Top 5 best two-surface horses of the last 20 years

[CSC]

Volponi, memorable wins in the Classic, Poker, and Pegasus and a decent 3rd in the Sword Dancer.

*The field he beat in the Classic actually had some quality names in there.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by CSC

Volponi, memorable wins in the Classic, Poker, and Pegasus and a decent 3rd in the Sword Dancer.

*The field he beat in the Classic actually had some quality names in there.

Volponi was never that good on turf.

NT

[CSC]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Volponi was never that good on turf.

NT

He wasn't great but he wasn't chopped liver either. I could be wrong cuzz the memory is sorta fuzzy with him but I remembered him having many Jockies ride him or he would always run into some good horse.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Volponi was just 1-for-8 on turf after his 2yo season - and 2-for-10 overall ... but yeah, he certainly could run his race on it.


Here's one of my favorite turf horses from the past ... he went from getting beat 14 lengths in a maiden claiming race in one November - to 5/2 odds in the Breeders Cup Mile the following November.



He would be a top 5 on a sucks on dirt and awesome on turf list if restricted to just American horses. There have been a lot of excellent Euro's who rocked on turf and couldn't beat anything on dirt.

[RolloTomasi]

Olympio, Bien Bien, Hawkster, Jovial, opening Verse, Geri, affluent, antespend

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

Olympio, Bien Bien, Hawkster, Jovial, opening Verse, Geri, affluent, antespend

Jovial couldn't run a lick on turf. Hawkster was mediocre on dirt, and Bien Bien wasn't much on dirt either.

Jovial sure could run on dirt however. He was the more highly regarded of two euro imports that came over at about the same time. I know this is easy, but can anyone guess who the other import was without cheating?

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Jovial couldn't run a lick on turf. Hawkster was mediocre on dirt, and Bien Bien wasn't much on dirt either.

Jovial sure could run on dirt however. He was the more highly regarded of two euro imports that came over at about the same time. I know this is easy, but can anyone guess who the other import was without cheating?

In Excess?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

Olympio, Bien Bien, Hawkster, Jovial, opening Verse, Geri, affluent, antespend

I'd say from those horses ... only Geri has a shot at making a top 20.

Olympio is a horse I didn't think of - and one I'm not comfortable rating. He'd be 2nd most likely imo.

Bien Bien was just 1-for-8 on dirt ... and his Swaps win only got a 102 Beyer.

Hawkster did race in '90 - but was 0-for-5 with some bad races. I have him missing the date cutoff.

Jovial was downright terrible in most of his turf races. Multiple last place finishes in alw races.

Opening Verse wasn't much of a dirt horse from what little I remember.

[CSC]

If Arazi retired after the BC, I wonder where most of us would put him on this list? He was absolutely brilliant as a 2 yr old on both continents. Hard not to be top 5.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Opening Verse wasn't much of a dirt horse from what little I remember.

Opening Verse won the Grade 1 Oaklawn as well as the prep (the Razorback, then a Grade 2). He was also 3rd in the great '90 Hollywood Gold Cup.

Jovial went terribly off-form for a couple of years prior to his brief rejuvenation. In the Cinema, he defeated Mehmetori who came back to defeat In Excess next out in the Oceanside. More importantly, in 3rd was Itsallgreektome, who went on a tear the last half of the season, finishing a close 2nd twice to future turf champion Tight Spot (was briefly put up on a reversed DQ in the DM Derby), just getting nipped late by Royal Academy in the BC Mile, before taking the Hollywood Derby and Hollywood Turf Cup late in the year to be named Eclipse champion turf horse.

[slotdirt]

Poor, old Prized is still hanging with BTA in Charles Town.