Vindication, 'Storm Flag' lead the way

NEW YORK - Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Vindication and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Storm Flag Flying are the topweights on the 2002 Experimental Free Handicap, which was announced Monday.

This was the seventh straight year that the winners of the Breeders' Cup races for 2-year-olds were the topweights or co-topweights for the Experimental. The last colt or gelding who did not win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was topweight on the Experimental was Maria's Mon in 1995. Unbridled's Song won the Juvenile that year. Among the fillies, you have to go back to 1985, when Twilight Ridge won the Juvenile Fillies but I'm Splendid was the Experimental topweight.

Vindication was assigned 126 pounds while Storm Flag Flying was assigned 123 pounds. Both weights have become the standard top assignment. The last time there was a deviation was 1997, when Favorite Trick was top among males at 128 and Countess Diana was the highest female at 125 pounds.

The Experimental Free Handicap has been published annually by The Jockey Club, and is compiled for a 1 1/16-mile race on the dirt. The racing secretaries who made up the 2002 weighting committee were Mike Lakow of the New York Racing Association, Tom Robbins of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, and Frank Gabriel Jr. of Arlington Park. Gabriel succeeded the late Howard Battle, the longtime racing secretary at Keeneland who had served on the Experimental committee since 1986.

This year's committee weighted a total of 64 colts and geldings, and 56 fillies.

Vindication, owned by Padua Stable and trained by Bob Baffert, capped a 4-for-4 season in 2002 with a 2 3/4-length victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Arlington Park. Vindication, who also won the Kentucky Cup Juvenile, was weighted two pounds more than Toccet, winner of the Champagne, Hollywood Futurity, Remsen, and Laurel Futurity.

Storm Flag Flying was also 4 for 4 in 2002, including victories in the Frizette and Matron stakes in addition to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She is owned by Ogden Mills Phipps and trained by Shug McGaughey. Composure, winner of the Oak Leaf, was rated two pounds below Storm Flag Flying at 121.

2002 Experimental free handicap

Colts & Geldings

Fillies