Oscar Performance's Top 25 Arrival Ovation Worthy

The top-ranked stallions in North America is an elite club. Some stallions come and go while others are long-term residents of the upper echelon of the General Sires List. But what we know is none of the sires populating the top of the rankings suddenly arrive at that destination. But whether Oscar Performance, who is ranked No. 14 by progeny earnings as of May 18, is there to stay or just passing by remains to be seen. However, there are plenty of indicators that say his arrival in the Top 25 is not a fluke. Oscar Performance, who stands at Mill Ridge Farm near Lexington, for $60,000, can credit his ranking this year in large part to the 6-year-old Louisiana-bred gelding Tumbarumba. Out of the Street Sense mare Naive Enough, Tumbarumba relocated at the end of last year to the Middle East. where he is campaigned by Wathnan Racing. After finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), Tumbarumba had a less-than-ideal trip in the Al Maktoum Mile (G2) at Meydan Racecourse to end 2025. But with more time to adjust to his new surroundings, having raced 25 times in the United States, he flashed his potential coming in second in the Al Maktoum Challenge (G1). That was followed by a third-place finish three weeks later in the Saudi Cup (G1). Most recently, Tumbarumba was sixth in the Dubai World Cup (G1). His three starts this year have resulted in $2,440,413 in earnings. Yes, those lucrative purses have something to do with where Oscar Performance is ranked, but it's not the whole story. His 3-year-old daughter Storm's Wake has proven herself a formidable opponent after being tested in graded company. Despite a fifth-place finish last time out in the Edgewood Stakes (G2T) on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard, she previously came in third in the Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3T), and most notably, won the Appalachian Stakes (G2T). The William Werner homebred, in many ways, is a lot like her sire with her aptitude on turf. "I think he throws a lot of tenacity in them," said her trainer Brian Lynch, after winning the Appalachian. "They're very game horses, and they can stand up to the training. They're tough and they're just a lovely horse to train. I think he has a lot to do with it. I'm a big, big fan of his." Lynch also trained Oscar Performance, a homebred for John and Jerry Amerman. His racing career began in 2016 as a juvenile. He won his last four starts at 2, including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) after finishing sixth in his debut. He raced two more campaigns with his 3-year-old season not starting as hoped before reeling off three wins in a row—including two grade 1s. He returned to the World Championships and was a troubled ninth in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T). Oscar Performance's final year racing was uneven with a DNF in the Arlington Million Stakes (G1T), after taking a bad step near the wire, between wins in the Poker Stakes (G3T) and Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T). He then finished last of 14 in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T). He began his stud career in 2019 with his first crop hitting tracks in 2022. Other sires whose first crops began racing the same year include Justify, Bolt d'Oro, Mendelssohn, and Good Magic, who already sired two classic winners. Among his classmates, who are now seeing their fifth crop racing this year, Oscar Performance has ranked by year: seventh, 10th, fifth, seventh, and this year first. Oscar Performance first rose into the top 50 in 2024 when he ranked 33rd by progeny earnings. He ranked 44th at the end of 2025 and now has jumped to his highest ranking yet. Some of Oscar Performance's best runners have excelled on turf. Trikari earned just short of $1.5 million and hit the board in 10 of 15 starts. A grade 1 winner, Trikari was 3-0-2 from seven graded starts. Another son, World Beater, returned to the work tab last month after last racing victoriously in the Old Dominion Derby (G3T) for trainer Riley Mott. It took World Beater five shots to break his maiden, but since then, he has been on a tear. In the five starts beginning with his maiden win, World Beater is 4-1-0, including a win in the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) on his résumé. Having established himself as a bona fide turf sire, Oscar Performance has gone from being ranked No. 43 in 2023 to No. 7 last year; this year, he sits at No. 17. Oscar Performance by the numbers: He is 24th in percentage of black-type winners and black-type performers Tied for 13th for number of graded stakes winners Fifth in average earnings per runner Twelfth in average winning distance