ClarenceFender

I don't remember my source as it's been something I knew all my life.Running on grass is a natural surface for horses as opposed to dirt.The disparity in time is due to the "shape of the races" which are run entirely different.On grass horses just lope along and then go all out in the last quarter mile as opposed to dirt where the opening fractions are faster.In essence if the race shapes were run the same and the quality of the horses being equal the grass times would be faster.Others on this site can probably give you an answer or source better than I can.

Softer as compared to Dirt.When Big Brown started working out on grass before the Belmont Stakes I started looking for another horse as I knew he wasn't going to get the distance.However on the other hand working a horse on grass before a race can give him an extra boost even if his feet aren't bad.You really have to know the horses history and make a judgement from there.Also I've owned horses ,worked in the stables,watched trainers and assisted them but I never trained a horse so you might want to get a more expert opinion than mine.

this url midgt help you Clarence:http://www.horsehats.com/horse-racing-records.html

Not to take anything away from Kelso or any horse, but Zenyatta ran, and won for the fun of it. She had the will to win, and the heart, not to say other horses didn't, but she had the heart, so, if she or any horse were up to it, she would win. And that can go for any horse, I believe champions come from the heart, and so, if they have the heart and will to win, they would win for the pure joy and competitiveness in their spirit.

There were horses better than the mighty Kelso just not in the lean years he ran.

It was a shame that Blame didn't get HOY..Even Jerry Baily was pretty sure that Blame will get it and deserve it if he win the BCC.

Yes there are many. Shes Great but not the GREATEST

To be honest its very disrespectful for horses that were tested over and over in a career to be compared to a horse that faced more optional claimers and allowance horses in the history of a HOY winner. Its just sad.

oh yea and Goldikova

Never said she was the Greatest. :)

I agree, horses may have amazing pedigrees and so on, but they need more heart than probably anything. Zenyatta did. Secretariat did, he said to us in the Belmont : Im gonna win, Im just gonna show you what I can do. Who knows he coulda ran 2 miles and do the samething.

I agree Thoroughbred44, It takes the heart of a champion and the will to win, horses know what they are doing and they love to beat everybody else just as much as we do, they arent afriad, it is what they were born to do :)

I think she probably would have been even better if they REALLY let her run, she looked like she was just easily cantering (i know it was a gallop but still not FULL speed) I work with horses, I know a true gallop when I see one, I dont know if she is better than Kelso, well actually I dont, horses now are just different then they were, I just love Kelso and Dr. Fager, oh and John Henry and so on, but I love Zenyatta to, I am a girl so It is really good to see nice mares like her and RA come around :D

BTW:Kelso and Dr. Fager were two of the meanest horses I've ever been around.

still a pretty great mare, but not the godess some crowds make her.

normally i would say that ruffian is way better but not bringing her inot this so a bunch of zenyatta fans can say shes not, even though i just sort of did anyways, i think that lady's secret, go for wand, personal ensign, winning colors and black caviar are all better then zenyatta, zenyatta is an amazing horse, but not the best

Add Tiznow, Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex, Curlin, GhostZapper, Invasor and Saint Liam to that list. There are more just dont have time.

For once in my life I agree dubby30, wow never thought I would see the day, but those hoses all have the heart of a champion also, lots of horses do infact, its sad that some great one are stuck all claimers. Seabiscuit almost was, if it wasnt for Pollard, Howard, Smith and Woolf, I think Seabiscuit truly had a heart of a champion also. He was a very game horse.

Also I have been wanting to say this; the record, the pedigree and the earnings arent all that matter for some people, most people bet, of course, on horses, I myself dont, I watch for the horses and the excitement, is what I am saying is if someone says they like a horse, any horse Shackleford Kelso Zenyatta Secretariat Uncle Mo, the list goes on and on, you shouldnt bash em for liking a horse, infact on of my favorite horse is a little claimer who fell, and was later put down infront of my very eyes and his name was Brenthurst, he only won 2 out of 17 (or 18 not certain) races. I dont really care, I still love the guy. Horse racing is about a lot of things, for some the money, some the betting, some the thrill, some the winners, and for some like me just about the horses. There is something special about the horses, that has made us all flock to racing. So cant we all get along? We ALL have OUR opinions that differ from OTHERS but thats ok. Some people get on here just to stir up trouble, shame on them! But, in a way this is like a comunity, we all share the same passion and different opinions and that is what makes this even more exciting. And here is an example of what I mean, so lets say you ask someone what there favorite color is, they say green, and you dont like green, your favorite color is red. So what are you going to do? Well most people would shrug that off. Well on here it is the same way, win you bash a horse to smitherines its like telling somebody all the problems with the color green. So come on guys make Horse Racing Nation a little bit more possitive. Please and Thank you :)

got my vote