Derby Winners Have Enjoyed Turf Success

Sure, the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) is the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Animal Kingdom  , Big Brown  , and Barbaro—but a turf race involving the three Derby winners certainly would be intriguing, as each one delivered big efforts on grass during their careers.

If California Chrome makes his first turf start Nov. 29 in the Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) at Del Mar as planned, he will seek to become the latest Kentucky Derby winner to register a win on the green. California Chrome would be the 13th Derby winner to start on grass—before or after their Louisville classic win—in the past 35 years.

Of the dozen Derby winners since 1980 to start on turf, five delivered victories on the grass: Animal Kingdom (2011 Derby winner), Big Brown (2008 Derby winner), Barbaro (2006 Derby winner), Sea Hero (1993 Derby winner), and Gato Del Sol (1982 Derby winner). Animal Kingdom, Big Brown, and Barbaro are the three most recent Derby winners to try turf and all three won races (Barbaro's turf wins came before his Derby victory).

Animal Kingdom registered huge efforts on dirt, synthetic surfaces, and turf. After his clear victory in the Derby, which was his first career start on dirt after four races on synthetic or turf, the son of 2005 champion grass horse Leroidesanimaux   was rested after a 2011 Triple Crown in which he finished second in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and off the board in a troubled Belmont Stakes (gr. I).

He returned in 2012 with a seasonal debut on the turf, scoring an easy victory in an allowance/optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park. That marked his first grass start since finishing second in an allowance/optional claiming race there to start his 3-year-old season.

Animal Kingdom would not race again in 2012 until November when, off that long layoff, he finished a fast-closing second to Wise Dan in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT). Wise Dan, who went on to earn Horse of the Year honors for the first time that season, set a Santa Anita Park course record in winning the Mile.

Trainer Graham Motion said after the race that Animal Kingdom's talent gave him confidence to enter the Mile off the long layoff. After checking in midstretch, Animal Kingdom quickly accelerated to finish 1 1/2 lengths behind Wise Dan.

Animal Kingdom opened a third straight season on the Gulfstream turf in 2013, this time finishing second to multiple grade I winner Point of Entry   in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (gr. IT). That would serve as a prep for Animal Kingdom's two-length victory in the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (UAE-I) on the synthetic surface at Meydan.  

While Big Brown never tried a grade I turf race, he defeated top turf runners in winning his only two career starts on the green. As impressive as he was on dirt, the 2008 dual classic winner also delivered eye-catching performances on turf.

In his only juvenile start, the son of Boundary cruised to an 11 1/4-length victory in a 2007 maiden special weight race on the Saratoga Race Course turf for then-trainer Pat Reynolds. Moved to trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. as a 3-year-old, Big Brown returned after his Triple Crown races to register a clear victory on dirt in the Haskell Invitational Stakes (gr. I) and a narrow win on turf in the Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park, which proved to be his final career start.

In the Monmouth, Big Brown led at every call through a half-mile in :46.83 and six furlongs in 1:11.21. He had just enough to hold off all challengers in the stretch of the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and older on good turf. Other rivals that day included runner-up Proudinsky  , who retired as a four-time grade II winner, and third-place finisher Shakis, a two-time grade II winner. 

After the race, Dutrow said Big Brown showed determination in the victory.

"I thought he did too much too early and they were going to pass him. But Brown showed another dimension," Dutrow said. "He's got a lot of heart and determination and guts and style and ability. Everything you want in a race horse, Brown has."

Michael Iavarone of majority owner IEAH Stables, said that for the first time ever he cried after the race.

"When you've got a horse who has every license to get beat and doesn't, that to me is better than winning by seven lengths," Iavarone said after that 2008 effort.

While the loss of Barbaro following his breakdown in the 2006 Preakness left too many "what if" scenarios to count, one of those possibilities would involve, "What would Barbaro have done in some top turf races?"

As a son of Dynaformer, who finished as North America's leading sire of turf horses multiple times, Barbaro started his career with three straight wins on turf before trainer Michael Matz opted to try him on dirt. Barbaro responded with narrow wins in the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) and Florida Derby (gr. I) before thriving in the 1 1/4-mile Derby, where he posted a 6 1/2-length victory.

Barbaro won his three turf starts, a maiden special weight at Delaware Park and stakes at Calder Race Course and Laurel Park by a combined 20 1/4 lengths. The "closest" of the three races was a 3 3/4-length win in the Tropical Park Derby (gr. IIIT) on New Year's Day 2006 at Calder, which followed his easy wins at 2 in the maiden race and the Laurel Futurity.

After the Tropical Park Derby, regular rider Edgar Prado noted that he could have placed Barbaro anywhere from first to last early in the race and still would have won.

"That's how good this horse is," Prado said that day.

Watching a third straight easy win on turf had Matz convinced Barbaro had earned a shot to try dirt and the Triple Crown trail.

"I would say you'd have to try the dirt now to see where he fits," Matz said after Barbaro's third turf win. "He has enough class no matter which direction we try, but whether it's as much on the dirt, we don't know."

Matz and everyone else would soon see the spectacular answer to that question. 

Another Derby winner from the past 35 years to win on turf was Sea Hero, who at age 2 won a maiden and allowance race on the grass and at age 4 placed second to Turk Passer in the Bowling Green Handicap (gr. IIT) on the Belmont Park turf. From eight career turf starts, he registered a record of 2-2-2 and earned $85,970.

Gato Del Sol made nearly half of his career 39 starts on turf. In 17 races on the grass, he recorded a 2-4-2 record with earnings of $387,850. At age 5 the son of Cougar II registered a pair of runner-up finishes in grade I turf stakes at Santa Anita Park, running second to Interco in the San Luis Rey and second to Both Ends Burning in the Oak Tree Invitational. Interco registered four grade I stakes wins in that 1984 season and Both Ends Burning added a second grassy grade I win in the 1985 Hollywood Invitational Handicap.

Gato Del Sol closed out his career the next season with a 2 1/2-length victory in the Caballero Handicap on the Hollywood Park turf.

Some of the Derby winners to try turf since 1980 who may have done more on the green if not for limited opportunity include Unbridled, who after the Triple Crown season finished second in the Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) against other 3-year-olds on the turf at Arlington Park; and Ferdinand, who at age 4 finished third in the John Henry Handicap (gr. IT) on the Hollywood Park grass. Unbridled made just the single start on turf while Ferdinand started just twice on the grass.

Other Derby winners to try turf since 1980 include filly Genuine Risk, who at age 4 finished third in an allowance race at Belmont in her lone grass try; and Pleasant Colony, who in his juvenile season finished second in the Pilgrim Stakes on the Aqueduct Racetrack lawn in his only career grass start. Sunny's Halo started just once on the turf, finishing second in the Volante Handicap (gr. IIIT) in the fall of his 3-year-old season. That start proved to be the final race of his career.

War Emblem and Charismatic each tried the turf one time in their careers, finishing off the board in starts during their juvenile seasons.