Best horses of the 1980's by division

[Port Conway Lane]

I always felt Relaxing was one of the best mares of the time. Not sure if I could rate her higher than any on your list but I thought she was tops.
Spend A Buck was as game a frontrunner as I've ever seen. He's much closer to SS and EG than any other 3yo was to him.

[Indian Charlie]

On the Line, I'd to this day still rate him as one fo the best five sprinters I've ever seen. Perhaps top three.

[Indian Charlie]

A good case could be made for Althea as a 3yo filly as well.

[Indian Charlie]

Older male, Greinton most certainly was a better horse than Ferdinand. I'd say the same for Precisionist as well.

On pure raw talent, I'd put Swear in the 2yos.

[DaTruth]

I would put Java Gold above Spend A Buck. Estrapade should also be given consideration.

[keithting]

You definitely seem to have done your homework on this list - though I can't argue with your list of older male horses - I dislike the fact that Winter's Tale or Fit to Fight did not make it. Though there speed figures might not be as high, I held them in that high a regard.

Also, I always thought that Groovy was slightly over-rated...

I'd take Shimatoree or Cure the Blues in a match race at 6 furlongs any day of the week.

Good stuff though....

[Revidere]

Originally Posted by keithting

You definitely seem to have done your homework on this list - though I can't argue with your list of older male horses - I dislike the fact that Winter's Tale or Fit to Fight did not make it. Though there speed figures might not be as high, I held them in that high a regard.

Also, I always thought that Groovy was slightly over-rated...

I'd take Shimatoree or Cure the Blues in a match race at 6 furlongs any day of the week.

Good stuff though....

At 6 furlongs I would take Jones Time Machine.

At 7 furlongs A Phenomenon

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Older male, Greinton most certainly was a better horse than Ferdinand. I'd say the same for Precisionist as well.

On pure raw talent, I'd put Swear in the 2yos.

I agree with you about Greinton and Precisionist. I think they were both much better horses than Ferdinand.

And what about John Henry? Even though he ran more often on the grass, he was just as good on the dirt as the grass. He was a much better horse than Ferdinand.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

I agree with you about Greinton and Precisionist. I think they were both much better horses than Ferdinand.

And what about John Henry? Even though he ran more often on the grass, he was just as good on the dirt as the grass. He was a much better horse than Ferdinand.

Yep.

Ferdinand is one of those horses that is historically underrated, but yeah, there were better ones in the 80's than him.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

And what about John Henry? Even though he ran more often on the grass, he was just as good on the dirt as the grass. He was a much better horse than Ferdinand.

I don't agree at all that John Henry was just as good on dirt as he was on grass.

Here's John Henry's career on dirt in stakes races - races from most recent on:

Hollywood Gold Cup: 2nd by 2

Santa Anita Handicap: 5th by 8

Jockey Club Gold Cup: 5th by 7

Meadowlands Cup: 3rd by 6

Santa Anita Handicap: 2nd by a nose - placed 1st through DQ

Jockey Club Gold Cup: 1st by a head over Peat Moss

Hollywood Gold Cup: 4th by 3

Santa Anita Handicap: 1st by 1 over King Go Go

Jockey Club Gold Cup: 2nd by 5.5

San Marcos Stakes: 1st by 2.5 over El Fantastico

Capital City Handicap: 4th by 2 (33K stake at Penn National)

Mass Cap: 10th by 8.5

I think John Henry was clearly a better turf horse. At age 9, he won the final six turf races of his career - all major turf races.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I don't agree at all that John Henry was just as good on dirt as he was on grass.

Here's John Henry's career on dirt in stakes races - races from most recent on:

Hollywood Gold Cup: 2nd by 2

Santa Anita Handicap: 5th by 8

Jockey Club Gold Cup: 5th by 7

Meadowlands Cup: 3rd by 6

Santa Anita Handicap: 2nd by a nose - placed 1st through DQ

Jockey Club Gold Cup: 1st by a head over Peat Moss

Hollywood Gold Cup: 4th by 3

Santa Anita Handicap: 1st by 1 over King Go Go

Jockey Club Gold Cup: 2nd by 5.5

San Marcos Stakes: 1st by 2.5 over El Fantastico

Capital City Handicap: 4th by 2 (33K stake at Penn National)

Mass Cap: 10th by 8.5

I think John Henry was clearly a better turf horse. At age 9, he won the final six turf races of his career - all major turf races.

Looking at the stats, I think you are right. It was so long ago. I remembered him winning the SA Handicap a couple of times. He was my favorite horse at the time. I remember him winning a lot of big races on the dirt.

Are you sure he ran 2nd in the Jockey Club Gold Cup? At pedigreequery.com, it shows that he won that race. It was so long ago, I can't remember whether he won it or ran 2nd. I think he won it but I'm not sure.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

On the Line, I'd to this day still rate him as one fo the best five sprinters I've ever seen. Perhaps top three.

How do you think Melair would have compared with the other female sprinters?

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

How bout Gulch?

[Betsy]

Originally Posted by Hickory Hill Hoff

How bout Gulch?

I was thinking the same thing.......he was a terrific racehorse, and extremely versatile. The problem is that he spent most of his career not sprinting.

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by Betsy

I was thinking the same thing.......he was a terrific racehorse, and extremely versatile. The problem is that he spent most of his career not sprinting.

Two-time Met Mile winner!

[Betsy]

Originally Posted by Hickory Hill Hoff

Two-time Met Mile winner!

I know! He was the first horse I ever loved (well, aside from those I never saw, like Slew, Man o'War and Phar Lap), so I have a special place in my heart for him. Jolley ran him long all the time; Lukas had the smarts to turn him back into a sprinter. That BC is remembered for Personal Ensign, but my true joy was Gulch winning that Sprint

[outofthebox]

Melair could really fly. I was in love with a 3yo filly named Ski Goggle who destroyed Princess Rooney in the Acorn i believe. She was soon hurt, and never appeared again.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

How do you think Melair would have compared with the other female sprinters?

If you count 1 turn miles as a sprint, she'd have been untouchable.

By just about anyone.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

I'll include the 90's and this past decade into this. You'll now have fields of 12.

2-year-old male:

80's: Easy Goer, Devil's Bag, Chief's Crown, Grand Canyon
90's: Afternoon Deelites, Favorite Trick, Maria's Mon, Arazi
00's: War Pass, Macho Uno, Stevie Wonderboy, Street Sense


2-year-old female:

80's: Princess Rooney, Landaluce, Before Dawn, Althea
90's: Meadow Star, Silverbulletday, Flanders, Phone Chatter
00's: Tempera, Storm Flag Flying, Halfbrideld, You


3-year-old male:

80's: Sunday Silence, Easy Goer, Spend A Buck, Conquistador Cielo
90's: Holy Bull, Skip Away, Unbridled, Silver Charm
00's: Smarty Jones, Tiznow, Point Given, Bernardini


3-year-old female:

80's: Winning Colors, Genuine Risk, Mom's Command, Bold N' Determined
90's: Go For Wand, Silverbulletday, Serena's Song, Dance Smartly
00's: Rachel Alexandra, Rags To Riches, Xtra Heat, Surfside


Older male:

80's: Spectacular Bid, Alysheba, Ferdinand, Turkoman
90's: Skip Away, Cigar, Criminal Type, Formal Gold
00's: Ghostzapper, Mineshaft, Medaglia D' Oro, Congaree


Older female:

80's: Personal Ensign, Lady's Secret, Princess Rooney, Bayakoa
90's: Inside Information, Bayakoa, Sharp Cat, Paseana
00's: Zenyatta, Azeri, Riboletta, Sightseek


Turf male:

80's: John Henry, Manila, Theatrical, Steinlen
90's: Daylami, Lure, Kotashaan, Paradise Creek
00's: Fantastic Light, Leroidesanemeaux, Kitten's Joy, Conduit


Turf female:

80's: Miesque, All Along, Pebbles, Royal Heroine
90's: Flawlesssly, Ridgewood Pearl, Miss Alleged, Borgia
00's: Ouija Board, Goldikova, Banks Hill, Six Perfections


Sprint male:

80's: Groovy, Precisonist, Phone Trick, Smile
90's: Artax, Housebuster, Kona Gold, Reraise
00's: Kona Gold, Midnight Lute, Swept Overboard, Fabulous Strike


Sprint female:

80's: Gold Beauty, Very Subtle, Safely Kept, Pine Tree Lane
90's: Safely Kept, Soviet Problem, Mefera, Capote Belle
00's: Xtra Heat, Honest Lady, Indian Blessing, Madcap Escapade


It's amazing how there doesn't appear to be one huge standout among the horses in any division. Maybe Spectacular Bid over horses like Skip Away, Ghostzapper, Cigar, Alysheba... but that's about it.

[Indian Charlie]

You are seriously in need of help if you think SBD should be ahead of Lakeway, Inside Information and even Sardula.

Also, Gentlemen, on one of his good days, KILLS Criminal Type.

Barbaro absolutely is one of the best 3yos of the past decade.

Why no Uncle Mo for 2yos? 2010?