1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup - Exceller

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This excellent race is already on YouTube, courtesy of cf1970. I'm posting this version because it includes the additional footage of Seattle Slew breaking through the starting gate before the race. It also includes extra coverage at the end of the race, including a slow motion replay of the final sixteenth. After breaking through the gate, Slew didn't go nearly as far down the track as my stunned memory from 1978. Still, it would be hard to spin it as a positive, especially in a race that was decided by inches. Nice athletic job by Cordero to reign in Slew, especially after he reared. I wonder if the unnerving delay of nearly a minute contributed to the frantic pace, by Slew and Affirmed along with rabbit Life's Hope? Someone on another site tried to claim the speed figure on this race was poor. That sounds preposterous to me. The final time was 2:27 1/5. You can see it was hardly an ideal dry and fast track. Check out the surface when Slew is being brought around and reloaded. Andrew Beyer wrote in his post race article that the time was "excellent." The fractions themselves are intriguing. After the masochistic 1:09 2/5, the next quarter plummeted all the way to :26 flat. The horses in front were spent and Cordero was obviously trying to give Slew a breather, worried about Affirmed. If you look at the tape, Cordero looks to his inside entering the top of the stretch and sees Exceller and Shoemaker flying at him. Only then does he noticeably urge Slew, and the two horses quickly draw well clear of Affirmed. The fifth quarter was slow at :26 2/5 but the final quarter was a much faster and respectable :25 2/5. BTW, I believe every Seattle Slew race has now been posted on YouTube, with the high profile exception of the 1977 Preakness. I have a tape of that race but it is flawed, a big missing gap of about 10-12 seconds at the top of the stretch. I have been unable to find a complete copy.

Channel: Sports
Uploaded: July 2, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Author: AwsiDooger

Length: 0:04:30
Rating: 5.00
Views: 10,212

Tags: 1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup Exceller Seattle Slew Affirmed Life's Hope Bill Shoemaker Angel Cordero Steve Cauthen

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Video Comments:
lengua92 (Friday 7th of November 2008 02:11:32 AM)
After those incredible fractions, any horse would have given up at the top of the stretch. Affirmed did it, but Slew's heart was a big one and he gave the people one of the most exciting stretch runs ever!
rayluckgoo (Sunday 19th of October 2008 05:08:08 PM)
I was SO excited to see this! WOW!
DanielSong39 (Tuesday 14th of October 2008 12:26:03 AM)
Seattle Slew went way too fast at the start. Don't blame the rabbit for this one; Slew was the one to push the pace! Unfortunately a JO Tobin-like performance was not in the cards and he was unable to hold off Exceller. He did well to finish second, however.
easygoer13 (Saturday 27th of September 2008 05:40:47 PM)
The second Battle Of Triple Crown Winners of 1978 and the last, to date. The score: Slew 2, Affirmed 0 - and both very decisive at that. This rare Seattle Slew loss may well have been the greatest of his 17 races. Slew was unambiguously Affirmed's better. Arguably the two greatest dirt races of all time took place over 12 furlongs at Belmont Park in 1978, the Belmont and the JCGC. Thanks to both AwsiDooger and CF1970 for posting this important treausre.
rockybudgeboa (Saturday 27th of September 2008 03:01:35 AM)
I remember watching this race and being mad at Exceller for winning. When Exceller died in the slaugherhouse, I so regretted for being mad at him for beating my Slew
VanorOrion (Thursday 25th of September 2008 01:48:23 PM)
i am sorry but i thought it went the best was the horse that wins the race, not comes in second. i remember watching this race back in 1978, if shoemaker was on a horse it stood a good chance of winning. thats a good point that exceller actually defeated two triple crown winners......
DIGBYS (Tuesday 19th of August 2008 03:59:48 AM)
Obviously you kidding. I am belly laughing. OK, so Slew ran the best race ever....SO did the guy who lost by a nanosecond to Michael Phelps....That kid SWAM THE BEST OLYMIC RACE EVER. Thats how silly this argument is. He lost, did I tell you they ran the same distance, same track, same race...HE LOST. Dont watch the video, he lost. He lost, he lost. Not nearly the best RACE EVER. He lost, wait did I ruin the ending, HE LOST. Blame in on Lifes Hope, Barrera, Cordero.Bottom line.HE lost
wearableart1 (Thursday 11th of September 2008 08:12:15 AM)
Hey digby whats up Sir you obviously know nothing about racing or you would not make these obscene comments.what about the fact that slew broke thru the gate at the start.and he lost his irons going to the first turn.did anyone notice that your comments are lafable at best.swale you are correct,digbut should conact Dr kevorkian.
DIGBYS (Thursday 11th of September 2008 08:48:38 AM)
Hilarious. I am still laughing.Second, who cares. He lOST. Did you know the Patriots were the best team in football last year, except THEY LOST THE SUPERBOWL. People this is laughable. He lost, it wasnt a great race. He lost. That's racing, tight turns, bad starts, irons slipping( even thought you are confusing Affirmed with Slew). The best race was run by Exceller. Oh thats right, HE WON. Giants are superbowl champs..They won, United States are free, we won against England...you get it?
AwsiDooger (Thursday 25th of September 2008 06:04:17 PM)
No, he's not confusing Affirmed with Slew. Cordero slipped out of the irons at one point for a few jumps. Former trainer Billy Turner said he was watching Slew specifically at that point, and he thought Slew had broken down, when Cordero was flailing. Affirmed's saddle slipped long after he was buried. That technicality spared him a lopsided defeat minus excuse.