Help Billy Turner, Seattle Slew's Trainer

BILLY TURNER, TRAINER OF 1977 TRIPLE CROWN WINNER SEATTLE SLEW, NEEDS HELP IN FACE OF RAPIDLY SPREADING CANCER

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. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer almost two years ago which had also spread to and weakened his bones. He was admitted to the hospital on Friday, December 17th, 2021 after suffering significant shortness of breath. There was a lot fluid drained from his lungs. Unfortunately, testing of the fluid revealed that his cancer spread to his lungs. He has chosen not to receive further treatment for his cancer. On Monday, December 27th, he will be 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.

We have known Billy and Pat since 2006. Billy had trained a handful of horses for us prior to his retirement from training, including the very first racehorse we ever bought, Play It True, who won her first race from the 12 position at Belmont Park at 55:1 odds, winning against far better bred fillies. Pat was also an accomplished horsewoman of her own rider. She was Mr. Prospector's exercise rider in his early three-year old year and one of the first female jockeys in the US. She was Play It True's exercise rider and has been Billy's steadiest supporter. It was Bill's strength as a trainer to turn ordinary horses into above average, and above average horses into excellent ones. Seattle Slew had the potential to be a great horse in many other barns, but I doubt that, without the guidance of Billy's understanding of the superstar colt's needs, that Seattle Slew would have achieved racing immortality with going into the 1977 Kentucky Derby undefeated, and winning the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont that year as an undefeated Triple Crown winner.

As a brilliant yet introverted trainer who was always comfortable with horses but not always so around people or quite ready for the fame that followed him throughout the Triple Crown trail, Billy battled a few demons with alcohol addiction over points in his lifetime, yet succeeded slaying that dragon with his wife and diligent AA meetings. Billy is an exceptional horseman who had touched the lives of many others in the Thoroughbred industry. His stories of Seattle Slew's journey through the challenging 1977 Triple Crown winning campaign have shown a deep understanding and love of the horse, training a horse as an individual rather than fitting him into a program. Seattle Slew's legend lives on through many Thoroughbred bloodlines in racing, as well as in those Thoroughbreds who have found careers outside of racing.

After Billy's training business suffered along with many others after the 2008 recession, he eventually said good-bye to his training career at Belmont and moved to Ocala, Florida, where he and Pat lived in one of the townhomes at the Ocala Jockey Club, a farm that my husband and I owned until it sold in August this year. Unfortunately, while we advised the new owner of Billy's advanced cancer and worked to negotiate a continuing lifetime rental arrangement for the Turners for after the farm sale, the new owners served them notice soon after to move out of their townhome. We were able to secure them a new home off the farm, but they temporarily bounced around between B&B arrangements and a stay at friends while their new rental home was getting repaired after the previous tenant's stay. It was during this time in between homes that Billy's health took a turn for the worse and he was admitted to the hospital with being very short of breath. Until this temporary housing instability, Billy's health was fragile but he was physically steady and mentally sharp. He was even recently able to tape video interviews with Rick Wallace and Jon Holling, the hosts of the 3-day eventing "Rick and Jon" show, discussing some of his Seattle Slew memories.

Billy and Pat are facing increased healthcare costs, moving costs and unforeseen costs related to his upcoming hospice care and beyond. We have been assisting them with their temporary B&B housing arrangements, but Billy's latest hospital stay and hospice care is likely to add further unexpected medical and living costs. We will match up to $10,000 of funds raised through this GoFundMe effort.

The world of racing 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.

Pavla and Erik Nygaard, racehorse owners and breeders, and former Ocala Jockey Club owners