Swale (April 21, 1981 – June 17, 1984) was an American

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse. He is best known for winning the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in 1984. He died eight days after his win in the latter race.

Background

A son of the 1977

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Tri ...

winner

Seattle Slew Seattle Slew (February 15, 1974 – May 7, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who became the tenth winner of the American Triple Crown (1977). He is one of only two horses to have won the Triple Crown while being undefeated in ...

, Swale was trained by

Woody Stephens Woody Stephens (September 1, 1913 – August 22, 1998) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer. Biography Born Woodford Cefis Stephens in Stanton, Kentucky, he had a younger brother named William Ward Stephens who also b ...

and ridden by Laffit Pincay, Jr., both now members of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Swale's dam, the stakes winning mare Tuerta, was born with one eye. Her name means "one-eyed" in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Racing career

1983: two-year-old season

At 2, Swale broke his maiden at Belmont Park on July 21, 1983. Next out, he was entered in the

Saratoga Special Stakes The Saratoga Special Stakes is an American grade II thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid-August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is for two-year-olds willing to race six furlongs on the dirt. With its first r ...

, and in the muddy going at

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actu ...

, won the race with jockey

Eddie Maple Edward Retz "Eddie" Maple (born November 8, 1948, in Carrollton, Ohio) is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. One of eight siblings, he is an older brother to jockey Sam Maple, who won more than 2,500 races. Maple began riding h ...

. After finishing third in the

Hopeful Stakes The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has ...

at Saratoga, Swale went undefeated the remainder of his two-year-old campaign, with wins in the

Belmont Futurity Stakes The Futurity Stakes, commonly referred to as the Belmont Futurity, is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid-September or October at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, United States. Open to two-year-old horses, it is raced on turf ...

Breeders' Futurity Stakes The Breeders' Futurity Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Currently offering a purse of $500,000, the race is open to two-year-old horses and is run ...

, and Young America Stakes.

1984: three-year-old season

At 3, Swale won the Hutcheson Stakes at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

by seven lengths first out. After displacing his palate in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, where he finished third, he won the

Florida Derby The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Since 2005, it has been run five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Sat ...

with new rider Laffit Pincay, Jr., running the mile and one-eighth in 1:47 3/5 as he drew away from favored

Dr. Carter Doctor is an Academic degree, academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an Agent noun, agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europ ...

at the end. After being upset in the sloppy going at

Keeneland Race Course Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for i ...

in the

Lexington Stakes The Lexington Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in April during at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during their s ...

when second, Swale won the Kentucky Derby at historic Churchill Downs. The day before departing for Baltimore for the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...

, Swale worked seven furlongs in 1:24, galloping out the mile in 1:37 1/5 at Churchill Downs, then shipped to Baltimore on Monday and worked a half-mile in a swift :46, galloping out five furlongs in :59 3/5 two days before the big race. That Saturday he ran an uncharacteristic seventh in the

. Swale came back to win the longest and most gruelling of the U.S. Triple Crown races, the Belmont Stakes.

Death

On June 17, 1984, eight days after the Belmont Stakes, Swale collapsed and died en route to his stall following a bath.''Racing With Death - The Saga of Swale'' Daly, Michael in New York Magazine - August 6, 1984 He was buried at Claiborne Farm.

Honors and awards

Swale posthumously received the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Male Horse for 1984. He earned $1,583,660 during his two-year racing career. The

Swale Stakes The Swale Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses at the distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held annually in January at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event currently carries a purse ...

, an annual Grade II stakes race for three-year-olds at

Hallandale, Florida Hallandale Beach (formerly known simply as Hallandale) is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Luther Halland, the son of a Swedish worker for Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. As of the 2 ...

, was named in his honor.

Pedigree

References

{{Belmont Stakes Winners 1981 racehorse births 1984 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Kentucky Derby winners Belmont Stakes winners Eclipse Award winners Hancock family Thoroughbred family 1-n