Beyer Sire Performance Standings: War Front shines among U.S. turf sires

Joe Nevills|Jan 20, 2017

Barbara D. Livingston War Front, standing at historic Claiborne Farm, is a leading U.S. turf sire.

It’s no revelation to say European-sired horses tend to have a natural advantage in North American turf races over their domestic contemporaries.

The major racing jurisdictions on the other side of the pond breed almost exclusively for the grass, and the above-average European runners regularly travel to North America to become forces in graded stakes races.

DRF’s Beyer Sire Performance Standings back that up, with European sires like Galileo, Dubawi, and Holy Roman Emperor putting up astounding percentages of North American runners to achieve at least one Beyer Speed Figure of 90 or above last year, admittedly from relatively small samplings.

The domestic stallion that has arguably done the best job reversing that stream is War Front, who not only had the second-highest number of runners to achieve a 90-plus Beyer in 2016 with 24, but also posted the highest percentage of runners to hit that mark among North American sires with four or more runners, at 24.2 percent.

The highest turf Beyer for War Front in 2016 came from Avenge, who chalked up a 103 finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

:: 2016 BEYER SIRE PERFORMANCE STANDINGS: Download complete 2016 divisional sire charts ::

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Avenge also earned her sire’s highest Beyer in a victorious effort when she notched a 99 in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes and added a 95 Beyer winning an optional claimer at Del Mar. She also picked up a 94 in her Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes win at Del Mar.

Elsewhere among War Front offpsring, Fire Away pulled a 98 Beyer winning an Aqueduct optional claimer, War Dancer earned a 97 figure in his PTHA President’s Cup Stakes win at Parx Racing, and Take Cover took home a 96 after winning the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup Stakes at Penn National. Also of note, Lancaster Bomber earned a 91 Beyer with his runner-up effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

War Front’s foals also have shown ability to take their talent across the Atlantic and place their sire shoulder to shoulder with the global powers. He was represented in 2016 by English Group 1 winner Brave Anna, Group 2 winners Roly Poly and War Decree, and Group 3 winner Royal Artillery; French Group 3 winner War Flag; and Irish Group 3 winners Long Island Sound and Intelligence Cross.

War Front stands for $250,000 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky.

:: Read the full 2017 Kentucky Sires and New Stallions supplement ::