The Usual Q. T. was top-rated runner at Woodbine in 2010

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The Usual Q. T. earned a World Thoroughbred Committee rating of 120, which was the best figure of any horse who raced at Woodbine in 2010 and topped a comprehensive ranking of local performers compiled by Steve Lym, who is the racing secretary and a director of racing for the Woodbine Entertainment Group. Lym also is a member of the World Thoroughbred and North American ratings committees.

The Usual Q. T. finished second in last year’s Woodbine Mile, and went on to run third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Horses who finished in the top four in stakes at Woodbine were considered and could be rated on their best performances anywhere.

“I think this project serves a purpose in showing where our horses are in the world,” Lym said.

The ratings are grouped by distance according to the international SMILE (Sprint-Mile-Intermediate-Long-Extended) model, with the Long and Extended categories merged in the Woodbine version.

Races shorter than one mile fall in the Sprint category, with the Mile category for distances from one mile to 1 1/8 miles, The Intermediate category includes races from 1 3/16 to 1 5/16 miles, and Long/Extended is for races 1 3/8 miles and longer.

For all categories, except 2-year-olds, Lym used the World Rankings Committee for a starting point and then worked down from that group’s minimum of 115 pounds to a minimum of 90.

Court Vision, who rated at 119 for his win in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, was second to The Usual Q. T. in both the overall rankings and in the Mile category.

Weight was a major factor in the ratings, as demonstrated by Woodbourne’s 107 ranking. He finished third in the Woodbine Mile, but carried seven pounds less than the top two.

Crowded House finished fourth in the Woodbine Mile but earned a 115 rating for his second-place finish in the Pacific Classic, That figure put Crowded House atop the Intermediate list in a dead heat with Marsh Side, whose rating came for his Sky Classic score at Woodbine.

Joshua Tree, winner of the Grade 1 Canadian International, and Redwood, third there after capturing the Northern Dancer, both were rated at 115 to top the Long/Extended category.

“I think the International was not as strong as usual last year, but the Mile was still as strong as it ever was,” Lym said.

Grand Adventure, second when giving seven pounds to winner Serious Attitude here in the Grade 1 Nearctic, was rated at 113 pounds in the Sprint category. El Brujo, who raced here last spring before being sold and moving to California, received the same rating for his victory in the Pat O’Brien at Del Mar.

The 2-year-olds were lumped together in the Sprint and Mile categories, and their top figures were based on those achieved in open races covered by the North American Ratings committee.

Pluck and More Than Real, both winners of Breeders’ Cup races, headed their respective 2-year-old divisions on Lym’s list.

Pluck, a colt who had won the Grade 3 Summer here, was rated at 114 for his victory in the Juvenile Turf. More Than Real, second here in the Grade 3 Natalma, was assigned a 113 for her score in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.