New Year's Day assigned top weight in Experimental Free Handicap

New Year’s Day, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, was assigned top weight of 126 pounds in the Experimental Free Handicap rankings for 2-year-olds of 2013, which were released Wednesday by The Jockey Club.

New Year’s Day was ranked one pound higher than both Havana, who finished second in the BC Juvenile, and Shared Belief, the unbeaten winner of the CashCall Futurity who was the Eclipse Award winner as champion male 2-year-old of 2013.

Ria Antonia and She’s a Tiger, the top two finishers in the BC Juvenile Fillies, were given equal top weight of 123 pounds among 2-year-old fillies of 2013. She’s a Tiger finished first in the BC Juvenile Fillies, but was disqualified to second, placing her behind Ria Antonia, for a bumping incident during the stretch. She’s a Tiger won the Eclipse Award for this division.

The Experimental Free Handicap, produced every year since 1935, is a theoretical ranking of the nation’s best 2-year-olds in a 1 1/16-mile race on dirt. Shared Belief ran all three of his starts on a synthetic surface.

Experimental Free Handicap male rankings | Experimental Free Handicap female rankings

The winners of the Breeders’ Cup’s 2-year-old grass races were ranked highly in their respective divisions. Among the colts, BC Juvenile Turf winner Outstrip was ranked at 123 pounds, fifth overall, one pound less than Honor Code. Among the fillies, BC Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Chriselliam was ranked third at 122 pounds.

Cairo Prince, who lost by a nose to Honor Code in the Remsen Stakes while giving Honor Code six pounds (122-116), received an Experimental ranking of 118 pounds, six fewer than Honor Code, tying Cairo Prince for ninth with Albert’s Hope, Bobby’s Kitten, and Tamarando.

The late sire Harlan’s Holiday has the most horses weighted on the Experimental with six, followed by Colonel John and Kitten’s Joy with five each.

The Experimental Free Handicap rankings were produced by P.J. Campo of the Stronach Group, Ben Huffman of Churchill Downs and Keeneland, and Thomas S. Robbins of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. They ranked 107 males and 92 fillies.

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