Uncle Mo , last year’s champion 2-year-old male and undefeated winner of the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I), received the high weight assignment of 128 pounds on the 2010 Experimental Free Handicap, according to The Jockey Club. The EFH is available within the Publications and Resources section at The Jockey Club's website.
The filly division is headed by last year’s champion 2-year-old filly and undefeated Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) winner Awesome Feather at 123 pounds.
The Experimental Free Handicap, published annually by The Jockey Club since 1935, is a weight-based assessment of the previous year’s leading 2-year-olds, with the weights compiled for a hypothetical race at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. This year’s weighting committee of racing secretaries was composed of Ben Huffman of Churchill Downs, 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 99 males and 92 fillies. Eligible for weighting were all 2-year-olds of 2010 that finished among the top four in graded or listed stakes races run in the continental United States. Listed stakes in 2010 were those with a value of $75,000 or more available to all starters, and no restrictions other than age or sex.
Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie--Playa Maya, by Arch) won all three of his starts last year by a combined 23 1/4 lengths for earnings of $1,296,000. Owned by Repole Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher, Uncle Mo won the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) in addition to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He was bred in Kentucky by Dr. D. Michael Cavey.
The 128 pounds assigned to Uncle Mo is two pounds above the standard impost for top Experimental colts, including last year’s co-high weights Lookin At Lucky and Vale of York. It is the highest assignment since Favorite Trick received 128 pounds in 1997.
Uncle Mo is weighted five pounds higher than To Honor and Serve (Bernardini --Pilfer, by Deputy Minister), a winner of three of his four starts in 2010, including the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) and the Nashua Stakes (gr. II). He earned $264,640 for owner Live Oak Plantation.
Boys At Tosconova (Officer--Little Bonnet, by Coronado's Quest), winner of the Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, is weighted at 122 pounds. He won two of his four starts on the year and earned $562,060 for his owners Jay Em Ess Stable, Hot Racing Stable LLC, R. Hale Jr., T. Cady, and D. Kanakaris.
At 121 pounds are Comma to the Top (Bwana Charlie--Maggies Storm, by Stormy Atlantic ) and Pluck (More Than Ready --Secret Heart, by Fort Wood).
Comma to the Top won six of his 10 starts in 2010, including the CashCall Futurity (gr. I), the Generous Stakes (gr. IIIT), and the Real Quiet Stakes, for owners Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum and Kevin Tsujihara. He earned $551,600.
Team Valor International’s Pluck won three of his five starts last year, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IIT) and the Summer Stakes Presented by TVG (gr. IIIT), and earned $725,440.
In the filly division, the 123 pounds assigned to unbeaten Awesome Feather (Awesome of Course--Precious Feather, by Gone West) is the standard impost for top Experimental fillies and equivalent to the assignment on last year’s co-high weights, Blind Luck and She Be Wild.
Bred in Florida by her owner Jacks or Better Farm, Awesome Feather won six races in 2010 by a combined 25 1/2 lengths. In addition to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, she won the J J’sdream Stakes, Florida Stallion My Dear Girl Stakes, Florida Stallion Susan’s Girl Stakes and Florida Stallion Desert Vixen Stakes. She earned $1,495,746.
At 120 pounds are More Than Real (More Than Ready--Miss Seffens, by Dehere) and Turbulent Descent (Congrats --Roger’s Sue, by Forestry).
More Than Real won two of her three starts in 2010, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IIT), and earned $609,384 for her owner Bobby Flay.
Turbulent Descent won all three of her starts last year, including the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (gr. I) and the Moccasin Stakes, for earnings of $328,350. She is owned by Blinkers On Racing, Dave Aurelio, Robert Butler, Joleen Coons, Lapso, et al.
At 119 pounds are Zayat Stables LLC’s A Z Warrior (Bernardini--Carson Jen, by Carson City) and E. Paul Robsham Stables LLC’s R Heat Lightning (Trippi – Yellow Heart, by Gold Fever).
A Z Warrior posted two victories from five starts in 2010, including the Frizette Stakes (gr. I). She earned $239,600.
R Heat Lightning also won two of her five starts last year. She won the Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) and was runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She earned $612,800.
Among sires of Experimental horses, Lion Heart and Tapit head the fillies’ list, with five representatives each. Combining the two lists, Lion Heart and Tapit are the leading sires with six representatives each.
Among sires of males, Bernardini, First Samurai , Fusaichi Pegasus , Sharp Humor, and Thunder Gulch each have three representatives.
Of the 191 juveniles weighted, 113 were bred in Kentucky, 43 in Florida and five each in California and Texas.