Leading New York sires: Big Brown a standout on Beyers
Whether based on traditional or new metrics for evaluating stallions, dual classic winner and champion Big Brown has proven a solid and competitive addition to the New York market.
Standing at Dutchess Views Farm, Big Brown factors prominently on the general and turf sires earnings lists behind state stalwart Freud – no small accomplishment. However, Big Brown comes out on top based on Daily Racing Form’s Beyer Sire Performance Standings – an exclusive metric to examine stallion progeny performance in depth, often highlighting under-the-radar sires.
Beyer Speed Figures were incorporated into DRF’s past performances in 1992 and are now an industry standard for the comparison of horses’ performances. The Beyer Sire Performance Standings provide the breeding industry with an additional metric to compare stallion progeny performance beyond wins and earnings. The standings provide totals and percentages for progeny who surpass specific Beyer benchmarks in North American races.
While traditional sire lists based on earnings can be slanted by one or two major runners – or casino-inflated purses on some circuits – the Beyer Sire Performance Standings look beyond these factors. Beyers are assigned to all runners in a race, allowing DRF’s sire lists to include all performances.
Among active New York sires, Big Brown led the way by the percentage of his runners who earned Beyers of 90 or above, a benchmark for quality performance, with 5.8 percent of his runners hitting that mark. He also led New York sires by the number of individuals to run triple-digit figures.
Big Brown’s leading runner in 2016 was again Dortmund, who emerged from a 2015 campaign in which he was active on the Triple Crown trail to become a player in the older horse ranks. The massive chestnut came off an eight-month layoff to finish second in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap to champion California Chrome, earning a top-level Beyer of 110. He matched that number when finishing third in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic to California Chrome and champion Beholder.
Big Brown’s other triple-digit runners were Send It In, who earned a 104 for winning an optional claimer in March at Aqueduct, and Baby Bear’s Soup, who posted a 100 in winning a claiming race in October at Parx Racing.