Seattle slew 1978 stuyvesant handicap
The Stuyvesant Handicap is an American thoroughbred horse race held in the fall of the year at Aqueduct Race Track in Queens, New York. A Grade III event, it is set over nine furlongs (one and one/eighth miles) on the dirt for three-year-olds and up. The Stuyvesant, named for an area of New York City settled by the Dutch in the dawn of what would become America, offers a purse of $100,000 added.
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The Stuyvesant was run at Jamaica for only three-year-olds from 1916 to 1924, and from 1937 to 1939. In 1916, 1917, and 1918, and again from 1937 to 1939 it was a six furlong sprint. It went off at a mile from 1919 to 1924 and from 1964 to 1972. It was not run at all from 1925 to 1936, nor from 1940 to 1962. It took place at Belmont Park in 1990, 1995, and 2001. It has been run at Aqueduct all other years since 1963.
The 1978 running was the swan song for Seattle Slew, the 1977 Triple Crown winner. Slew, ridden by Angel Cordero, Jr., winning the race by four lengths. Sportscaster and Aqueduct track announcer Chic Anderson called the race's climax movingly: "Ladies and gentlemen, here he is, the champion of the world, Seattle Slew!"
The Stuyvesant would have been in its 59th running in 2009, but was canceled because of lack of interest. Five starters were entered, but two of the horses said they would scratch if it rained. Two inches of rain was predicted for the day of the Stuyvesant.