An inherently high-class colt, Turn-to might well have become a champion had he remained sound long enough. He saved his best for the breeding shed, where a somewhat inconsistent record was leavened by several sons of the highest class who continued his line to future generations.
Race record
8 starts, 6 wins, 1 second, 1 third, US$280,032
1953:
1954:
Assessments
Co-highweighted at 126 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American 2-year-old males of 1953 with official co-champion 2-year-old male Porterhouse, 2 pounds above the other official co-champion, Hasty Road.
Ranked second among American 2-year-old males of 1953 by The Blood-Horse, beneath Porterhouse but above Hasty Road.
In 1954, Turn-to was assigned the highweight of 132 pounds on The Blood-Horse's Free Handicap for 3-year-old males, two more than the assignment for the division's official champion, High Gun; however, The Blood-Horse's Kent Hollingsworth and Edward Bowen rated Turn-to only fourth among American 3-year-old males of 1954 in their year-end review of the year's racing.
Co-highweighted at 130 pounds with High Gun, Kentucky Derby winner Determine, and the high-class Helioscope on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1954.
As an individual
Turn-to was a deep-bodied, muscular, handsome bay with a look of great quality and plenty of natural speed. He was somewhat upright on his pasterns in front and was a bit heavy-topped, traits he tended to pass on. He was fired for osselets as a yearling. His racing career was ended after he came out of his stall on March 24, 1954, with a bowed tendon. How he managed to injure himself in this way is still a mystery.
As a stallion
Turn-to led the American juvenile sire list in 1958 by progeny earnings. According to records kept by The Jockey Club, he sired 204 winners (59.1%) and 25 stakes winners (7.2%) from 345 named foals. Turn-to is a Brilliant/Intermediate chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per The Blood-Horse:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Notable progeny
Best Turn (USA), Cyane (USA), First Landing (USA), Hail to Reason (USA), Nibelungo (USA), Sally Ship (USA), Sir Gaylord (USA), Waltz (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Ack Ack (USA), Bessarabian (USA), Chinook Pass (USA), Portentous (USA), Prize Spot (USA), Zaizoom (USA)
Connections
Turn-to was bred by Major E. R. Miville and Mrs. G. I. Hastings. He was imported to the USA as a weanling by Claude Tanner, who died soon afterward. Tanner's widow consigned the colt to the 1952 Keeneland Summer yearling sale through the agency of Claiborne Farm, and Turn-to was purchased for US$20,000 by Captain Harry F. Guggenheim. Turn-to was trained by Eddie Hayward and raced in the colors of Guggenheim's Cain Hoy Stable. He entered stud in Kentucky in 1955 at Claiborne Farm and was syndicated at a valuation of US$1.4 million in 1958. He moved to Spendthrift Farm in 1960 and died in 1973.
Pedigree notes
Turn-to is inbred 3x3 to English and French leading sire Pharos, 5x4 to 1906 Derby Stakes winner Spearmint and 5x5 to 1911 English leading sire Sundridge. He is a full brother to Rope Yarn Sunday, dam of stakes winner Sea Eagle (by Bald Eagle), and to Sugar Candy, second dam of Italian stakes winner Hot Sir. He is a half brother to multiple English stakes winner Cagire II (by Tourbillon), also imported to the United States but a much less successful sire. He is also a half brother to Black Brook (by Black Devil), second dam of three stakes winners and third dam of two-time French champion and successful sire Irish River. Another half sister to Turn-to, Giff-Gaff (by Nasrullah) is the second dam of four stakes winners including 1975 San Luis Rey Stakes (USA-G1) winner Trojan Bronze.
Turn-to's dam Source Sucree is a half sister to 1948 French champion 2-year-old male and 1961 American leading sire Ambiorix (by Tourbillon). She is also a half sister to Perfume II (by Badruddin), dam of four stakes winners including 1947 English champion 2-year-old male and important sire My Babu (by Djebel) and the high-class miler Sayani (by Fair Copy). The second dam of Turn-to, Lavendula (by Pharos), is a half sister to Kalmia (by Kantar), whose son Klairon won the 1955 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas) and other good races before retiring to a successful stud career.
Books and media
Fun facts
Last updated: April 25, 2023
Race record
8 starts, 6 wins, 1 second, 1 third, US$280,032
1953:
- Won Garden State Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Garden State)
- Won Saratoga Special (USA, 6FD, Saratoga; by disqualification of Porterhouse)
- 3rd Hopeful Stakes (USA, 6.5FD, Saratoga)
1954:
- Won Flamingo Stakes (USA, 9FD, Hialeah)
Assessments
Co-highweighted at 126 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American 2-year-old males of 1953 with official co-champion 2-year-old male Porterhouse, 2 pounds above the other official co-champion, Hasty Road.
Ranked second among American 2-year-old males of 1953 by The Blood-Horse, beneath Porterhouse but above Hasty Road.
In 1954, Turn-to was assigned the highweight of 132 pounds on The Blood-Horse's Free Handicap for 3-year-old males, two more than the assignment for the division's official champion, High Gun; however, The Blood-Horse's Kent Hollingsworth and Edward Bowen rated Turn-to only fourth among American 3-year-old males of 1954 in their year-end review of the year's racing.
Co-highweighted at 130 pounds with High Gun, Kentucky Derby winner Determine, and the high-class Helioscope on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1954.
As an individual
Turn-to was a deep-bodied, muscular, handsome bay with a look of great quality and plenty of natural speed. He was somewhat upright on his pasterns in front and was a bit heavy-topped, traits he tended to pass on. He was fired for osselets as a yearling. His racing career was ended after he came out of his stall on March 24, 1954, with a bowed tendon. How he managed to injure himself in this way is still a mystery.
As a stallion
Turn-to led the American juvenile sire list in 1958 by progeny earnings. According to records kept by The Jockey Club, he sired 204 winners (59.1%) and 25 stakes winners (7.2%) from 345 named foals. Turn-to is a Brilliant/Intermediate chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- 3rd on the American general sire list in 1960.
- Led the American juvenile sire list in 1958.
Per The Blood-Horse:
- 3rd on the American general sire list in 1960.
- Led the American juvenile sire list in 1958.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 3rd on the American general sire list in 1960.
Notable progeny
Best Turn (USA), Cyane (USA), First Landing (USA), Hail to Reason (USA), Nibelungo (USA), Sally Ship (USA), Sir Gaylord (USA), Waltz (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Ack Ack (USA), Bessarabian (USA), Chinook Pass (USA), Portentous (USA), Prize Spot (USA), Zaizoom (USA)
Connections
Turn-to was bred by Major E. R. Miville and Mrs. G. I. Hastings. He was imported to the USA as a weanling by Claude Tanner, who died soon afterward. Tanner's widow consigned the colt to the 1952 Keeneland Summer yearling sale through the agency of Claiborne Farm, and Turn-to was purchased for US$20,000 by Captain Harry F. Guggenheim. Turn-to was trained by Eddie Hayward and raced in the colors of Guggenheim's Cain Hoy Stable. He entered stud in Kentucky in 1955 at Claiborne Farm and was syndicated at a valuation of US$1.4 million in 1958. He moved to Spendthrift Farm in 1960 and died in 1973.
Pedigree notes
Turn-to is inbred 3x3 to English and French leading sire Pharos, 5x4 to 1906 Derby Stakes winner Spearmint and 5x5 to 1911 English leading sire Sundridge. He is a full brother to Rope Yarn Sunday, dam of stakes winner Sea Eagle (by Bald Eagle), and to Sugar Candy, second dam of Italian stakes winner Hot Sir. He is a half brother to multiple English stakes winner Cagire II (by Tourbillon), also imported to the United States but a much less successful sire. He is also a half brother to Black Brook (by Black Devil), second dam of three stakes winners and third dam of two-time French champion and successful sire Irish River. Another half sister to Turn-to, Giff-Gaff (by Nasrullah) is the second dam of four stakes winners including 1975 San Luis Rey Stakes (USA-G1) winner Trojan Bronze.
Turn-to's dam Source Sucree is a half sister to 1948 French champion 2-year-old male and 1961 American leading sire Ambiorix (by Tourbillon). She is also a half sister to Perfume II (by Badruddin), dam of four stakes winners including 1947 English champion 2-year-old male and important sire My Babu (by Djebel) and the high-class miler Sayani (by Fair Copy). The second dam of Turn-to, Lavendula (by Pharos), is a half sister to Kalmia (by Kantar), whose son Klairon won the 1955 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas) and other good races before retiring to a successful stud career.
Books and media
- Turn-to is profiled in Chapter 25 of Abram Hewitt's Sire Lines (1977, The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association; updated and reprinted by Eclipse Press in 2006).
- Turn-to is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
Fun facts
- Turn-to had been named "Source Royal" by his breeders, but Guggenheim renamed him after his purchase. Guggenheim often liked using names that reflected his Navy background, and "Turn-to" is naval slang for "get to work."
- In Hialeah Race Course’s annual poll of its racing officials, constituting six off-the-beaten-track questions centered around the previous year’s racing, longtime officials Charles J. McClennan and Marshall Cassidy picked Turn-to as one of their two "Hard Luck Champions" for 1954; Native Dancer was the other. They also chose Summer Tan as “Most Likely to Succeed” at 3 among 1954’s 2-year-olds, Stan as “Best Grass Horse,” Fisherman as “Most Versatile,” and Pet Bully as “Most Remarkable Comeback.” The two split in the “Biggest Disappointment” category, for which Cassidy picked Porterhouse and McClennan chose Grecian Queen.
- Turn-to's move from Claiborne to Spendthrift Farm in 1960 was caused by a falling-out between Guggenheim and Arthur B. “Bull” Hancock of Claiborne. While Turn-to did well at both farms, his three best sons—First Landing, Hail to Reason and Sir Gaylord—were all conceived while he was at Claiborne.
Last updated: April 25, 2023