Grade 1 Winners Mystery Question

[blackthroatedwind]

Great question.....found out some interesting things. General Assembly won the Vosburgh in 1979, over the mighty Dr. Patches, but he at least raced against Spectacular Bid and Coastal in the Marlboro Cup after his Travers Win.

[Sightseek]

Ghostzapper could have.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Ghostzapper could have.

Yup.

[SniperSB23]

Hard Spun almost did it last year.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Hard Spun almost did it last year.

Good call... however, if he wins the Haskell... does he go in the Travers, or the King's Bishop? I say Travers.

[King Glorious]

It doesn't happen to often but I do think that there are more horses that could do it if put in that situation. Bigsmc mentioned Unbridled earlier. Recently, BTW was reminding me of Turkoman. Neither of those horses would ever be thought of as sprinters but because they were talented horses, they could do it. I think that what happens too often today is that horses get pigeoholed into something and that's the only thing they are given the opportunity to do. I think there could be a lot more horses that could switch back and forth between dirt and grass. I think there could be a lot more times when we'd see fillies beating the boys. But unfortunately, taking chances is frowned upon. Sometimes I wonder how much I would have been laughed at and riduculed if this were 1973 and I was suggesting that the best dirt horse in the world skip the JCGC and instead make his turf debut in the Man o'War?

I think Philski is absolutely right about Hard Spun. Had he won the Haskell, I feel like it was almost a certainty that they would have went the Travers route even thought it might not have been the best one. Like with Roman Ruler a few years ago. Like with Lion Heart. Pressures to go the traditional routes with horses instead of being original.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Cardus

It is extremely rare for horses to excel -- or even be competitive at the graded level -- on both surfaces. I disagree.

Neat point, though, about if this were 1973.

barbaro

did commentator win a sprint after the whitney?

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Cardus

It is extremely rare for horses to excel -- or even be competitive at the graded level -- on both surfaces. I disagree.

Neat point, though, about if this were 1973.

How many get the chance though? When I see horses like Nobiz and Showing Up do it, I know there are others that are more talented that could. They may not be able to be top five in the country on both surfaces but could be more than capable of competing in graded races. Lava Man and Candy Ride just came to my mind. Asi Siempre. Barbaro. Giant's Causeway, Sakhee, Jolypha, Ibn Bey, Arcangues, Sheikh Albadou, Dayjur, Johannesburg, Arazi. I'm convinced it could be done more often than most people think.

[Linny]

Happens all the time in South America. They do dirt to grass alot.

Jones felt that Hard Spun would have been a world class grass miler.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Cardus

Did Delp consider running The Bid in the summer of his three-year-old year, or did he immediately pull the plug on him after the Belmont to await Santa Anita's Strub Series?

As I just mentioned, he beat General Assembly and Coastal in the Marlboro Cup. That was, I believe, his first race after the Belmont. He lost the Jockey Club to Affirmed.

[blackthroatedwind]

He did. 13 days before.