The Experimental Free Handicap, published annually in late January by The Jockey Club since 1935, is compiled for a hypothetical race for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. To be eligible for weighting, a 2-year-old must have finished in the top four in a graded or listed stakes race run in the continental United States. Listed stakes in 2012 were those with a value of $75,000 or more available to all starters, and no restrictions other than age or sex.
The weighting committee of racing secretaries consists of Ben Huffman of Churchill Downs and Keeneland, P.J. Campo of the New York Racing Association and Thomas S. Robbins of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. They assign weights to eligible horses based on accomplishments during the 2-year-old season.
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