Best Beyers of 2012: Wise Dan a triple-threat on speed figures

Wise Dan scarcely fit the mold of a typical U.S. Horse of the Year. Instead of excelling in races on dirt at classic distances, his forte was running one mile on the turf, more of a European specialty. His lone victory on a surface other than grass came over Keeneland’s Polytrack.

Horses’ performances on grass and artificial surfaces rarely thrill devotees of speed figures. Dirt is more conducive to fast, blockbuster performances because dirt is conducive to speed, and horses typically run hard from start to finish. Fields in grass races often race in a bunched pack, at an easy pace, saving their energy for a furious dash to the wire that frequently ends in a tight finish. The same style prevails on most synthetic tracks. Winners don’t often score by whopping margins or earn dazzling speed figures. From 1992, when the Beyer Speed Figures made their first appearance in Daily Racing Form, until 2011, the highest figure in every year was earned on the dirt.

But when Wise Dan made his 2012 debut in the Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland, he ran away to a smashing 10 1/2-length victory, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 117, the fastest ever recorded on a synthetic track. That number stood up as the best of the year on any surface until Fort Larned equaled it in winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

Wise Dan also recorded the three fastest turf figures in North America during the year: 110 in the Woodbine Mile, 109 in the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga, and 107 in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. (The top figure was originally published as a lower number but upgraded as part of an overall revision of the Woodbine turf figures.) His races weren’t faster because Wise Dan usually found himself in races with a moderate early pace; he was never in a race with a half mile fraction faster than 46 seconds. Nevertheless, he earned figures higher than the Eclipse Award turf winners in the last three years, including the great mare Goldikova.

Wise Dan was a capable dirt runner, too. Though his only loss of the year came on the dirt − a photo-finish defeat in the Stephen Foster with a figure of 100 − he finished his 2011 campaign by winning the Clark Handicap at Churchill with a solid figure of 105. It is rare enough for Thoroughbreds to excel on two surfaces, but there has never been such a formidable triple threat as Wise Dan. His extraordinary versatility made him a deserving Horse of the Year.

If Wise Dan had not compiled such a distinguished record, Fort Larned would have also been a worthy champion, albeit a more conventional one. His figure of 117 in the Classic was the best since Curlin’s performance in 2007, and it was faster than the top performance by the horse of the year in the last four years. Fort Larned ran plenty of other solid numbers in the year, including his 110 in the Whitney at Saratoga and three 108’s in lesser races.

Another horse who compiled an impressive string of figures in 2012 was Game On Dude, who recorded a 116 on the synthetic surface at Betfair Hollywood Park, a 109 on Santa Anita’s dirt, and three other races of 108 or better. Game On Dude would have had a Horse of-the-Year résumé if he had not flopped in the Breeders’ Cup.

The racing season also produced some exceptional performances by fillies, notably the sprinter Groupie Doll. Her figure of 108 in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint was the best ever in that event, and it equaled Trinniberg’s performance against males in the Sprint. Earlier in the year she recorded a figure of 112 that tied the best of the year in any race at seven furlongs or less. Royal Delta had an exceptional season, too, running a 108 in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic and a 110 earlier in the season.

Even though many horses delivered top-notch performances, by the standards of recent years, most people viewed the 2012 racing season as a disappointing one. Wise Dan didn’t attract much attention during the year because the American racing public is rarely engrossed by one-mile turf races. Fort Larned appeared to be one of several older horses with roughly equal talent until he emerged as a star in his final start of the season. Moreover, racing fans are engrossed by 3-year-olds much of the year, and the 3-year-olds of 2012 provided more disappointments than shining moments, save for I’ll Have Another’s abortive pursuit of the Triple Crown.

In the early months of the year, this 3-year-old crop appeared to be sub-par, similar to their counterparts in 2011, 2010, and 2009. Only four horses came into the Kentucky Derby with a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure to their credit. I’ll Have Another’s victory over Bodemeister hardly impressed students of speed figures; his 101 was the second-lowest in 20 years. But when Bodemeister got a clear lead and set a slow pace in the Preakness, and I’ll Have Another surged to beat him by a neck, earning a figure of 109, the generation deserved reassessment. The figure was about average for Triple Crown races historically and the best in any of the classics in four years. I’ll Have Another looked like a potential Triple Crown winner, and a worthy one. But he was injured and retired June 8, the day before the Belmont Stakes, the last Triple Crown race. Bodemeister never raced again, either. Union Rags won the Belmont Stakes with a dismal figure of 96 and then was retired with an injury. Paynter looked like an emerging star when he won the Haskell at Monmouth with a figure of 107, but he did not race again in 2012.

Racing fans were understandably deflated by these developments, but Wise Dan and Fort Larned did their best to redeem the 2012 season.

BEST BEYERS OF 2012

2-year-old males

Horse	Track	Distance	Date	Beyer
Revolutionary	Aqueduct	1m	Dec. 28	102
Little Distorted	Belmont	6f	Oct. 28	101
Overanalyze	Aqueduct	1 1/8m	Nov. 24	99
Normandy Invasion	Aqueduct	1 1/8m	Nov. 24	99
Titletown Five	Churchill	7f	Oct. 28	98
Really Mr Greely	Hollywood	7f	Nov. 22	98
Delhomme	Aqueduct	1 1/8m	Nov. 24	98
Super Ninety Nine	Hollywood	7f	Nov. 22	97
Uncaptured	Woodbine	5 1/2f	June 30	96
Shakin It Up	Hollywood	7f	Nov. 22	96
Vyjack	Aqueduct	7f	Dec. 9	96

2-year-old females

Horse	Track	Distance	Date	Beyer
Beholder	Santa Anita	6f	Oct. 4	108
Kauai Katie	Saratoga	5 1/2f	July 20	100
Emollient	Belmont	7f	Sept. 30	98
Beholder	Santa Anita	1 1/16m	Nov. 2	95
Mechaya	Del Mar	5 1/2f	Aug. 10	93
Executiveprivilege	Santa Anita	1 1/16m	Nov. 2	93
Sweet Marini	Santa Anita	6f	Nov. 4	93
Dawn's Charm	Hollywood	6 1/2f	Dec. 14	93
Teen Pauline	Saratoga	5f	July 25	92
Brilliant Jewel	Belmont	7f	Sept. 30	92

3-year-old males

Horse	Track	Distance	Date	Beyer
Dullahan	Del Mar	1 1/4m	Aug. 26	111
The Lumber Guy	Belmont	6f	Sept. 29	110
Bodemeister	Pimlico	1 3/16m	May 19	109
I'll Have Another	Pimlico	1 3/16m	May 19	109
Bodemeister	Oaklawn	1 1/8m	April 14	108
Trinniberg	Santa Anita	6f	Nov. 3	108
Paynter	Monmouth	1 1/8m	July 29	107
Nonios	Hollywood	1 1/8m	Dec. 1	107
Paynter	Pimlico	1 1/16m	May 19	106
Trinniberg	Belmont	7f	June 9	106
Well Spelled	Parx	6f	Sept. 22	106
Csaba	Calder	1 1/8m	Oct. 13	106
The Lumber Guy	Santa Anita	6f	Nov. 3	106
Called to Serve	Laurel	1 1/8m	Dec. 31	106

3-year-old females

Horse	Track	Distance	Date	Beyer
Agave Kiss	Pimlico	6f	May 18	106
Questing (GB)	Saratoga	1 1/4m	Aug. 18	106
My Miss Aurelia	Santa Anita	1 1/8m	Nov. 2	106
Questing (GB)	Belmont	1m	June 24	105
Grace Hall	Delaware	1 1/16m	July 14	105
Potesta	Del Mar	1m	Sept. 2	103
Grace Hall	Hoosier	1 1/16m	Oct. 6	102
Reneesgotzip	Santa Anita	6 1/2f	Jan. 15	101
Mamma Kimbo	Santa Anita	6f	Feb. 18	101
Contested	Churchill	7f	May 4	101
Contested	Belmont	1m	May 28	101
Potesta	Hollywood	1 1/16m	June 23	101
Eden's Moon	Hollywood	1 1/16m	June 23	101

Older males

Horse	Track	Distance	Date	Beyer
Wise Dan	Keeneland	1 1/8m	April 22	117
Fort Larned	Santa Anita	1 1/4m	Nov. 3	117
Game On Dude	Hollywood	1 1/8m	June 2	116
Mucho Macho Man	Santa Anita	1 1/4m	Nov. 3	116
Shackleford	Belmont	1m	May 28	115
Caleb's Posse	Belmont	1m	May 28	115
Nates Mineshaft	Fair Grounds	1 1/8m	April 1	113
Camp Victory	Hollywood	7f	June 30	112
Calibrachoa	Aqueduct	6f	March 3	111
Caleb's Posse	Aqueduct	6f	March 3	110
Successful Dan	Churchill	1 1/16m	May 4	110
Fort Larned	Saratoga	1 1/8m	Aug. 4	110
Game On Dude	Del Mar	1 1/4m	Aug. 26	110
Wise Dan	Woodbine	1m	Sept. 16	110
Jersey Town	Belmont	1m	Sept. 29	110

Older females

Horse	Track	Distance	Date	Beyer
Groupie Doll	Churchill	7f	May 5	112
Royal Delta	Churchill	1 1/8m	June 16	110
Groupie Doll	Aqueduct	1m	Nov. 24	109
Awesome Feather	Belmont	1m	Sept. 20	108
Royal Delta	Santa Anita	1 1/8m	Nov. 2	108
Groupie Doll	Santa Anita	7f	Nov. 3	108
Royal Delta	Belmont	1 1/8m	Sept. 29	106
Daisy Devine	Fair Grounds	a1 1/16m	Dec. 22	105
Turbulent Descent	Hollywood	6f	June 17	104
Winter Memories	Saratoga	1 1/8m	July 28	104
Groupie Doll	Keeneland	6f	Oct. 6	104

Turf males

Horse	Track	Distance	Date	Beyer
Wise Dan	Woodbine	1m	Sept. 16	110
Wise Dan	Saratoga	1m	Aug. 11	109
Wise Dan	Santa Anita	1m	Nov. 3	107
Turbo Compressor	Gulfstream	1 1/16m	March 18	105
Mr. Commons	Del Mar	1m	Aug. 26	105
Obviously (IRE)	Del Mar	1m	Aug. 26	105
Point of Entry	Belmont	1 1/2m	Sept. 29	105
Wise Dan	Keeneland	1m	Oct. 6	105
Obviously (IRE)	Santa Anita	1m	Oct. 6	105
Little Mike	Santa Anita	1 1/2m	Nov. 3	105
Point of Entry	Saratoga	1 1/2m	Aug. 18	104
Trailblazer (JPN)	Santa Anita	1m	Oct. 6	104
Point of Entry	Santa Anita	1 1/2m	Nov. 3	104
Animal Kingdom	Santa Anita	1m	Nov. 3	104

Turf females

Horse	Track	Distance	Date	Beyer
Daisy Devine	Fair Grounds	a1 1/16m	Dec. 22	105
Winter Memories	Saratoga	1 1/8m	July 28	104
Zagora (FR)	Saratoga	1 1/16m	Aug. 25	103
Siyouma (IRE)	Woodbine	1 1/4m	Oct. 14	102
Dream Peace (IRE)	Saratoga	1 1/8m	July 28	101
Tapitsfly	Belmont	1m	June 9	100
Orientatious	Del Mar	5f	Aug. 23	100
Hungry Island	Saratoga	1 1/16m	Aug. 25	100
Nahrain (GB)	Belmont	1 1/4m	Sept. 29	100
Tapitsfly	Keeneland	1m	Oct. 6	100
Shareta (IRE)	Santa Anita	1 1/2m	Nov. 3	100
Kindle	Hollywood	6f	Nov. 23	100