Jimbo,

Beyer's public record isn't very long.

However, IMHO, there are more and higher 120s given out these days than there were when he first starting publishing them in The Racing Times.

In fact, if you look at Picking Winners (his first book) he says that Secretariat used to run figures in the upper 120s (128/129). But if you look REALLY CLOSELY, the scale from that book is higher than the one he uses now. If memory serves me, it's about 16 points higher. That means BIG RED was earning 112/113 on the current scale.

I've never seen a public comment from Beyer on that, but I've long wondered about it.

Also, I used to make figures for NY using that scale when the book first came out. Regardless of my skill level at the time, I wasn't totally incompetent. I don't recall giving out a figure on that scale that would approximate a 120 on the scale he uses now. Some of the biggest figures I remember were Great Contracter over Forego, General Assembly in the Travers (wet track), and a few Bid races.

So IMHO, horses are faster based on Beyer's scale also.



Post Edited (05-31-05 15:16)