At The Races

CLASSIC

Unsurprisingly, the Classic features two of the top three Beyer figures registered at the Breeders’ Cup, with the honour for top spot (124) being shared by Sunday Silence (1989) and Ghostzapper (2004). Sunday Silence held off his great rival Easy Goer in the gathering gloom at Gulfstream Park and Ghostzapper toyed with his twelve rivals, strolling home by three lengths at Lone Star Park.

The lowest figure for any winner in this division came in last year’s renewal, when Raven’s Pass was awarded 110. That may have as much to do with the fact that the figures being allocated on the Pro Ride at the time were generally lower than those on conventional dirt.

Best: 124 Ghostzapper (2004) and Sunday Silence (1989)
Worst: 110 Raven’s Pass (2008)
Average: 117

Contenders
None of the runners that have been pre-entered for this division have reached the average level achieved in the past, but two of them have recorded figures that are better than the level required to win last year. They are Quality Road and Summer Bird. Quality Road has run at a level of 110 or above on four of his six starts this year, with his best effort (113) coming over a mile in the Fountain Of Youth G2 at the end of February. Summer Bird appears to be hitting his best form at the right time, with his best two figures coming in his last two starts, both at this trip, with his top being 111.

TURF

The spread between the best and the worst in the turf is just 8 points! Daylami’s dancing score at Gulstream Park in 1999 clearly impressed the Beyer boys, as they made it the top effort. Frankie Dettori also had the mount on Fantastic Light, who was awarded a figure just one spot below for this victory over Milan at Belmont two years later. The bottom level is shared by six prior winners with Kalanisi (2000) the only one from this side of the pond. 

Best: 118 Daylami (1999)
Worst: 110 Kalanisi (2000), Buck’s Boy (1998), Chief Bearheart (1997), Fraise (1992), Prized (1989) and Great Communicator (1988)
Average: 112

Contenders
Conduit, who got a number of 116 for his thrilling success last year, is the only runner in the pre-entries to have been awarded a figure at or above the average. Although, neither Dar Re Mi nor Spanish Moon has raced in North America yet and, as such, have not had the chance to earn a Beyer figure.

LADIES'CLASSIC

This division has been won by some of the greats in American dirt racing but it has also been annexed by a few lesser lights, hence the 19 point split from top to bottom. The 119 that Inside Information earned when successful at Belmont in 1995 is a clear 4 points clear of the second best, a tie between another Shug McGaughey trainee, Personal Ensign (1988), and the mighty Bayakoa in the first of her wins in 1989.

Round Pound hit a bare triple digit figure when she got to the wire first at Churchill Downs in 2006, claiming sole ownership of worst of the winners title.

Best:  119 Inside Information (1995)
Worst: 100 Round Pound (2006)
Average: 108

Contenders
Zenyatta posted a figure of just 103 when successful last year but has a lifetime best that matched the average for this event. However, as she looks likely to compete in the Classic, we can concentrate on a trio of other accomplished females. Careless Jewel (106), Life Is Sweet (105) and Music Note (108) have all got numbers this year that are in excess of last year’s winning rating, with the latter hitting the average for the division. Even without last year’s heroine, this looks like a strong renewal.

JUVENILE

This division has the largest variation from best to worst figures, with a 26 point difference from the top to bottom. War Pass (113) may have been assisted by the speed favouring slop when he set his mark at Monmouth Park two years ago, but his figure is 5 points higher than the second on the list. However, that lad - Street Sense (2006) - remains the only Juvenile winner to go on to collect the Kentucky Derby in his second season of action.
The wooden spoon holder, Gilded Time (1992), has gone on the prove very successful at stud, siring over fifty stakes winners, including Gayego who has a major chance in the Sprint.

Best:  113 War Pass (2007)
Worst: 87 Gilded Time (1992)
Average: 100

Contenders
As is often the case in this division, none of the contenders has yet reached a triple digit figure, although D’Funnybone (93) and Noble’s Promise (91) have both been awarded numbers that were the same or better than Mishipman (91) got last year. But it is worth remembering that Noble’s Promise got his number in synthetic surface start.

SPRINT

This division has the largest variation from best to worst figures, with a 26 point difference from the top to bottom. The best Beyer figure ever recorded in this division also ties for the lead overall. It occurred in 1999, when Artax scorched the dirt track at Gulfstream Park to beat Kona Gold and Big Jag in an exceptionally high quality renewal.

It was a totally different case in 1995 when Desert Stormer brought home a trio of complete rags, keying a $733 exacta.

Best:  124 Artax (1999)
Worst: 107 Desert Stormer (1995)
Average: 114

Contenders
None of this year’s contenders has hit the average for this race. They haven’t even got to the level shown by Midnight Lute in 2008. The best figures going into the race this year have been set by Zensational (110) and Fatal Bullet (109), but Cost of Freedom ran to 110 when winning a major prep last year and will be making his third start from a lay off on Saturday.

MILE

In common with the other long standing turf divisions, there isn’t lot between the top and the bottom in the Mile.

The best figure for this event was set in 1988, the very first year that the Beyer figures were published for the Breeders’ Cup, when the mighty Miesque posted her second victory. It is arguable that she put up an even better performance the year before, when she broke the course record at Hollywood Park. Unfortunately, we don’t have the benefit of figure confirmation.

A French trained filly, bred and owned by the Niarchos family has the top spot, and another with the same connections, Six Perfections (105), was awarded to lowest figure so far when the race was contested at Santa Anita in 2003.

Best:  118 Miesque (1988)
Worst: 105 Six Perfections (2003)
Average: 111

Contenders
Goldikova only needed to run to a mark of 107 to succeed last year and only one of her rivals has ever reached that level, and that was last year when Whatsthescript hit it once. 

JUVENILE FILLIES

Like the male juvenile division, there has been a wide variation between the highest figure awarded and the lowest, and only four fillies have reached triple digits in the 21 runnings that have featured Beyer speed figures. It is the only division where the average figure for the winner is under 100. Tempera’s run at Belmont in 2001, when she led a Godolphin 1-2, earned her a mark of 107, 5 points clear of any other filly on the list.  Pleasant Stage got home while earning the lowest winning mark (85) when successful in 1991.

Best:  107 Tempera (2001)
Worst: 85 Pleasant Stage (1991)
Average: 95

Contenders
Only one filly has reached the average figure so far and that is the once-raced Connie And Michael, who earned her figure on the Polytrack at Keeneland. However, she is taking a huge step up in class on Friday.

FILLY & MARE TURF

Only 7 points separates the top and the bottom in this division which has only been on the Breeders’ Cup menu on ten occasions. Banks Hill was winning the third running of this division, at Belmont in 2001, when she set the high mark (112), coming home 5½ lengths clear of her field. Interestingly the four fillies sharing the low mark were all trained in USA, when they ran in this event.

Best:  112 Banks Hill (2001)
Worst: 105 Forever Together (2008), Lahudood (2007), Perfect Sting (2000), Soaring Softly (1999)
Average: 107

Contenders
Yet again in this division none of the local entrants, including the returning champion Forever Together, has even reached the speed figure that won this last year, not to mention the average for the event. That means the locals could be vulnerable to a shipper from this side of the pond.