had they ever gone head to head in a match race? Who would have won? Without question, it would have been the single greatest match race ever run anywhere, anytime in the history of the world-period. That match up would have drawn the largest crowd to ever witness a sporting event anywhere, anytime. The television audience would have numbered in the hundreds of millions as well. That is for certain. So, who would have won in a match race between Seattle Slew and Secretariat? I am sure that it would have ended in a dead heat, in a world record time.
