Wood Memorial Stakes


The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt. The Wood Memorial has been run as a Grade II event since 2017. It was a Grade I race from 1974 to 1994 and again from 2002 to 2016.
The Wood Memorial is one of the major prep races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Between 1930 and 2000, eleven winners of the Wood Memorial went on to win the Kentucky Derby. Four of them also won the Triple Crown. The most famous loser in the Wood Memorial was Secretariat, who finished third in 1973.
The winner of the Wood Memorial has not won the Kentucky Derby since 2000, in part because several became injured in the weeks between the two races. For example, Toby's Corner missed the Derby with lameness in his left hind leg, Eskendereya with a soft tissue injury in his left front leg, I Want Revenge with a ligament injury to his right front ankle and Buddha with separation of the hoof wall from the laminae of his left front leg.
The race was named to honor Eugene D. Wood, a New York State politician and horse racing enthusiast who had been a founder and past president of the old Jamaica Race Course where the race was run until 1960.
From 1925 to 1939, the Wood Memorial was run over a distance of one mile and seventy yards, then at miles from 1940 to 1951, after which it was changed to its present miles. All entrants currently carry a weight of 123 lb.
The race was run in two divisions in 1944, 1945, 1947, 1974, and 1983.

Records

In 2005, Bellamy Road set a new stakes record of 1:47.16 at the mile distance in winning by lengths for his owner, George Steinbrenner.
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Dist.
Time
Win$
Gr.
2019Tacitus3Jose OrtizWilliam I. MottJuddmonte Farms Inc.1 m1:51.23$400,000G2
2018Vino Rosso3John VelazquezTodd PletcherRepole Stable & St. Elias Stable1 m1:49.79$535,000G2
2017Irish War Cry3Rajiv MaraghH. Graham MotionIsabelle de Tomaso1 m1:50.91$400,000G2
2016Outwork3John VelazquezTodd PletcherRepole Stable1 m1:52.92$590,000G1
2015Frosted3Joel RosarioKiaran McLaughlinGodolphin Racing1 m1:50.31$590,000G1
2014Wicked Strong3Rajiv MaraghJames JerkensCentennial Farms1 m1:49.31$590,000G1
2013Verrazano3John VelazquezTodd A. PletcherLet's Go Stables1 m1:50.27$600,000G1
2012Gemologist3Javier CastellanoTodd PletcherWinStar Farm1 m1:50.96$600,000G1
2011Toby's Corner3Eddie CastroH. Graham MotionDianne Cotter1 m1:49.93$600,000G1
2010Eskendereya3John VelazquezTodd A. PletcherZayat Stables1 m1:49.97$450,000G1
2009I Want Revenge3Joseph TalamoJeff MullinsDavid J. Lanzman & IEAH Stables1 m1:49.49$450,000G1
2008Tale of Ekati3Edgar PradoBarclay TaggCharles E. Fipke1 m1:52.35$450,000G1
2007Nobiz Like Shobiz3Cornelio VelasquezBarclay TaggElizabeth J. Valando1 m1:49.46$450,000G1
2006Bob and John3Garrett GomezBob BaffertStonerside Stable1 m1:51.54$450,000G1
2005Bellamy Road3Javier CastellanoNick ZitoKinsman Stable1 m1:47.16$450,000G1
2004Tapit3Ramon A. DominguezMichael W. DickinsonRonald Winchell1 m1:49.60$450,000G1
2003Empire Maker3Jerry BaileyRobert J. FrankelJuddmonte Farms1 m1:48.60$450,000G1
2002Buddha3Pat DayH. James BondGary & Mary West1 m1:48.60$450,000G1
2001Congaree3Victor EspinozaBob BaffertStonerside Stable1 m1:47.80$450,000G2
2000Fusaichi Pegasus3Kent DesormeauxNeil D. DrysdaleFusao Sekiguchi1 m1:47.80$450,000G2
1999Adonis3Jorge ChavezNick ZitoParaneck Stable1 m1:47.60$360,000G2
1998Coronado's Quest3Robbie DavisC. R. McGaughey IIIStuart S. Janney III1 m1:47.40$300,000G2
1997Captain Bodgit3Alex SolisGary CapuanoTeam Valor1 m1:48.20$300,000G2
1996Unbridled's Song3Mike E. SmithJames T. RyersonParaneck Stable1 m1:49.80$300,000G2
1995Talkin Man3Shane SellersRoger AttfieldKinghaven Farms1 m1:49.20$300,000G2
1994Irgun3Gary StevensSteven W. YoungBrandon & Marianne Chase1 m1:49.00$300,000G1
1993Storm Tower3Rick WilsonBenjamin W. Perkins Jr.Char-Mari Stable1 m1:48.40$300,000G1
1992Devil His Due3Mike E. SmithH. Allen JerkensLion Crest Stable1 m1:49.20$300,000G1
1991Cahill Road3Craig PerretScotty SchulhoferFrances A. Genter1 m1:48.40$300,000G1
1990Thirty Six Red3Mike E. SmithNick ZitoB. Giles Brophy1 m1:50.40$362,400G1
1989Easy Goer3Pat DayC. R. McGaughey IIIOgden Phipps1 m1:50.60$340,800G1
1988Private Terms3Chris AntleyCharles HadryLocust Hill Farm1 m1:47.20$359,400G1
1987Gulch3José A. SantosLeRoy JolleyPeter M. Brant1 m1:49.00$354,300G1
1986Broad Brush3Vincent Bracciale Jr.Richard W. SmallRobert E. Meyerhoff1 m1:50.60$178,500G1
1985Eternal Prince3Richard MiglioreJohn J. Lenzini Jr.Brian J. Hurst1 m1:48.80$177,900G1
1984Leroy S.3Jean CruguetJan NerudJohn A. Nerud1 m1:51.40$180,000G1
1983Bounding Basque3Gregg McCarronWoody SedlacekJacques Wimpfheimer1 m1:51.00$100,980G1
1982-1Air Forbes Won3Angel Cordero Jr.Frank LaBoccettaEdward Anchel1 m1:51.00$105,120G1
1983-2Slew o' Gold3Eddie MapleSidney Watters Jr.Equusequity Stable1 m1:51.40$101,700G1
1981Pleasant Colony3Jeffrey FellJohn P. CampoBuckland Farm1 m1:49.60$98,280G1
1980Plugged Nickle3Buck ThornburgThomas J. KellyJohn M. Schiff1 m1:50.80$87,300G1
1979Instrument Landing3Angel Cordero Jr.David A. WhiteleyPen-Y-Bryn Farm1 m1:49.20$85,650G1
1978Believe It3Eddie MapleWoody StephensHickory Tree Stable1 m1:49.80$65,490G1
1977Seattle Slew3Jean CruguetWilliam H. Turner Jr.Karen L. Taylor1 m1:49.60$66,180G2
1976Bold Forbes3Angel Cordero Jr.Laz BarreraE. Rodriguez Tizol1 m1:47.40$67,560G1
1975Foolish Pleasure3Jacinto VasquezLeRoy JolleyJohn L. Greer1 m1:48.80$72,840G1
1974-1Flip Sal3Angel Cordero Jr.Stephen A. DiMauroSalvatore Tufano1 m1:51.40$69,360G1
1974-2Rube The Great3Miguel A. RiveraPancho MartinSigmund Sommer1 m1:49.60$69,660G1
1973Angle Light3Jacinto VasquezLucien LaurinEdwin Whittaker1 m1:49.80$68,940G1
1972Upper Case3Ron TurcotteLucien LaurinMeadow Stable1 m1:49.00$71,040
1971Good Behaving3Chuck BaltazarJohn P. CampoNeil Hellman1 m1:49.80$67,320
1970Personality3Eddie BelmonteJohn W. JacobsEthel D. Jacobs1 m1:49.40$76,570
1969Dike3Jorge VelasquezLucien LaurinClaiborne Farm1 m1:49.60$72,085
1968Dancer's Image3Bobby UsseryLou Cavalaris Jr.Peter D. Fuller1 m1:49.00$73,775
1967Damascus3Bill ShoemakerFrank Y. Whiteley Jr.Edith W. Bancroft1 m1:49.60$73,060
1966Amberoid3William BolandLucien LaurinReginald N. Webster1 m1:49.60$74,425
1965Flag Raiser3Bobby UsseryHirsch JacobsIsidor Bieber1 m1:50.20$60,222
1964Quadrangle3Bill HartackJ. Elliott BurchRokeby Stable1 m1:50.20$58,013
1963No Robbery3John L. RotzJohn M. Gaver Sr.Greentree Stable1 m1:49.20$59,020
1962Admiral's Voyage3Braulio BaezaCharles R. ParkeFred W. Hooper1 m1:49.20$59,703
1961Globemaster3John L. RotzThomas J. KellyLeonard P. Sasso1 m1:50.20$56,062
1960Francis S.3Bill ShoemakerBurley ParkeHarbor View Farm1 m1:50.20$60,465
1959Manassa Mauler3Ray BroussardPancho MartinEmil Dolce1 m1:49.60$55,915
1958Jewel's Reward3Eddie ArcaroIvan H. ParkeMaine Chance Farm1 m1:50.20$37,575
1957Bold Ruler3Eddie ArcaroJim FitzsimmonsWheatley Stable1 m1:48.80$40,800
1956Head Man3Eddie ArcaroSylvester VeitchC. V. Whitney1 m1:50.20$42,400
1955Nashua3Ted AtkinsonJim FitzsimmonsBelair Stud1 m1:50.60$75,100
1954Correlation3Bill ShoemakerNoble ThreewittRobert S. Lytle1 m1:50.00$86,000
1953Native Dancer3Eric GuerinWilliam C. WinfreyAlfred G. Vanderbilt II1 m1:50.60$87,000
1952Master Fiddle3David GormanSol RutchickMyhelen Stable1 m1:52.40$45,200
1951Repetoire3Pete McLeanAlbert JensenNora A. Mikell1 m1:44.40$35,250
1950Hill Prince3Eddie ArcaroCasey HayesChristopher Chenery1 m1:43.60$34,500
1949Olympia3Eddie ArcaroIvan H. ParkeFred W. Hooper1 m1:45.00$31,850
1948My Request3Douglas DodsonJames P. ConwayFlorence Whitaker1 m1:46.20$34,600
1947-1I Will3Eddie ArcaroSidney JacobsJaclyn Stable1 m1:45.00$31,625
1947-2Phalanx3Eddie ArcaroSylvester VeitchC. V. Whitney1 m1:43.80$31,325
1946Assault3Warren MehrtensMax HirschKing Ranch1 m1:46.60$22,600
1945-2Jeep3Arnold KirklandLydell T. RuffC. V. Whitney1 m1:45.80$18,945
1945-1Hoop Jr.3Eddie ArcaroIvan H. ParkeFred W. Hooper1 m1:45.00$18,945
1944-1Stir Up3Eddie ArcaroJohn M. Gaver Sr.Greentree Stable1 m1:44.20$19,625
1944-2Lucky Draw3Johnny LongdenBert MulhollandGeorge D. Widener Jr.1 m1:46.20$20,115
1943Count Fleet3Johnny LongdenDon CameronFannie Hertz1 m1:43.00$20,150
1942Requested3Wayne D. WrightBlackie McCooleFlorence Whitaker1 m1:45.20$22,900
1941Market Wise3Don MeadeGeorge W. CarrollLouis Tufano1 m1:45.60$16,650
1940Dit3Leon HaasMax HirschW. Arnold Hanger1 m1:45.80$19,225
1939Johnstown3James StoutJim FitzsimmonsBelair Stud1m, 70 yds1:42.00$17,675
1938Fighting Fox3James StoutJim FitzsimmonsBelair Stud1m, 70 yds1:43.00$17,450
1937Melodist3Johnny LongdenJim FitzsimmonsWheatley Stable1m, 70 yds1:42.80$19,150
1936Teufel3Herbert LitzenbergerJim FitzsimmonsWheatley Stable1m, 70 yds1:43.20$10,775
1935Today3Raymond WorkmanThomas J. HealeyC. V. Whitney1m, 70 yds1:42.80$11,350
1934High Quest3Dominick BellizziRobert A. SmithBrookmeade Stable1m, 70 yds1:43.80$3,990
1933Mr. Khayyam3Pete WallsMatthew Peter BradyCatawba Farm 1m, 70 yds1:42.60$3,760
1932Universe3Linus McAteeJoseph BauerThomas M. Cassidy1m, 70 yds1:43.00$10,400
1931Twenty Grand3Charley KurtsingerJames G. Rowe Jr.Greentree Stable1m, 70 yds1:42.60$10,200
1930Gallant Fox3Earl SandeJim FitzsimmonsBelair Stud1m, 70 yds1:43.60$10,150
1929Essare3Mack GarnerJoe JohnsonJacques Stable1m, 70 yds1:44.00$11,000
1928Distraction3Danny McAuliffeGeorge TappenWheatley Stable1m, 70 yds1:46.00$11,300
1927Saxon3George EllisJames G. Rowe Sr.Greentree Stable1m, 70 yds1:43.60$9,005
1926Pompey3Bennie BreuningWilliam H. KarrickWilliam R. Coe1m, 70 yds1:42.00$8,700
1925Backbone3Ivan H. ParkeJames G. Rowe Sr.Harry Payne Whitney1m, 70 yds1:43.40$7,600

Notes:
  1. In 1956, Golf Ace won but was disqualified and placed 2nd.
  2. In 1962, Admiral's Voyage and Sunrise County finished in a dead heat. However, Sunrise County, was disqualified and placed 2nd.
  3. Leroy S., Cahill Road, Irgun, Coronado's Quest, Buddha. I Want Revenge, Eskendereya, and Toby's Corner are recent horses to win the Wood Memorial Stakes, but not run in the Kentucky Derby.