Oscar Performance (foaled April 6, 2014) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at age two. After losing his first two starts at age three, he rebounded to win the next three, including the Grade I Belmont Derby and Secretariat Stakes. He then finished third in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic before finishing ninth in the Breeders' Cup Turf. After recovering from a bout of colic, he made his four-year-old debut in June 2018 in the Poker Stakes, winning in track-record time. In his next start as the favorite in the Arlington Million, he was pulled up after taking a bad step, but he rebounded to win the Woodbine Mile in September.
Background
Oscar Performance was foaled in Kentucky at Mill Ridge Farm. He was bred by Mrs. Jerry Amerman and races for Amerman Racing, owned by Amerman and her husband John. Oscar Performance was sired by Kitten's Joy, the U.S. Champion Male Turf Horse of 2004 whose wins included the Secretariat Stakes and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, plus a second place in the Breeders' Cup Turf. Unusually for a leading North American sire, his best offspring are also turf specialists, including Big Blue Kitten, Bobby's Kitten, Real Solution and Stephanie's Kitten. Oscar Performance's dam, Devine Actress, was a stakes winner for Amerman Racing who had previously produced a stakes winning full brother to Oscar Performance named Oscar Nominated.
"I remember him as a very attractive foal, the kind that you hope for", said Headley Bell of Mill Ridge Farm. "He continued to go that way as he grew. He was more of an alpha, but he stayed out of trouble."
Oscar Performance was trained by Brian A. Lynch.
Racing career
2016: two-year-old season
Oscar Performance made his first start on the turf course at Saratoga in a maiden special weight race on July 23, 2016, finishing fifth after trailing the field early and making a mild rally in the stretch. In his second start on August 20, he instead went to the early lead and continued to draw away from the field, eventually winning by lengths. The performance caught the attention of many turf writers, earning him the "TDN Rising Star" designation from the Thoroughbred Daily News.
Oscar Performance made his graded stakes debut at Belmont Park on October 1 in the Grade III Pilgrim Stakes. Over a yielding turf course, he went to the lead and set a comfortable pace before kicking clear in the stretch to win by six lengths. The win earned Oscar Performance a berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, where he was made the 6–1 third choice in the betting. He settled in second behind a strong early pace set by Wellabled, then moved to the lead on the far turn. Down the stretch, he opened up a comfortable lead then withstood a late run by Lancaster Bomber to win by lengths. It was the first win at the Breeders' Cup for Lynch and jockey José Ortiz.
2017: three-year-old season
Oscar Performance was given some time off then resumed workouts in February 2017. He made his first start as a three-year-old on April 7 in the Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland. He tracked the early pace in third place but lacked his usual response when asked to run in the stretch and finished third. In his next start in the American Stakes at Churchill Downs, he faded to last after setting the early pace. Lynch later attributed the losses to the soft turf courses in Kentucky that spring. John Amerman also thought that the colt did not respond well to the raceday medication Lasix (furosemide), which was administered for the first and only time before the American Stakes.
Oscar Performance returned to form on June 3 in the Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park, where he took the lead soon after the start and won by lengths. He put in a similar performance when winning the Belmont Derby on July 8 by two lengths in front running fashion. In his next start in the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park on August 12, he faced a strong field including three European challengers and several local stakes winners. This time, he stalked the early pace set by Sonic Boom and then drew off in the stretch to win by lengths. "You're never confident until the finish line, but they were very good horses", said John Amerman. "We're delighted Jose [Ortiz] could ride so well and beat them."