Shanghai Bobby tops Experimental Free Handicap at 126 pounds

Shanghai Bobby, unbeaten at age 2 and the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male of 2012, on Wednesday was given top weight of 126 pounds in the Experimental Free Handicap, a weight-based ranking of the previous year’s 2-year-olds put out annually by The Jockey Club.

The Experimental weights are based on a theoretical race at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, the exact conditions of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which Shanghai Bobby won to complete a 5-for-5 season. He also won the Champagne and Hopeful.

He’s Had Enough, second in the BC Juvenile, and Violence, the unbeaten winner of the CashCall Futurity, are next among males at 123 pounds.

They are followed by George Vancouver, who won the BC Juvenile Turf, and Power Broker, winner of the FrontRunner Stakes and later fifth in the BC Juvenile, both at 121 pounds. George Vancouver never raced on dirt last year, though he did win against maidens on an all-weather surface at Dundalk in Ireland.

Itsmyluckyday, who sent Shanghai Bobby to the first defeat of his career last weekend in the Holy Bull, was assigned 112 pounds for his 2-year-old form.

Beholder, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, tops the filly version of the Experimental with 123 pounds. She was named the champion 2-year-old filly of 2012.

Executiveprivilege, second in the BC Juvenile Fillies after defeating Beholder two starts earlier in the Del Mar Debutante, is second on the filly list at 122 pounds.

Flotilla, who won the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Kauai Katie, fourth in the BC Juvenile Fillies after winning the Matron and Adirondack, are next on the list at 120 pounds. Like George Vancouver, Flotilla never raced on dirt last year.

Dreaming of Julia, third in the BC Juvenile Fillies while finishing in front of Kauai Katie, was weighted 1 pound below Kauai Katie at 119 pounds along with Tempted winner My Happy Face, a narrow loser to Dreaming of Julia in the Frizette, and Pure Fun, who won the Hollywood Starlet.

To be eligible for the list, a 2-year-old must have finished in the top four in a graded or listed stakes race in the continental United States in 2012. There were 125 males – and 117 females – eligible for the list.

Harlan’s Holiday, the sire of Shanghai Bobby, had the most males on the list, with five. City Zip and Malibu Moon had the most fillies on the list, with five each. Combining the two lists, Harlan’s Holiday, Kitten’s Joy, and Malibu Moon had the most representatives, with six each. Henny Hughes, the sire of Beholder, is among those tied for second overall, with five of his progeny making the lists.

Of the 242 juveniles weighted, 152 were bred in Kentucky.

The Experimental Free Handicap, put out in late January every year since 1935, was compiled this year by three racing secretaries from three regions of the country – Tom Robbins of Del Mar, Ben Huffman of Churchill Downs, and P.J. Campo of the New York Racing Association.