Turner maintained a public training stable and bloodstock consulting services, operating mainly in New York, Florida, and the Mid-Atlantic region. At the time of his retirement he had been training horses competing on the New York Racing Association circuit.[1]
Born in Rochester, New York on February 29, 1940, Turner grew up riding and fox hunting in Pennsylvania's horse country and began his career with racehorses in 1958 as a steeplechase jockey. Working under Hall of Fame trainer Burley Cocks, Turner rode over jumps until 1963 when his 6'2" height made race riding unrealistic. He continued as an assistant trainer until he went out on his own in 1966. He saw immediate success with Salerno, a horse who won the Remsen Stakes in 1967 and placed in the Withers Stakes in 1968.[2]
After the Triple Crown, a disagreement occurred between Turner, who wanted to give Seattle Slew a rest, and the owners, who wanted to run him in three weeks at the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park.[2] After a fourth-place finish in the Swaps, Turner was fired as Seattle Slew's trainer and the colt was handed over to trainer Doug Petersen. While Turner continued to insist that he did not want to run the horse in the Swaps, Seattle Slew's owners alleged that Turner had a drinking problem which was putting the horse at risk.[3]
In 1984, Turner conditioned Welcome Farm's colt Play On, who won that year's Withers Stakes and finished second to Gate Dancer in the Preakness.
From 1995 to 1999, Turner trained Althea Richard's Punch Line, a horse he referred to as "the second best horse I ever trained."[citation needed] A winner of 21 races from ages 2 to 8, Punch Line was named Virginia's Horse of the Year and champion sprinter in 1997 and 1998.[citation needed] At the age of 8, he won the Fall Highweight Handicap carrying 136 pounds.
Turner retired from training in 2016 and moved to Ocala, Florida.[4] He retired with 533 career wins and earnings in excess of $17 million, though these statistics only go back as far as 1976 when Equibase began keeping race records.[1][2]
Personal lifeedit
Turner was married to former jockey and exercise rider Patricia Rich 'Patti' Turner and had two children from previous marriages.[citation needed]
He entered hospice care in late December 2021 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in early 2020.[2][4] He died on December 31, at the age of 81.[2][5]
Referencesedit
^ abcd"Trainer Profile - William H. Turner, Jr". Equibase. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
^ abcdefgGrening, David (1 January 2022). "Billy Turner, trainer of Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, dies". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
^ abKeyser, Tom (11 May 1997). "Dark side to 'Slew' saga Horse racing: Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown 20 years ago, but then the trainer was fired and the owners feuded, tarnishing the story of the colt's Cinderella rise". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
^ abJohnson, Danielle (28 December 2021). "Seattle Slew trainer Billy Turner, battling cancer, moves to hospice care in Marion County". Star–Banner. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
^"William H. 'Billy' Turner Jr. Passes; Trainer Of 1977 Triple Crown Winner Seattle Slew Was 81". Paulick Report. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
External linksedit
Seattle Slew, Last living Triple Crown Winner...
Seattle Slew Exploded From Humble Beginnings
EQB site-bloodstock & racing
Facebook site dedicated to getting Turner into the Hall of Fame
Steve Zorn article on Turner
ESPN article
Billy Turner at the official Seattle Slew website of Karen & Mickey Taylor
Article on Slew
December 15, 2023
billy, turner, american, football, player, american, football, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, includes, list, references, related, readi. For the American football player see Billy Turner American football This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations December 2011 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Billy Turner news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message William H Turner Jr February 29 1940 December 31 2021 was an American Thoroughbred flat racing trainer best known for winning the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1977 with Seattle Slew Billy TurnerTurner in 2008Full nameWilliam H Turner Jr OccupationTrainerBorn 1940 02 29 February 29 1940Rochester New York U S DiedDecember 31 2021 2021 12 31 aged 81 Reddick Florida U S Career winnings 17 501 009 1976 2016 1 2 Career wins533 1976 2016 1 2 Major racing winsRemsen Stakes 1967 Nashua Stakes 1975 1993 Champagne Stakes 1976 Flamingo Stakes 1977 Wood Memorial Stakes 1977 Jerome Handicap 1979 Withers Stakes 1979 1984 Carter Handicap 1980 Metropolitan Handicap 1980 Damon Runyon Stakes 1981 Lexington Stakes 1983 Shirley Jones Handicap 1996 Bold Ruler Handicap 1989 1997 Delaware Handicap 1995 Fall Highweight Handicap 1998 Maryland Million Sprint Handicap 1996 Garden City Breeder s Cup 2000 Sands Point Stakes 2000 Athenia Handicap 2004 Beaugay Handicap 2005 American Classic Race wins Kentucky Derby 1977 Preakness Stakes 1977 Belmont Stakes 1977 United States Triple Crown 1977 Significant horsesCzaravich Finery Gaviola Salerno Seattle Slew Play On Punch LineTurner maintained a public training stable and bloodstock consulting services operating mainly in New York Florida and the Mid Atlantic region At the time of his retirement he had been training horses competing on the New York Racing Association circuit 1 Contents 1 Early life and career 2 Seattle Slew 3 Later career 4 Personal life 5 References 6 External linksEarly life and career editBorn in Rochester New York on February 29 1940 Turner grew up riding and fox hunting in Pennsylvania s horse country and began his career with racehorses in 1958 as a steeplechase jockey Working under Hall of Fame trainer Burley Cocks Turner rode over jumps until 1963 when his 6 2 height made race riding unrealistic He continued as an assistant trainer until he went out on his own in 1966 He saw immediate success with Salerno a horse who won the Remsen Stakes in 1967 and placed in the Withers Stakes in 1968 2 Seattle Slew editIn 1975 Turner was handed a colt by Bold Reasoning that had been purchased at a Lexington yearling auction for 17 500 by a partnership led by Karen and Mickey Taylor Turner began to train the colt named Seattle Slew at Andor Farm in Monkton Maryland 3 Seattle Slew went undefeated in his two year old racing season and was named Champion Two Year Old Male In 1977 the Turner trained Seattle Slew became racing s tenth Triple Crown champion by sweeping the Kentucky Derby Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes Seattle Slew who would go on to be named Horse of the Year was one of only two Triple Crown winners to have entered the Derby undefeated the other was Justify After the Triple Crown a disagreement occurred between Turner who wanted to give Seattle Slew a rest and the owners who wanted to run him in three weeks at the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park 2 After a fourth place finish in the Swaps Turner was fired as Seattle Slew s trainer and the colt was handed over to trainer Doug Petersen While Turner continued to insist that he did not want to run the horse in the Swaps Seattle Slew s owners alleged that Turner had a drinking problem which was putting the horse at risk 3 Later career editTwo years after Seattle Slew s Triple Crown run Turner trained a chestnut colt named Czaravich who won or placed in all of his 13 starts including victories in the Carter Handicap Withers Stakes Jerome Handicap and Metropolitan Handicap In 1984 Turner conditioned Welcome Farm s colt Play On who won that year s Withers Stakes and finished second to Gate Dancer in the Preakness From 1995 to 1999 Turner trained Althea Richard s Punch Line a horse he referred to as the second best horse I ever trained citation needed A winner of 21 races from ages 2 to 8 Punch Line was named Virginia s Horse of the Year and champion sprinter in 1997 and 1998 citation needed At the age of 8 he won the Fall Highweight Handicap carrying 136 pounds Turner retired from training in 2016 and moved to Ocala Florida 4 He retired with 533 career wins and earnings in excess of 17 million though these statistics only go back as far as 1976 when Equibase began keeping race records 1 2 Personal life editTurner was married to former jockey and exercise rider Patricia Rich Patti Turner and had two children from previous marriages citation needed He entered hospice care in late December 2021 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in early 2020 2 4 He died on December 31 at the age of 81 2 5 References edit a b c d Trainer Profile William H Turner Jr Equibase Retrieved 28 December 2021 a b c d e f g Grening David 1 January 2022 Billy Turner trainer of Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew dies Daily Racing Form Retrieved 1 January 2022 a b Keyser Tom 11 May 1997 Dark side to Slew saga Horse racing Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown 20 years ago but then the trainer was fired and the owners feuded tarnishing the story of the colt s Cinderella rise Baltimore Sun Retrieved 1 January 2022 a b Johnson Danielle 28 December 2021 Seattle Slew trainer Billy Turner battling cancer moves to hospice care in Marion County Star Banner Retrieved 28 December 2021 William H Billy Turner Jr Passes Trainer Of 1977 Triple Crown Winner Seattle Slew Was 81 Paulick Report 31 December 2021 Retrieved 31 December 2021 External links editSeattle Slew Last living Triple Crown Winner Seattle Slew Exploded From Humble Beginnings EQB site bloodstock amp racing Facebook site dedicated to getting Turner into the Hall of Fame Steve Zorn article on Turner ESPN article Billy Turner at the official Seattle Slew website of Karen amp Mickey Taylor Article on Slew Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Billy Turner amp oldid 1139119292, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
