| Seattle Slew, is one of the most recognized | | | | weekend in May and is known as the Preakness |
| names in American horse racing and this is for | | | | Stakes. The Preakness, as it is commonly |
| good reason. Although Seattle Slew won the | | | | shortened to, is run on the Pimlico Race Course in |
| prestigious Triple Crown back in 1977 the iconic | | | | Baltimore, MD. Finally, if the same horse wins both |
| name is still widely associated with horse racing | | | | the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness in the |
| more than thirty years later. There are only a | | | | same month it has the rare opportunity of |
| handful of famous race horse names known by | | | | completing the Triple Crown with a win at the |
| casual followers of the sport and amongst names | | | | Belmont Stakes (which is held on Long Island, |
| like Secretariat, War Admiral, and Seabiscuit the | | | | New York) three weeks later in June. |
| name Seattle Slew proudly stands alongside a | | | | Describing Seattle Slew as the first and only |
| select group of famous thoroughbreds. | | | | undefeated Triple Crown winner in the sport |
| While the peak of his racing days were as a three | | | | means that he is the only horse to come into the |
| year old colt in the late 1970s the renowned | | | | Kentucky Derby (the first of the three Triple |
| horse known as Seattle Slew actually lived a long | | | | Crown races) with an unbeaten record (in this |
| life from his birth in February of 1974 until his | | | | case 6-0) and then go on to win the final three |
| death in May of 2002. Winning the Triple Crown is | | | | races (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont |
| the proudest accomplishment that any American | | | | Stakes) to finish the season. What many casual |
| race horse can achieve. Seattle Slew actually won | | | | observers of thoroughbred racing do not realize is |
| the coveted award in style as the only horse to | | | | that the racing season for elite horses effectively |
| ever win the high honor while going undefeated. | | | | ends with the three Triple Crown races and that |
| Before explaining how the distinction of going | | | | leading up to that illustrious ending there are |
| undefeated separates Seattle Slew from other | | | | numerous other races that the top horses |
| Triple Crown winners the Triple Crown definition | | | | compete in to prepare for the grand stage of the |
| should first be explored. | | | | big three races. |
| Since at least 1923 the accomplishment of winning | | | | During the season that concluded with the 1977 |
| the three most prestigious US races has been | | | | Belmont Stakes race Seattle Slew never came in |
| described as winning the Triple Crown of | | | | worse than first place in his first six races before |
| Thoroughbred Racing or simply the Triple Crown | | | | sweeping the competition in the Kentucky Derby, |
| for short. The three annual races take place | | | | Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes to finish |
| during a five week window in May and June. The | | | | with an unblemished 9-0 record. Of the ten other |
| first of the three legs is the Kentucky Derby | | | | Triple Crown winners since 1923 none of them |
| which is held on the first Saturday in May in | | | | other than Seattle Slew has been able to win |
| Louisville, Kentucky at the racing complex known | | | | both the Triple Crown and all of their races during |
| the world over as Churchill Downs. The second | | | | that season leading up to the final three events. |
| race occurs two weeks later on the third | | | | |