Beyer Speed Figure

The Beyer Speed Figure is a system for rating the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America designed in the early 1970s by Andrew Beyer, the syndicated horse racing columnist for The Washington Post. First published in book form in 1975, by 1992 the Daily Racing Form began incorporating Beyer Speed Figures in a horse's past performances and the system has evolved to where today each performance by every horse is given a Beyer number which reflects the time of the race and the inherent speed of the track over which it was run. On the Beyer scale, the top stakes horses in the United States and Canada earn numbers in the 100's, while extremely strong performances may rate as high as the 120's. In Europe, Timeform has a different set up that yields a different rating number. The popular rule of thumb for a rough equivalent of the Timeform score is to deduct 12-14 points to achieve the Beyer figure.

In 2004, Ghostzapper earned the high Beyer Speed Figure at 128. In the July 5, 2005 Hollywood Gold Cup, Lava Man turned in a speed figure of 120. Bordonaro earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 119 in winning the 2006 Ancient Title Handicap which was the highest number assigned to any North American horse in 2006. But it was Groovy, the 1987 American Champion Sprint Horse who won the highest figure of all, earning 131 & 134 back-to-back in the Roseben and True North Handicaps at six furlongs in 1987, a record that is still unbeaten.

In 2007 the highest Beyers Speed Figure was 124 assigned to Midnight Lute in the 7 furlong Forego Handicap at Saratoga Race Course.

In the 2008 Whitney Handicap, Commentator scored a 120 Beyer. Over his career he has earned Beyers of 119, 121, and 123. Andy Beyer said he can’t recall a 7-year-old getting that high a number.

Beyer calculated that had the Beyer Speed Figure calculation existed during the proper time frame, Secretariat would have earned a figure of 139 for his 1973 win at the Belmont Stakes. If that was true then Secretariat would have had the highest Beyer speed figure.