Kentucky Derby Blog

Kentucky Derby 134 Blog About Dual Qualifiers: posted 3/12/08- Charles- I have gotten a lot of questions about dual qualifiers and want to give everyone a basic outline of what they are talking about: The Experimental Free Handicap, published annually by The Jockey Club since 1935, is a weight-based assessment of the previous year’s leading two-year-olds, with the weights compiled for a hypothetical race at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. This year’s weighting committee gave War Pass, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, the high weight assignment of 127 pounds on the 2007 Experimental Free Handicap. The 127 pounds assigned to War Pass equals last year’s high weight, Street Sense, which was the highest assignment for a colt since Favorite Trick received 128 pounds on the 1997 Experimental Free Handicap. The filly division is headed by undefeated Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Indian Blessing at 123 pounds. The committee weighted a total of 105 males and 99 fillies. Eligible for weighting were all two-year-olds of 2007 that finished among the top four in graded or other unrestricted races with an added value of at least $75,000, run in the United States. Some handicappers use the Experimental rankings in conjunction with a horse's dosage index in determining which horses are "dual qualifiers" for the Kentucky Derby. Horses ranked within 10 pounds of the male topweight or who are a champion in another country and have a Dosage Index of 4.0 or less and a Center of Distribution of 1.25 or less are considered the dual qualifiers. These horses have statistically shown that they have a better chance at winning the Derby. Dosage index is a scientific classification of a horses pedigree, speed and stamina -among other criteria. Please keep in mind in recent years there has been some debate about the Dual Qualifiers theory..and while the jury may still be out, many of these horses do run well in at least one leg of the Triple Crown 2008 Dual qualifiers are highlighted below with an asterisk by their name. For more information about a horse's dosage index visit-www.chef-de-race.com. Last updated 3/12/08 2:00 pm EST