Darley Stable’s Bernardini earned the top Equibase Speed Figure recorded in 2006 – a 130 for his 5 ¼-length victory in the Preakness Stakes – according to Equibase Company LLC, the North American Thoroughbred industry’s official database for racing information.

Equibase today released the final lists of the top Equibase Speed Figures earned in each racing division during 2006. The lists are available through the Racing Leaders section of http://www.equibase.com.

In addition to his top-ranked Preakness performance, Bernardini also recorded last year’s second highest Equibase Speed Figure of 129 for his victories in both the Travers Stakes and The Jockey Club Gold Cup.

“He earned those top speed figures with such ease,” said Bernardini’s trainer, Tom Albertrani, “that I’m sure if he had been asked to do more, he could have gotten an even higher figure.”

Surf Cat and Fabulous Strike each earned a 128 for their victories in the San Carlos Handicap and Christmas Stakes, respectively, while four others registered a 127: Barbaro for his victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, Invasor (ARG) for his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge, Aragorn (IRE) for his victory in the Eddie Read Handicap and Ashkal Way (IRE) for his victory in the Citation Handicap.

The Equibase Speed Figure is the world’s most widely distributed speed figure and is published in more than 25 million official past performance programs sold in North America annually. The figure is a numerical assessment of the quality of a horse’s final time in a North American Thoroughbred race.

Equibase Company LLC is a partnership between The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America. Through its website, http://www.equibase.com, the company offers an ever-increasing menu of racing information and handicapping products for handicappers of all skill levels.