Frosted had accomplished much before his record-breaking performance in the 2016 G1 Met Mile: a win in the G1 Wood Memorial at three along with additional victories in the G2 Pennsylvania Derby and G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2; and placings in the G1 Travers and G1 Belmont as well. But it was definitely the G1 Met Mile that distinguished him as one of the top racehorses of his generation.
The Met Mile stakes record of 1:32.73 he registered that day was certainly impressive. And the fourteen and one-quarter-length win (also a record for the race) was sensational too. But to achieve such a high Beyer Speed Figure - a 123 - was simply unbelieveable and unforgettable; a number that many of the best racehorses of our time could not match. The chart below shows it was the top Beyer Figure of the year:
Frosted 123
Arrogate 122
Arrogate 120
California Chrome 119
California Chrome 113
In addition, if you look at all the Met Miles run during the period of published Beyer Speed Figures (from 1992 on), Frosted’s 123 has never been bettered, with recently-deceased Darley stallion Holy Bull and Ghostzapper each recording a 122.
Furthermore, no horse has ever registered a better Beyer at the mile distance:
Frosted 123
Holy Bull 122
Ghostzapper 122
Swept Overboard 122
Congaree 120
Congaree 120
Commentator 119
Secreto's Hideaway 119
French Deputy 119
Monterey Jazz 118
And interestingly, the top four Beyers listed above were all recorded in the Met Mile.
Moreover, you have to go all the way back to 2007 to find a horse with a better Beyer Figure. His 123 Beyer matches the career tops of Candy Ride, Saint Liam, and Silver Charm and has been exceeded by only nine horses in the past 24 years: Ghostzapper (128); Formal Gold, Gentlemen, and Will’s Way (126); Bertrando and Skip Away (125); and Artax and Midnight Lute (124) (Daily Racing Form statistics).
One could say that Frosted's victory in the Met Mile was icing on the cake. While another could argue that it was his next-out win in the historic G1 Whitney. But no matter how you look at it, his Met Mile win was certainly one for the ages. And if it looked like he won as easy as 1-2-3 that day, you might not get much push back. But to earn a 123 Beyer, you have to be some kind of special.
