The Best turf/dirt horse in the last 50 years?
 

I was trying to think who was better then John Henry on turf and dirt in my lifetime? His 1980 Oak Tree Invitational was amazing! I went back and watched a lot of his races on YouTube and forgot he traveled all across the country and won.

If you extended the time period even further I'd hope Phar Lap would make your list.

:tro:


you beat me to it. a great dirt horse, but probably the best turf horse in america. sorry, john. he had to come in second to someone.

Exceller had a great career on both dirt and turf...

John Henry was perhaps the most accomplished.

Secretariat would be an obvious candidate. He certainly was a much better dirt horse than John Henry, and he had fantastic turf form.

Spectacular Bid?

He never raced on turf.

All time great, no, but it makes me think of Barbaro for some reason. Damn.

Big Brown was awesome on both.

Was this a typo? Did you mean Big Red?

Kelso was OK on grass in the regular occasions he tried it in the DC International..

For a foreign horse, you're talking about a Dubai Millennium.

Absolutely dominant turf horse at 10f in Europe -- obliterated everything in his Dubai dirt races.

Also had a very aggressive running style better suited to American racing.

Very American pedigree as well, sire was Seeking the Gold, who you think dirt, not turf. The 2nd dam Fall Aspen won the Matron, Astarita, and Prioress at Belmont, and she dropped a Breeders Cup Juvenile and Preakness winner in Timber Country among many other good ones.

Kelso eventually won one of those...but he has a much stronger claim to greatest dirt horse of all-time than he does to greatest multi-surface horse.

Right.. Hence the description 'OK' in his tries on grass that came in the International. Those runs show how little grass racing there was yet. Kelso was beaten in 2 of the Internationals by T.V. Lark and Mongo who were 'Turf Champion' in the respective years, but were both predominantly dirt horses themselves. And darn good ones.

Balto Star came to mind mostly because he popped at a big price in the UN Handicap.

I like Balto Star about as much as anybody, but he's a farcry from belonging in this conversation.

Not that Barbaro and Big Brown have a morsel of a claim either, but at least they own that 'what if' factor.

Affirmed Success was decent on both

He wasn't great on turf, but Dr. Fager probably belongs on the list. I think he beat Fort Marcy in the UN.

and gave him 16 pounds!

he got champion turf horse after that one effort, but what an effort.