William H. ‘Billy’ Turner Jr. Passes; Trainer Of 1977 Triple Crown Winner Seattle Slew Was 81

On the last day of 2021, Thoroughbred racing has lost a legend. William H. (Billy) Turner Jr., the trainer of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, passed away peacefully in cancer hospice care at his home in Reddick, Fla. He was 81 years old.

Billy Turner was based at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., for much of his career, where he preferred to keep a small stable of around 30 horses so that he was able to know and train them each as the individual he believed was best for their development. He was best known for his masterful horsemanship and training of the 1977 Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew.

Unbeaten in three starts as a 2-year-old, topped off by a victory in the Grade 1 Champagne, the son of Bold Reasoning began his 3-year-old campaign with an allowance victory at Hialeah Park,  then won the G1 Flamingo at Hialeah and the G1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Sent away the 1-2 favorite in the G1 Kentucky Derby, Seattle Slew won by 1 3/4 lengths under regular rider Jean Cruguet, then  added victories in the G1 Preakness and G1 Belmont before tasting defeat for the first time in the G1 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park, a race in which the horse's owners overruled Turner, who was opposed to running. He was then turned over to Douglas Peterson for the remainder of his career.

Three years after Seattle Slew's Triple Crown season, Turner trained Czaravich to several major victories, including the G1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap. His other graded stakes winners included, Gaviola, Punch Line, Kilauea, Play On, Pok Ta Pok, Popol's Gold, Night Fox, Dust Bucket, Eze, Finery and Dry Martini.

A resident of Marion County, Fla., since his retirement from training in 2016, Turner was diagnosed with prostate cancer almost two years ago, a disease that also spread to and weakened his bones. He was admitted to the hospital on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, after suffering significant shortness of breath, after which there was considerable fluid drained from his lungs. Unfortunately, testing of the fluid revealed that his cancer had spread to his lungs. Turner had chosen not to receive further treatment for the cancer. and he was transferred to hospice care on Tuesday, Dec. 28.

After the cancer was discovered in his lungs, his condition deteriorated quickly but it was thought he still had some months to live. On Thursday, the hospice nurse felt this prognosis changed to days. Friday morning, the prognosis changed to mere hours. His wife, Pat, was next to him when he took his last breath in peace.

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Just a few days ago, a GoFundMe effort was launched to assist Billy with medical and other expenses, and to give the chance to those who knew him to express words of support and their memories of this consummate gentleman and horseman. The outpouring of love and financial support was immense, and Pat Turner spent a big part of his last two days reading Billy the many pages of messages sent from around the nation.

After his passing, Pat issued a statement to thank everyone who sent messages and financial support: “Billy Turner passed away this afternoon peacefully at home. I want to take a moment to thank every person who contributed to his physical care and lifting him up in your thoughts and prayers. I was able to read him all the messages sharing your kindness and admiration of him. It meant a great deal to me to be able to let him know how loved he was in his last moments.”

The world of horse racing, as well as other equestrian disciplines with Seattle Slew in their bloodlines, owes much to Billy Turner's masterful guidance of Seattle Slew and his legacy. It meant much to Billy to receive the financial support of his and Seattle's Slew's fans. The numerous prayers and words of support meant that Billy, in his last days, got to experience a blanket of love and reminders of how much he meant to the world of racing, how much inspiration Seattle Slew provided to fans and those who started their careers because of this incredible colt and his trainer, and how many appreciated Billy's horsemanship, humor and class.

A memorial and celebration of life service will be held at a later date.

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Slew Trainer Turner Enters Home Hospice Care

Billy Turner, who called the shots on the career of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, was to enter home hospice care Dec. 27 as he continues to wage a battle against cancer, which has spread to his lungs.

According to a GoFundMe page created by horse owner and breeder Pavla Nygaard, Turner, 81, was diagnosed with prostate cancer about two years ago, which spread to and weakened his bones. According to the GoFundMe page, Turner was admitted to the hospital Dec. 17 with shortness of breath and fluid aspirated from his lungs indicated that the cancer had spread there. According to the page, Turner has elected not to receive further treatment.

Upon conclusion of his training career following the 2008 recession, the GoFundMe page explains that Turner and his wife Pat moved into a townhouse on the property of the Ocala Jockey Club, owned by Nygaard and her husband Erik. The couple sold the farm this past August, and negotiated a continuing lifetime rental agreement on behalf of the Turners, but the new owners of the farm served the Turners notice and forced them out of their accommodations. The Nygaards were successful in securing a new home off the farm for the Turners, but the former trainer's health subsequently took a turn for the worse.

The Nygaards have pledged to match up to $10,000 in donations.

“The world of racing owes much to Billy Turner's masterful guidance of Seattle Slew and his legacy,” wrote Pavla Nygaard on the page. “It will mean much to Billy to have the financial support of his and Seattle's Slew's fans, as well as prayers and words of encouragement.”

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Billy Turner, Trainer Of Triple Crown Winner Seattle Slew, Needs Help In Face Of Rapidly Spreading Cancer

Seattle Slew, the 1977 Triple Crown winner, holds a place of legends in horse racing and is one of the most well known racehorse names even outside of racing. Now Billy Turner, Seattle Slew's trainer through his undefeated Triple Crown run, is 81 years of age and facing advanced rapidly spreading cancer. He needs the help of the racing industry and Seattle Slew's fans.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help him with medical and other expenses at https://gofund.me/32279f47.

Billy Turner is the 81-year old former racehorse trainer, best known for his horsemanship and training of the 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. A resident of Marion County, Fla. since his retirement from training, he was diagnosed almost two years ago with prostate cancer which had spread to and weakened his bones. Until recently, Billy was a resident at the Ocala Jockey Club farm townhome village. He made guest appearances at the Ocala Jockey Club International 3-day Event, and there was even a special $750 award created to honor a top-placing Thoroughbred with Seattle Slew heritage.

He was admitted to the hospital on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021 after suffering significant shortness of breath, and fluid was drained from his lungs. Unfortunately, testing of the fluid revealed that his cancer had spread to his lungs. He has chosen not to receive further treatment for his cancer. On Monday, Dec. 27, he was transferred home for hospice care.

He is in good spirits and looking forward to being back with his wife Pat and in the comfort of a home environment.

Billy and Pat are facing increased healthcare costs, moving costs, and unforeseen costs related to his upcoming hospice care and beyond. Billy's latest hospital stay and hospice care is likely to add further unexpected medical and living costs. Pavla and Erik Nygaard, the former owners of the Ocala Jockey Club farm where the Turners lived until the recent sale of the farm, will match up to $10,000 of funds raised through this GoFundMe effort.

The world of horse racing, as well as other equestrian disciplines with Seattle Slew in their bloodlines, owes much to Billy Turner's masterful guidance of Seattle Slew and his legacy. It will mean much to Billy to have the financial support of his and Seattle's Slew's fans, as well as prayers and words of encouragement.

Seattle Slew after a bath at Spendthrift Farm in 1981

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Bloodlines: Good Timing, Quick Decisions Brought Sandstone To The Winner’s Circle

On the day that Churchill Downs ran the Street Sense Stakes, Oct. 31, a daughter of the 2006 juvenile champion and 2007 Kentucky Derby winner won the companion feature, the Rags to Riches Stakes for fillies.

Bred in Kentucky by Mark and Cindy Stansell, Sandstone won her stakes debut by 10 3/4 lengths in 1:44.18, which was faster than the colts ran in the Street Sense Stakes at the same distance.

Sandstone is the last foal out of her dam, the Seattle Slew mare Seattle Shimmer, who was 20 when she foaled this stakes winner.

Mark Stansell said, “Sandstone was one of the very best physicals out of her dam, who always threw nice babies. Seattle Shimmer had a very nice hip and would put that hip on foals, even from stallions who were a little light behind,” and due to the yearling filly's appeal on physique and pedigree, the breeders got $165,000 for Sandstone at the 2020 Keeneland September sale.

“This was a really nice yearling,” Stansell said. “One reason she only brought $165,000 was that the foals from old mares, anything over 15, are not highly sought after [in the commercial market]. If that mare hadn't been old, Sandstone would have brought more. She was that nice.”

Now a winner in two of her three starts, the Rags to Riches was the stakes debut for Sandstone, and she became her dam's first stakes winner. Two earlier foals, Sway Away (Afleet Alex) and Shaken (Uncle Mo), placed in Grade 2 company. Sway Away was second in the G2 Best Pal, San Vicente, and San Carlos; Shaken was third in the G2 Rachel Alexandra.

Yet, they almost never were.

The dam of these three talented stakes horses, as well as other good winners, was one of the last foals by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew (by Bold Reasoning), himself a foal of 1974. The near-black champion had problems with his neck vertebrae late in life that required surgery and curtailed the last years of his stud career.

A foal of 1999, Seattle Shimmer was bred in Kentucky by Albert Finney, and Mickey and Karen Taylor. She and her stakes-winning dam received the best of care, but when the filly was born, she was “severely contracted as a foal,” said Kentucky horseman Bob Sliger, who spent many years with the Eaton Farms yearling division.

Contracted tendons are not rare among Thoroughbred foals, and the condition's name accurately describes the problem. A foal's long tendons are tightly contracted, rather than loose and flexible, when the foal is born. This can cause considerable problems with standing and nursing, and if not addressed appropriately and as early as possible, the malady has the potential to cripple a foal for life.

Seattle Shimmer, however, was in good hands.

Sliger continued: “We used PVC pipe to help get her legs straightened out, and it helped her a lot. She was broken but never went into training. That's when they had just lost Seattle Slew, and they went out of the horse business. When they did that, they gave the mare to me.”

For Sliger and former Eaton Farms manager Billy Tillery, Seattle Shimmer bred some very nice prospects, including Sway Away.

Sliger recalled that “Mark had bought three foals out of the mare off me and was crazy about Seattle Shimmer. She was a beautiful mare, a kind and lovely mare. Just a sweetheart, and Mark really wanted the mare.”

Stansell said he “was buying weanlings to resell as yearlings, and I got to know Bob after buying the third foal out of the mare, went and bought mare and the foal at side, who turned out to be Sway Away.

“She is buried in my back yard, he continued. “I have 87 acres, but buried her there.”

To produce Sandstone, Stansell “bred her to Street Sense, and this was one of the very best physicals out of the mare.”

In addition to the other foals out of Seattle Shimmer, Stansell sold, then repurchased and raced Shaken, and the half-sister to Sandstone “has an exceptional Vino Rosso foal in Book 2 of the November sale,” the breeder concluded.

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