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 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 Merv Griffin Ranch Co.’s Stevie Wonderboy (Stephen Got Even – Heat Lightning, by Summer Squall) won three of his five starts last year for earnings of $1,028,940. In addition to his 1 1/4 length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, he was a five-length winner of the Del Mar Futurity. Stevie Wonderboy was bred in Kentucky by John Gunther, Tony Holmes and Walter Zent.
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.
Stevie Wonderboy is weighted two pounds higher than Bruce Lunsford and Lansdon Robbins III’s First Samurai (Giant’s Causeway – Freddie Frisson, by Dixieland Band), a winner of four of his five starts last year, including the Champagne Stakes and Hopeful Stakes. First Samurai finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to cap his two-year-old season with earnings of $682,575.
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.
Bred in Kentucky by her owners Robert and Beverly Lewis, Folklore won four of her seven starts and $927,500 last year. In addition to her 1 1/4 length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, she won the Matron Stakes and Adirondack Stakes and was runner-up in the Spinaway Stakes and Astoria Stakes.
Folklore is weighted one pound higher than Adieu (El Corredor – Irene’s Talkin, by At the Threshold). Owned by Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith, Adieu won four of her six starts in 2005, including the Frizette Stakes, Spinaway Stakes and Astoria Stakes. She earned $554,470.
Among sires of Experimental horses, Dixie Union, Favorite Trick and Songandaprayer top the colts’ list with three representatives each, while Thunder Gulch heads the fillies’ list with four representatives. Combining the two lists, Songandaprayer, Thunder Gulch and Trippi are the leading sires with five representatives each. Of the 169 juveniles weighted, 94 were bred in Kentucky, 45 in Florida and 10 in California.
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 indicated below in bold.
Colts and Geldings
126 - Stevie Wonderboy
124 - First Samurai
123 - Henny Hughes
121 - Brother Derek
119 - Private Vow
119 - Your Tent Or Mine
118 - What a Song
115 - Bluegrass Cat
115 - He’s Got Grit
115 - Sorcerer’s Stone
114 - Barbaro
114 - Bob and John
114 - Dawn of War
Full list of colts and geldings
Fillies
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
Full list of fillies
