STEVIE WONDERBOY HIGH WEIGHT ON EXPERIMENTAL FREE HANDICAP; FOLKLORE TOP FILLY

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 and accessible through http://www.jockeyclub.com.

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 ¼ 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.

At 123 pounds is Darley Stable’s Henny Hughes (Hennessy – Meadow Flyer, by Meadowlake), winner of the Saratoga Special Stakes and Tremont Stakes and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Champagne Stakes and Hopeful Stakes. Henny Hughes won three of his six starts and $644,820 in 2005.

Henny Hughes is weighted two pounds higher than Brother Derek (Benchmark – Miss Soft Sell, by Siyah Kalem), winner of the Hollywood Futurity and Norfolk Stakes for owner Cecil Peacock. Brother Derek won three of his five starts and $502,080 at age two.

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 ¼ 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.

At 120 pounds is Brewer Racing Stable and Murray Smith’s Wild Fit (Wild Wonder – Grannies Feather, by At Full Feather), winner of the Del Mar Debutante Stakes and runner-up in both the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Oak Leaf Stakes. Wild Fit won two of her four starts last year and $432,600.

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.