The significance of Frosted's big number
When, this time last year, Frosted ran away with the Met Mile – the popular name for the fabled G1 Metropolitan Handicap, won in the past by such greats as Buckpasser and Native Dancer – he did so in a new record time and by a record winning margin: 14-and-a-quarter long lengths. He also earned the highest Beyer Speed Figure ever given to a miler – 123. This was the best Beyer not only of the year (better than anything run by Arrogate) but the best awarded to any horse since 2007.
What is a Beyer?
Beyer Speed Figures are a numerical representation of a racehorse's performance, based on the final time and the inherent speed over the track on which the race was run. The higher the Beyer Speed Figure, the better the performance. The system was devised by Andrew Beyer (pronounced 'buyer') in the early 1970s when he was the racing columnist of the Washington Post. Fully codified in his 1975 publication 'Picking Winners', Beyer and his team have produced Beyer Speed Figures for every horse in every race for 31 years. Since 1992, these have been published in the Daily Racing Form; they are the most trusted ratings in the American racing and breeding business.
How good is a 123 Beyer?
The very best G1 winners are capable of putting up Beyers above 115. Not only is Frosted's figure higher than anything run by recent champions Arrogate and American Pharoah, it's the highest of any stallion ever to shuttle to Australia. Medaglia d'Oro on 120 and Street Cry on 119 are second and third best. Milers Holy Bull in 1994 and Ghostzapper in 2005 ran the next highest mile Beyers since the rating system began, both winning the Met Mile running 122 speed figures.
