Best Turn (USA)
May 7, 1966 – February 10, 1984
Turn-to (IRE) x Sweet Clementine (USA), by Swaps (USA)
Family 23-b
May 7, 1966 – February 10, 1984
Turn-to (IRE) x Sweet Clementine (USA), by Swaps (USA)
Family 23-b
Bred from one of Calumet Farm's important families. Best Turn was not a top-class racehorse, but he was a good, honest, consistent sort in spite of significant soundness problems. He proved to be a fine stallion after his retirement from racing and got a worthy successor in his son Cox's Ridge.
Race record
28 starts, 15 wins, 5 seconds, 2 thirds, US$270,339
1969:
1970:
Assessments
Rated at 115 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1969, 21 pounds below co-highweights Arts and Letters (the official divisional champion) and Majestic Prince.
Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1970, 10 pounds below highweight Arts and Letters and 8 pounds below divisional co-champion Nodouble. (The other co-champion was Fort Marcy, rated at 132 pounds on the Free Handicap for turf runners.)
As an individual
A very large (as much as 17.3 hands and 1,300 pounds in racing trim per some references) dark bay or brown horse, Best Turn was pigeon-toed and rather upright in front; in the rear, he could be faulted for sickle hocks. He was slow to find his best form and was too large and lacking in agility to be effective when taken between horses. Given racing room on the outside, he had a tremendous stride and a powerful turn of foot. He hurt a foot in his final race at 4, the Queens County Handicap, leading to his retirement from racing.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Best Turn sired 214 winners (61.8%) and 35 stakes winners (10.1%) from 346 named foals. He tended to get large, late-maturing stock who for the most part were like him in being good runners but were second- and third-tier horses when compared to the best of their crops. Best Turn is a Classic chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Notable progeny
Cox's Ridge (USA), Davona Dale (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Best Turn was bred and owned by Calumet Farm. He was trained by Henry Forrest at 2 and 3 and by Frank Bonsal and then Reggie Cornell at 4. Following his retirement from racing, he stood at Calumet. He was humanely destroyed in February 1984 due to complications from surgery on his left front foot.
Pedigree notes
Best Turn is inbred 4x5 to the great matron Plucky Liege and 5x5 to 1918 English Triple Crown winner Gainsborough. He is a half brother to Honeysuckle Vine (by Tom Fool), dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Miss Tokyo (by Dewan) and third dam of Group 2 winner Utopia.
Best Turn's dam Sweet Clementine was one of only two foals (both winners) produced from 1954 California Derby and Hollywood Oaks winner Miz Clementine (by Bull Lea), a full sister to two-time American champion Two Lea and to multiple stakes winner Twosy. Both of Miz Clementine's sisters had marked significance in American breeding, beginning with Two Lea, who is the dam of 1958 American champion 3-year-old male Tim Tam (by Tom Fool), 1960 Brooklyn Handicap winner On-and-On (by Nasrullah), and multiple stakes winner Pied d'Or (by Nasrullah). Twosy failed to produce any stakes winners from six foals, but her daughter Twice Over (by Ponder) produced stakes winner Two Relics (by War Relic) and Miss Carmie (by T. V. Lark), in turn the dam of 1974 American champion 3-year-old filly Chris Evert (by Swoon's Son) and of multiple stakes winner All Rainbows (by Bold Hour), dam of 1988 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) winner and American champion 3-year-old filly Winning Colors (by Caro). Twice Over is also the second dam of 1988 G.P.A. National Stakes (IRE-G1) winner Classic Fame.
Miz Clementine and her sisters were produced from 1936 Kentucky Oaks winner Two Bob (by The Porter), a half sister to 1943 Governor's Handicap winner Kingfisher (by Halcyon) and to stakes-placed Piety (by Pennant), second dam of 1955 Mexican Horse of the Year Scriptwriter and third dam of 1978 Mexican champion 3-year-old filly Karina. Two Bob, in turn, was produced from Blessings (by Chicle), who is a winning half sister to Grief (by Polymelian), dam of Cuban stakes winner Lucille K. (by Whiskalong), and to Evening Bells (by St. Germans), dam of Canadian stakes winner Avona (by Four Freedoms).
Fun facts
Last updated: November 9, 2020
Race record
28 starts, 15 wins, 5 seconds, 2 thirds, US$270,339
1969:
- Won Saranac Handicap (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Patriot Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Liberty Bell)
1970:
- Won John B. Campbell Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Bowie)
- Won Queens County Handicap (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Vosburgh Handicap (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Paumonok Handicap (USA, 6FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Carter Handicap (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
- 3rd Royal Poinciana Handicap (USA, 6FD, Hialeah)
- 3rd Keystone Handicap (second division) (USA, 8FD, Liberty Bell)
Assessments
Rated at 115 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1969, 21 pounds below co-highweights Arts and Letters (the official divisional champion) and Majestic Prince.
Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1970, 10 pounds below highweight Arts and Letters and 8 pounds below divisional co-champion Nodouble. (The other co-champion was Fort Marcy, rated at 132 pounds on the Free Handicap for turf runners.)
As an individual
A very large (as much as 17.3 hands and 1,300 pounds in racing trim per some references) dark bay or brown horse, Best Turn was pigeon-toed and rather upright in front; in the rear, he could be faulted for sickle hocks. He was slow to find his best form and was too large and lacking in agility to be effective when taken between horses. Given racing room on the outside, he had a tremendous stride and a powerful turn of foot. He hurt a foot in his final race at 4, the Queens County Handicap, leading to his retirement from racing.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Best Turn sired 214 winners (61.8%) and 35 stakes winners (10.1%) from 346 named foals. He tended to get large, late-maturing stock who for the most part were like him in being good runners but were second- and third-tier horses when compared to the best of their crops. Best Turn is a Classic chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 9th on the American general sire list in 1979
Notable progeny
Cox's Ridge (USA), Davona Dale (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Best Turn was bred and owned by Calumet Farm. He was trained by Henry Forrest at 2 and 3 and by Frank Bonsal and then Reggie Cornell at 4. Following his retirement from racing, he stood at Calumet. He was humanely destroyed in February 1984 due to complications from surgery on his left front foot.
Pedigree notes
Best Turn is inbred 4x5 to the great matron Plucky Liege and 5x5 to 1918 English Triple Crown winner Gainsborough. He is a half brother to Honeysuckle Vine (by Tom Fool), dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Miss Tokyo (by Dewan) and third dam of Group 2 winner Utopia.
Best Turn's dam Sweet Clementine was one of only two foals (both winners) produced from 1954 California Derby and Hollywood Oaks winner Miz Clementine (by Bull Lea), a full sister to two-time American champion Two Lea and to multiple stakes winner Twosy. Both of Miz Clementine's sisters had marked significance in American breeding, beginning with Two Lea, who is the dam of 1958 American champion 3-year-old male Tim Tam (by Tom Fool), 1960 Brooklyn Handicap winner On-and-On (by Nasrullah), and multiple stakes winner Pied d'Or (by Nasrullah). Twosy failed to produce any stakes winners from six foals, but her daughter Twice Over (by Ponder) produced stakes winner Two Relics (by War Relic) and Miss Carmie (by T. V. Lark), in turn the dam of 1974 American champion 3-year-old filly Chris Evert (by Swoon's Son) and of multiple stakes winner All Rainbows (by Bold Hour), dam of 1988 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) winner and American champion 3-year-old filly Winning Colors (by Caro). Twice Over is also the second dam of 1988 G.P.A. National Stakes (IRE-G1) winner Classic Fame.
Miz Clementine and her sisters were produced from 1936 Kentucky Oaks winner Two Bob (by The Porter), a half sister to 1943 Governor's Handicap winner Kingfisher (by Halcyon) and to stakes-placed Piety (by Pennant), second dam of 1955 Mexican Horse of the Year Scriptwriter and third dam of 1978 Mexican champion 3-year-old filly Karina. Two Bob, in turn, was produced from Blessings (by Chicle), who is a winning half sister to Grief (by Polymelian), dam of Cuban stakes winner Lucille K. (by Whiskalong), and to Evening Bells (by St. Germans), dam of Canadian stakes winner Avona (by Four Freedoms).
Fun facts
- Best Turn was the namesake for a stakes race on the New York Racing Association's calendar.
Last updated: November 9, 2020