Stevie Wonderboy is the top weight at 2 pounds more than runner-up First Samurai.
Date: 01/26/2006
Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Stevie Wonderboy received the high weight assignment of 126 pounds on the 2005 Experimental Free Handicap, released today by The Jockey Club. The filly division is headed by Alberto VO5 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Folklore at 123 pounds.
The 126 pounds assigned to Stevie Wonderboy is a standard top weight for Experimental colts and is equivalent to the assignment shared by last year’s co-high weights Declan’s Moon and Wilko. In the filly division, the 123 pounds assigned to Folklore (Tiznow – Contrive, by Storm Cat) is the standard impost for top Experimental fillies and is one pound less than the assignment on last year’s high weight Sweet Catomine.
The Experimental Free Handicap, published annually by The Jockey Club since 1935, is compiled for a hypothetical race at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. This year’s weighting committee of racing secretaries comprised Ben Huffman of the Keeneland Association and Fair Grounds, P.J. Campo of the New York Racing Association and Thomas S. Robbins of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
The committee weighted a total of 85 males and 84 fillies. Eligible for weighting were all two-year-olds of 2005 that finished among the top four in graded or other unrestricted races with an added-value of at least $75,000 or higher, run in the continental United States. The full lists for both colts and fillies are accessible here on the Jockey Club website.
The other use of the Experimental rankings is in determining which horses are "dual qualifiers" for the Kentucky Derby. Horses ranked within 10 pounds of the male topweight or who are a champion in another country and have a Dosage Index of 4.0 or less and a Center of Distribution of 1.25 or less are considered the dual qualifiers. These horses have statistically shown that they have a better chance at winning the Derby. Dual qualifiers are highlighted below with an asterisk by their name.
123 - Folklore
122 - Adieu
120 - Wild Fit
117 - Along the Sea
117 - Diamond Omi
116 - Diplomat Lady
115 - Wonder Lady Anne L
114 - Balance
114 - French Park
114 - Original Spin
114 - Private World
114 - Sensation
114 - She Says It Best
113 - Bully Bones
113 - Fifth Avenue
113 - Mystery Girl
113 - River’s Prayer
112 - Better Now
112 - J’ray
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