Male turf division up for grabs
According to Eclipse Award voters, World Approval and Beach Patrol were the two best male turf horses to race in the U. S. in 2017, with the former named division champion by a 21120 margin. World Approval won 5- of- 6 starts and closed out the year with three straight Grade 1 victories at a mile, capped by the BC Mile. Beach Patrol’s Grade 1 wins came in the Arlington Million and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic; he hit the board in three others, including the BC Turf.
Both horses are off to slow starts in 2018. World Approval won his first outing in the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3) but has since finished out of the money in the Kilroe Mile and Wise Dan Stakes. Beach Patrol finished second in the Old Forester Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby Day but was last of 13 in the Manhattan Stakes on the Belmont undercard.
The most important turf races are yet to come, and no one should be surprised if World Approval and Beach Patrol run back to their 2017 form during the summer and fall. In the meantime, though, a couple of other division runners have been putting together standout seasons.
First, there’s Heart to Heart. A turf stalwart since 2014, the seven-year-old son of English Channel had won 9 of 20 graded starts prior to this year but had yet to prevail in a Grade 1. Heart to Heart took care of that hole in his resume by putting together consecutive wins in the Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes and Maker’s 46 Mile earlier this year. He then fell a neck short of making it three straight Grade 1 scores when he was out-finished in the Shoemaker Mile.
A second turf horse having a strong 2018 is Its in thepost, a six-year- old gelding who has already won four graded races this year, all in California. That gives the great-great-grandson of the legendary Sea-Bird – whose male line is all but extinct – seven Grade 2 victories in the past 15 months, six of them at 10-12 furlongs. In order for the French-bred to be a serious candidate for post-season honors, though, he’s going to have to have some success at the Grade 1 level. Since there are no longer any divisional Grade 1s longer than a mile in California, Its in the post would have to travel to New Jersey ( U.N. Stakes), Illinois (Arlington Million) and New York (Sword Dancer, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic).
Other divisional Grade 1 winners this year, in addition to Heart to Heart, include Bowies Hero, Hi Happy, Yoshida, Hunt and Spring Quality.
Changes in turf Grade 1’s schedule
Over the past two decades, the Grade 1 turf schedule (including races restricted to females) has undergone a dramatic transformation. The number of Grade 1s at 9-10 furlongs is virtually the same now (17) as it was in 2000 (18). During the same period, however, the number of Grade 1s beyond 10 furlongs has declined from 9 to 5, while the number of Grade 1s at a mile has exploded from 2 to 9. As a re-
sult, there are now many more opportunities for milers to excel in top-rated races, and thus to be noticed by Eclipse voters, than there were in 2000.
Six one-mile turf races – the Shadwell Mile, Kilroe Mile, Maker’s 46 Mile, Fourstardave Handicap, Just a Game Stakes and the First Lady – have been elevated to Grade 1 since 2000. Long-distance races (11 furlongs plus) that have lost their Grade 1 status, or been shortened in distance, include the San Juan Capistrano, Hollywood Turf Cup and Gulfstream Park Turf.