Turf vs. dirt?

Question
QUESTION: Hello, Im only just getting into thoroughbred racing and Ive been searching for a kind of general explanation of the difference between turf and dirt racing.So far, the only thing I think Ive understood is that on the turf, horses tend to come in in one big bunch with not as much distance between the winner and the follow-ups as in turf racing (but I may be wrong). so, I guess Im looking for some general observations on that, e.g. why some hoses are considered turf horses, while others run fine on both surfaces. Thanks!

ANSWER: Mikkel,

Turf tends to be far less tiring on a horse, so speed holds better.  That is why you often see the horses so tightly bunched.
As far as why some horses are better on turf than dirt, and why some horses run well on either, that's a little more difficult.  Many people believe that a big footed horse will run better on the turf than dirt, but I've always believed that it's more the way the horse travels that makes the difference.  Most good turf horses tend to waste very little motion in their stride, and have a much lower, daisy-cutter action.  Turf is also kinder to horses that have minor hock issues, since turf doesn't seem to be as hard on them in back as dirt.
As far as horses that do well on either, probably most horses that run well on dirt would do well on turf, too, but they generally don't get the chance.  Turf races are harder to get into, because there are fewer of them, and they are very dependent on the weather, and the purses often aren't as big as comparable dirt races, so if a horse runs really well on the dirt, why switch?

Stephanie Frost
www.alchemybloodstock.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks, Stephanie, what I was looking for! as a follow-up, is it true that dirt is harder/more dangerous for a horse than turf (or am I confusing it with the new polytrack etc?). Thanks again!

Answer
Mikkel,

The dirt  has long been suspected to be harder on horses than the turf, and statistics would appear to bear this out.  But statistics can fool you, too.  There are far more races run in the USA on the dirt than on the turf, so the results might be skewed a bit.
But the thinking is that generally speaking, turf horses have longer careers than dirt horses, with fewer cut short due to injury, so dirt must be harder on them than turf.

The turf has a bit more give than the dirt, and gives better traction, resulting in fewer tendon strains and fewer catastrophic breaks.  If you think about it, a horse who pushes off and has the dirt give way beneath him is far more likely to suffer injury due to that stress, than a horse who is on the turf with a better grip of the surface.  Add to that the fact that if weather conditions are less than ideal, racing is taken off the turf, but usually continues on the dirt and you see where the idea comes from that dirt racing is harder on the horse than turf.

Stephanie Frost
www.alchemybloodstock.com