or not?
In the last ten years, here is how the system basically stacked up.
"High weights and horses giving five pounds or less to the high weights for the male division account for 48 horses. Thirteen of those 48 horses rated within five pounds of the high weight won a Grade 1 race as a three-year-old. Six of those Grade 1 winners combined to win seven Triple Crown races: Union Rags, 2012 Belmont Stakes; Lookin At Lucky, 2010 Preakness; Super Saver, 2010 Kentucky Derby; Street Sense, 2007 Kentucky Derby; Afleet Alex, 2005 Preakness and Belmont Stakes; and Giacomo, 2005 Kentucky Derby.
There were 26 horses from the group of 48 rated within five pounds of the high weight that went on to win graded stakes as a three-year-old. Thirty-one of the 48 won or placed in a graded stakes race at three.
The highest weight assignment during the 10 years was the 128 assigned to champion Uncle Mo on the 2010 Experimental Free Handicap. Only To Honor and Serve (123 pounds) was within five pounds on Uncle Mo in 2010.
Sixteen of the 25 individual classic winners were not weighted on the Experimental Free Handicap.
Three classic winners — one winner from each Triple Crown race — were assigned high weight or co-high weight on the Experimental Free Handicap: Street Sense (127 pounds on 2006 EFH) won the 2007 Kentucky Derby, Lookin At Lucky (126-pound co-high weight on 2009 EFH) won the 2010 Preakness and Union Rags (126-pound co-high weight on 2011 EFH) won the 2012 Belmont Stakes.
Two fillies have won Triple Crown races in the course of the past 10 years: Rags to Riches, the 2007 Belmont Stakes winner, was not rated among females in 2006 and Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Preakness winner, was rated at 116 pounds in 2008.
New Year’s Day, the high-weighted two-year-old of 2013, did not race at three. He was the first high-weighted horse since champion Vindication in 2002 that did not race at three."
It is very interesting that Uncle Mo had the highest weight assignment considering the number of colts by him that participated in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness this year.
Ed Bowen wrote this retrospective some years ago.
https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/experimental-free-handicap-retrospective-glance
Added for reference:
