2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Winner
April 6 - Oscar Performance
This boy is out of Devine Actress, who also gave us another Oscar - Oscar Nominated, who was also bred by John and Jerry Amerman. The full brothers are by Kitten's Joy. Oscar Nominated was claimed away from the Amerman's by Ken Ramsey who owned Kitten’s Joy. Ken promptly turned around and won the G3 Jeff Ruby Stakes at Turfway Park with Oscar Nominated. There must be something in the blood because this year's winner of the Jeff Ruby Stakes was a son of Oscar Performance named Endlessly who was owned and bred by John and Jerry Amerman. Now, we are waiting to see if Endlessly wants to run the distance and the surface of Churchill Downs before deciding if the Amermans will have a horse in this year's Kentucky Derby.
I've posted about the Amermans not too long ago - it seems most years a nice person wins the Derby. If that's the case this year, then you won't find a nicer couple than John and Jerry.
Oscar Performance was a brilliant turf champion and one of the most consistent grass horses of his generation. He was foaled in 2014 and trained by Brian Lynch for Amerman Racing, the racing operation of John and Debby Amerman. His sire was the great American turf champion and leading sire Kitten's Joy, and his dam was Devine Actress, a daughter of Theatrical. He carried a deep European turf pedigree perfectly suited to the grass courses of America.
Oscar Performance showed his class as a two year old in 2016. He won the 2016 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, beating other top juveniles in dominant fashion. The win made him one of the best two year old turf horses of his year and earned him the championship of his division.
He came back as a three year old in 2017 and put together one of the best campaigns in the country. He won the Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park, then powered through the summer to win the Belmont Derby Invitational, also at Belmont, and the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park, both Grade 1 races for three year olds on the turf. He ran in the 2017 Breeders Cup Mile at Del Mar but came up short on the stretchout to that distance.
His four year old campaign in 2018 added another Grade 1 to his record. Oscar Performance won the 2018 Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day, beating top older turf horses and confirming his place among the best in training. He retired shortly after with 8 wins from 16 starts and earnings of over 2.4 million dollars. He went to stud at Mill Ridge Farm in Kentucky and quickly became a popular young turf sire. His daughter Cipango has already become a top class runner. Oscar Performance is remembered as a steady champion of the American grass scene who carried the famous Kitten's Joy sire line forward to the next generation with style.
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