The Wood Memorial
84th Running on Saturday, April 5, 2008
$750,000 1 Mile & 1 Furlong 3YO Grade:I 		Stakes Nominations
Past Performances
Year Horse Wt. Time Owner Trainer Jockey Value
2008 Tale of Ekati 123 1:52.535 Charles E. Fipke Barclay Tagg Edgar Prado 450,000
2007 Nobiz Like Shobiz 123 1:49.46 Elizabeth J. Valando Barclay Tagg Cornelio Velasquez 450,000
2006 Bob and John 123 1:51.54 Stonerside Stable Bob Baffert Garrett Gomez 450,000
2005 Bellamy Road 123 1:47 Kinsman Stable Nicholas Zito Javier Castellano 450,000
2004 Tapit 123 1:49 3/5 Ronald Winchell Michael Dickinson Ramon Dominguez 450,000
2003 Empire Maker 123 1:48 3/5 Juddmonte Farms Robert Frankel Jerry Bailey 450,000
2002 Buddha 123 1:48 3/5 Gary and Mary West H. James Bond Pat Day 450,000
2001 Congaree 123 1:47 4/5 Stonerside Stable Bob Baffert Victor Espinoza 450,000
2000 Fusaichi Pegasus 123 1:47 4/5 Fusao Sekiguchi Neil Drysdale Kent Desormeaux 450,000
1999 Adonis 123 1:47 3/5 Paraneck Stable Nicholas P. Zito Jorge Chavez 360,000
1998 Coronado's Quest 123 1:47 2/5 Stuart Janney III Claude McGaughey III Robbie Davis 300,000
1997 Captain Bodgit 123 1:48 1/5 Team Valor Gary Capuano Alex Solis 300,000
1996 Unbridled's Song 123 1:49 4/5 Paraneck Stable James T. Ryerson Mike Smith 300,000
1995 Talkin Man 123 1:49 1/5 Kinghaven Farm Roger Attfield Shane Sellers 300,000
1994 Irgun 123 1:49 Brandon & Marianne Chase Steven W. Young Gary Stevens 300,000
1993 Storm Tower 126 1:48 2/5 Char-Mari Stable Ben W. Perkins Jr. Rick Wilson 300,000
1992 Devil His Due 126 1:49 1/5 Lion Crest Stable H. Allen Jerkens Mike Smith 300,000
1991 Cahill Road 126 1:48 2/5 Frances A. Genter Flint S. Schulhofer Craig Perret 300,000
1990 Thirty Six Red 126 1:50 2/5 B. Giles Brophy Nicholas P. Zito Mike Smith 362,400
1989 Easy Goer 126 1:50 3/5 Ogden Phipps Claude R. McGaughey III Pat Day 340,800
1988 Private Terms 126 1:47 1/5 Locust Hill Farm Charles Hadry Chris Antley 359,400
1987 Gulch 126 1:49 Peter M. Brant Leroy Jolley Jose Santos 354,300
1986 Broad Brush 126 1:50 3/5 Robert E. Meyerhoff Richard W. Small Vince Bracciale 178,500
1985 Eternal Prince 126 1:48 4/5 Brian J. Hurst John J. Lenzini Jr. Richard Migliore 177,900
1984 Leroy S. 126 1:51 2/5 John A. Nerud Jan Nerud Jean Cruguet 180,000
1983 Bounding Basque 126 1:51 2/5 Jacques Wimpfheimer Woody Sedlacek Gregg McCarron 100,980
1983 Slew o' Gold 126 1:51 Equusequity Stable Sidney Watters Jr. Eddie Maple 101,700
1982 Air Forbes Won 126 1:51 Edward Anchel Frank LaBoccetta Angel Cordero Jr. 105,120
1981 Pleasant Colony 126 1:49 3/5 Buckland Farm John P. Campo Jeffrey Fell 98,280
1980 Plugged Nickle l26 l:50 4/5 John M. Schiff Thomas J. Kelly Buck Thornburg 87,300
1979 Instrument Landing l26 l:49 l/5 Pen-Y-Bryn Farm David Whiteley Angel Cordero Jr. 85,650
1978 Believe It l26 l:49 4/5 Hickory Tree Stable Woody C. Stephens Eddie Maple 65,490
1977 Seattle Slew l26 l:49 3/5 Karen L. Taylor William H. Turner Jr. Jean Cruguet 66,l80
1976 Bold Forbes l26 l:47 2/5 E. Rodriguez Tizol Lazaro S. Barrera Angel Cordero Jr. 67,560
1975 Foolish Pleasure l26 l:48 4/5 John L. Greer Leroy Jolley Jacinto Vasquez 72,840
1974 Flip Sal l26 l:5l 2/5 Salvatore Tufano Stephen DiMauro Angel Cordero Jr. 69,360
1974 Rube The Great l26 l:49 3/5 Sigmund Sommer Frank Martin Miguel A. Rivera 69,660
1973 Angle Light l26 l:49 4/5 Edwin Whittaker Lucien Laurin Jacinto Vasquez 68,940
1972 Upper Case l26 l:49 Meadow Stable Lucien Laurin Ron Turcotte 7l,040
1971 Good Behaving l26 l:49 4/5 Neil Hellman John P. Campo Chuck Baltazar 67,320
1970 Personality l26 l:49 2/5 Mrs. Ethel D. Jacobs John W. Jacobs Eddie Belmonte 76,570
1969 Dike l26 l:49 3/5 Claiborne Farm Lucien Laurin Jorge Velasquez 72,085
1968 Dancer's Image l26 l:49 Peter Fuller Lou Cavalaris Jr. Robert Ussery 73,775
1967 Damascus l26 l:49 3/5 Mrs. Edith W. Bancroft Frank Y. Whiteley Jr. William Shoemaker 73,060
1966 Amberoid l26 l:49 3/5 Reginald N. Webster Lucien Laurin William Boland 74,425
1965 Flag Raiser l26 l:50 l/5 Isidor Bieber Hirsch Jacobs Robert Ussery 60,222
1964 Quadrangle l26 l:50 l/5 Rokeby Stable - W. Hartack 58,0l3
1963 No Robbery l26 l:49 l/5 Greentree Stable - J. L. Rotz 59,020
1962 Admiral's Voyage l26 l:49 l/5 Fred W. Hooper - B. Baeza 59,703
1961 Globemaster l26 l:50 l/5 Leonard P. Sasso - J.L. Rotz 56,062
1960 Francis S. l26 l:50 l/5 Harbor View Farm - W. Shoemaker 60,465
1959 Manassa Mauler l26 l:49 3/5 Emil Dolce - R. Broussard 55,9l5
1958 Jewel's Reward l26 l:50 l/5 Maine Chance Farm - E. Arcaro 37,575
1957 Bold Ruler l26 l:48 4/5 Wheatley Stable - E. Arcaro 40,800
1956 Head Man l26 l:50 l/5 C. V. Whitney - E. Arcaro 42,400
1955 Nashua l26 l:50 3/5 Belair Stud - T. Atkinson 75,l00
1954 Correlation l26 l:50 R. S. Lytle - W. Shoemaker 86,000
1953 Native Dancer l26 l:50 3/5 Alfred G.Vanderbilt - E. Guerin 87,000
1952 Master Fiddle l26 l:52 2/5 Myhelen Stable - D. Gorman 45,200
1951 Repetoire l26 l:44 2/5 Mrs. N. A. Mikell - P. McLean 35,250
1950 Hill Prince l26 l:43 3/5 C. T. Chenery - E. Arcaro 34,500
1949 Olympia l26 l:45 F. W. Hooper - E. Arcaro 3l,850
1948 My Request l26 l:46 l/5 B. F. Whitaker - D. Dodson 34,600
1947 Phalanx l26 l:43 4/5 C. V. Whitney - E. Arcaro 3l,325
1947 I Will l26 l:45 Jaclyn Stable - E. Arcaro 3l,625
1946 Assault l26 l:46 3/5 King Ranch - W. Mehrtens 22,600
1945 Jeep l26 l:45 4/5 C. V. Whitney - A. Kirkland l8,945
1945 Hoop, Jr. l26 l:45 F. W. Hooper - E. Arcaro l8,945
1944 Lucky Draw l26 l:46 l/5 G. D. Widener - J. Longden 2l,ll5
1944 Stir Up l26 l:44 l/5 Greentree Stable - E. Arcaro l9,625
1943 Count Fleet l26 l:43 Mrs. J. D. Hertz - J. Longden 20,l50
1942 Requested l20 l:45 l/5 B. F. Whitaker - W. D. Wright 22,900
1941 Market Wise l20 l:45 3/5 Louis Tufano - D. Meade l6,650
1940 Dit l20 l:45 4/5 W. Arnold Hanger - L. Haas l9,225
1939 Johnstown l20 l:42 Belair Stud - J. Stout l7,675
1938 Fighting Fox l20 l:43 Belair Stud - J. Stout l7,450
1937 Melodist l20 l:42 4/5 Wheatley Stable - J. Longden l9,l50
1936 Teufel ll2 l:43 l/5 Wheatley Stable - E. Litzenberger l0,775
1935 Today ll2 l:42 4/5 C. V. Whitney - R. Workman ll,350
1934 High Quest l20 l:43 4/5 Brookmeade Stable - D. Bellizzi 3,990
1933 Mr. Khayyam l22 l:42 3/5 Catawba Farm - P. Walls 3,760
1932 Universe l20 l:43 T. M. Cassidy - L. McAtee l0,400
1931 Twenty Grand l20 l:42 3/5 Greentree Stable - C. Kurtsinger l0,200
1930 Gallant Fox l20 l:43 3/5 Belair Stud - E. Sande l0,l50
1929 Essare ll0 l:44 Jacques Stable - M. Garner ll,000
1928 Distraction l20 l:46 Wheatley Stable - D. McAuliffe ll,300
1927 Saxon ll7 l:43 3/5 Greentree Stable - G. Ellis 9,005
1926 Pompey l20 l:42 W. R. Coe - B. Breuning 8,700
1925 Backbone ll0 l:43 2/5 H. P. Whitney - I. Parke 7,600

The Wood Memorial is the last major New York prep race for the Kentucky Derby, and throughout its history has been a significant springboard to success at Churchill Downs. Beginning with Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox in 1930, 11 Wood winners have gone on to take the Run for the Roses.

Included among them are Triple Crown winners Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946) and Seattle Slew (1977), as well as Twenty Grand (1931), Johnstown (1939), Hoop Jr. (1945), Foolish Pleasure (1975), Bold Forbes (1976), Pleasant Colony (1981) and Fusaichi Pegasus (2000).

All but a handful of Wood winners have gone on to run in the Derby, with 23 of them taking the favorite’s role, most recently Empire Maker in 2003. The roster of Wood winners who were beaten favorites in the Derby reads like a Who’s Who in Racing, notably Easy Goer (1989), Damascus (1967), Bold Ruler (1957), Nashua (1955), Native Dancer (1953) and Phalanx (1947).

The most stunning upset in Wood Memorial history was in 1973. Yes, Secretariat had lost before, in his very first race, but over his next 10 races he would finish 38 ¼ lengths ahead of his nearest rivals. While disqualified to second in the Champagne, his victories included the Sanford, Hopeful, Futurity, Laurel Futurity, Garden State, Bay Shore and Gotham Stakes, with the nine furlong Wood supposedly just another stop on his triumphant march to Louisville.

But Secretariat proved no match for his stablemate Angle Light, who zipped into the lead and never looked back, leaving the wonder horse to finish third. Trainer Lucien Laurin blamed an abscess in the colt’s mouth for the loss, but many handicappers felt the race exposed Secretariat’s distance limitations. (Of course, they were proven wrong).

Secretariat was one of a number of horses who lost the Wood but went on to win at Churchill Downs. Triple Crown winner Omaha lost the Wood, as did Monarchos and Funny Cide, both of whom finished second but went on to win the Derby. Other runners-up who came back to win in Louisville were Middleground, who finished second in 1950; Carry Back, who was second in 1961; Genuine Risk, who was third in 1980 and Go for Gin, who was second in 1994.

First run in 1925, the race was named in honor of Eugene D. Wood, a politician and racing enthusiast who was a founder of the old Jamaica Racetrack, where the race was run until 1960.

The late Eddie Arcaro holds the record for the most victories in the Wood by a jockey with nine; trainer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons holds the record for trainers with seven Wood winners. Among current trainers, Nick Zito has three Wood wins on his resume, most recently with Bellamy Road, who set a stakes record of 1:47.16 in 2005.