# Woodward Stakes

The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade Il stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. It is named for prominent racehorse owner William Woodward.
The race was first run in 1954 at Aqueduct Racetrack and then at Belmont Park in late September. In 2006, the Woodward was moved to Saratoga Race Course where it was run on the final Saturday of the meet until 2020. The race was moved back to Belmont Park in 2021.
The Woodward was run as a handicap in 1954, 1955, and in 1976 and 1977. From 1957 through 1975 it was a weight-for-age event, and was run as an allowance stakes from 1977 through 1987. The race returned to being a handicap event in 1988, 1989, and 1990 then reverted to a weight-for-age race in 1991. In 2014, it was changed to allowance weights, meaning horses that do not meet certain conditions carry less weight. In 2020, it was returned to a handicap basis.

## History

This race is to honor the memory of Belair Stud's William Woodward Sr., a dedicated horseman, who was chairman of the Jockey Club from 1930 to 1950.
Since its inception, the Woodward Stakes has been run at a variety of distances:
* 1 mile – 1954
* 1+1⁄8 miles – 1955, 1976–1977, 1981–1987, 1990–2019, 2021-present
* 1+1⁄4 miles – 1956–1971, 1978–1980, 1988–1989, 2020
* 1+1⁄2 miles – 1972–1975

## Notable Moments

The Woodward has long been one of America's most prestigious stakes races on the East Coast, along with the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Both races currently serve as major preps for the Breeders' Cup Classic. The Woodward has been won by many horses who were subsequently named the American Horse of the Year and twenty winners of the race were eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame: Sword Dancer, Kelso, Gun Bow, Buckpasser, Damascus, Arts and Letters, Forego, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, Slew o’ Gold, Precisionist, Alysheba, Easy Goer, Holy Bull, Cigar, Skip Away, Ghostzapper, Curlin and Rachel Alexandra.
Kelso, the only five-time Horse of the Year in American history, won three consecutive renewals of the race between 1961 and 1963. In the 1964 renewal, he faced the talented Gun Bow, who had already beaten Kelso once that year. The two battled the entire length of the stretch and were separated at the wire by less than an inch: Gun Bow won by the bob of his head.
In 1973, Secretariat lost the Woodward to Prove Out, who set a stakes record for the then-current distance of 1+1⁄2 miles. The next year, Forego began a four-year win streak. Triple Crown winners Seattle Slew and Affirmed also won the race during the 1970s.
In 2009 at age three, Rachel Alexandra became the first female to win the Woodward. It was also her first race against older males. Only one other 3-year-old filly had ever run in the Woodward: Summer Guest in 1972. She finished second to Key to the Mint before being disqualified and placed third. In 2011 Havre De Grace, a 4 year old filly, became the 2nd female to win the Woodward.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1:45.80 for 1+1⁄8 miles – Forego (1976) and Dispersal (1990)
* 1:59.40 for 1+1⁄4 miles – Alysheba (1988)
* 2:25.80 for 1+1⁄2 miles – Prove Out (1973)
Most wins:
* 4 – Forego (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977)
Most wins by an owner:
* 4 – Lazy F Ranch (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 6 – Ángel Cordero Jr. (1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985)
* 6 – Jerry D. Bailey (1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 5 – William I. Mott (1995, 1996, 2012, 2018, 2021)
* 5 – Todd A. Pletcher (2007, 2010, 2015, 2022, 2024)
Wins by a filly or mare:
* Rachel Alexandra (2009)
* Havre de Grace (2011)

## Winners of the Woodward Stakes

| Year | Horse | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Time |
| 2024 | Tapit Trice | 4 | Dylan Davis | Todd A. Pletcher | Whisper Hill Farm & Gainesway Stable | 1:50.09 |
| 2023 | Zandon | 4 | Flavien Prat | Chad C. Brown | Jeff Drown | 1:48.48 |
| 2022 | Life Is Good | 4 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd A. Pletcher | WinStar Farm & China Horse Club Inc | 1:49.57 |
| 2021 | Art Collector | 4 | Luis Saez | William I. Mott | Bruce Lunsford | 1:49.22 |
| 2020 | Global Campaign | 4 | Luis Saez | Stanley M. Hough | Sagamore Farm LLC & WinStar Farm LLC | 2:01.40 |
| 2019 | Preservationist | 6 | Junior Alvarado | Jimmy Jerkens | Centennial Farms | 1:48.11 |
| 2018 | Yoshida | 4 | Joel Rosario | William I. Mott | WinStar Farm, China Horse Club Inc, SF Racing, Head of Plains Partners | 1:48.94 |
| 2017 | Gun Runner | 4 | Florent Geroux | Steve Asmussen | Three Chimneys Farm and Winchell Thoroughbreds | 1:47.43 |
| 2016 | Shaman Ghost | 4 | Javier Castellano | Jimmy Jerkens | Stronach Stables | 1:48.92 |
| 2015 | Liam's Map | 4 | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | Teresa Viola Racing Stables | 1:47.44 |
| 2014 | Itsmyluckyday | 4 | Paco Lopez | Edward Plesa Jr. | Trilogy Stable& Laurie Plesa | 1:48.84 |
| 2013 | Alpha | 4 | John Velazquez | Kiaran McLaughlin | Godolphin Stables | 1:49.28 |
| 2012 | To Honor and Serve | 4 | John Velazquez | William I. Mott | Live Oak Plantation | 1:48.56 |
| 2011 | Havre de Grace ‡ | 4 | Ramon A. Dominguez | J. Larry Jones | Rick Porter | 1:49.18 |
| 2010 | Quality Road | 4 | John Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Edward P. Evans | 1:50.00 |
| 2009 | Rachel Alexandra ‡ | 3 | Calvin Borel | Steve Asmussen | Stonestreet Stables | 1:48.29 |
| 2008 | Curlin | 4 | Robby Albarado | Steve Asmussen | Stonestreet Stables | 1:49.34 |
| 2007 | Lawyer Ron | 4 | John Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Hines Racing LLC | 1:48.60 |
| 2006 | Premium Tap | 4 | Kent Desormeaux | John C. Kimmel | Kline, Alevizos, Whelihan | 1:50.65 |
| 2005 | Saint Liam | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | Richard E. Dutrow Jr. | William K. Warren Jr. | 1:49.07 |
| 2004 | Ghostzapper | 4 | Javier Castellano | Robert J. Frankel | Stronach Stables | 1:46.20 |
| 2003 | Mineshaft | 4 | Robby Albarado | Neil J. Howard | Farish, Elkins, Webber | 1:46.20 |
| 2002 | Lido Palace | 5 | Jorge F. Chavez | Robert J. Frankel | Amerman Racing Stable | 1:47.60 |
| 2001 | Lido Palace | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | Robert J. Frankel | John W. Amerman | 1:47.40 |
| 2000 | Lemon Drop Kid | 4 | Edgar Prado | Scotty Schulhofer | Jeanne G. Vance | 1:50.40 |
| 1999 | River Keen | 7 | Chris Antley | Bob Baffert | Hugo Reynolds | 1:46.80 |
| 1998 | Skip Away | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | Sonny Hine | Carolyn H. Hine | 1:47.80 |
| 1997 | Formal Gold | 4 | Kent Desormeaux | William W. Perry | John D. Murphy | 1:47.40 |
| 1996 | Cigar | 6 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Allen E. Paulson | 1:47.00 |
| 1995 | Cigar | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Allen E. Paulson | 1:47.00 |
| 1994 | Holy Bull | 3 | Mike E. Smith | Warren A. Croll Jr. | Warren A. Croll Jr. | 1:46.80 |
| 1993 | Bertrando | 4 | Gary Stevens | Robert J. Frankel | Edward Nahem & 505 Farms | 1:47.00 |
| 1992 | Sultry Song | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | Patrick J. Kelly | Live Oak Plantation Racing | 1:47.00 |
| 1991 | In Excess | 4 | Gary Stevens | Bruce L. Jackson | Jack J. Munari | 1:46.20 |
| 1990 | Dispersal | 4 | Chris Antley | Grover G. Delp | Tom Meyerhoff | 1:45.80 |
| 1989 | Easy Goer | 3 | Pat Day | Shug McGaughey | Ogden Phipps | 2:01.00 |
| 1988 | Alysheba | 4 | Chris McCarron | Jack Van Berg | Dorothy Scharbauer | 1:59.40 |
| 1987 | Polish Navy | 3 | Randy Romero | Shug McGaughey | Ogden Phipps | 1:47.00 |
| 1986 | Precisionist | 5 | Chris McCarron | L. Ross Fenstermaker | Fred W. Hooper | 1:46.00 |
| 1985 | Track Barron | 4 | Ángel Cordero Jr. | LeRoy Jolley | Peter M. Brant | 1:46.60 |
| 1984 | Slew o' Gold | 4 | Ángel Cordero Jr. | John O. Hertler | Equusequity Stable | 1:47.80 |
| 1983 | Slew o' Gold | 3 | Ángel Cordero Jr. | Sidney Watters Jr. | Equusequity Stable | 1:46.60 |
| 1982 | Island Whirl | 4 | Ángel Cordero Jr. | D. Wayne Lukas | Elcee-H Stable | 1:46.80 |
| 1981 | Pleasant Colony | 3 | Ángel Cordero Jr. | John P. Campo | Buckland Farm | 1:47.20 |
| 1980 | Spectacular Bid | 4 | Bill Shoemaker | Grover G. Delp | Hawksworth Farm | 2:02.40 |
| 1979 | Affirmed | 4 | Laffit Pincay Jr. | Lazaro S. Barrera | Harbor View Farm | 2:01.60 |
| 1978 | Seattle Slew | 4 | Ángel Cordero Jr. | Douglas Peterson | Tayhill Stable | 2:00.00 |
| 1977 | Forego | 7 | Bill Shoemaker | Frank Y. Whiteley Jr. | Lazy F Ranch | 1:48.00 |
| 1976 | Forego | 6 | Bill Shoemaker | Frank Y. Whiteley Jr. | Lazy F Ranch | 1:45.80 |
| 1975 | Forego | 5 | Heliodoro Gustines | Sherrill W. Ward | Lazy F Ranch | 2:27.20 |
| 1974 | Forego | 4 | Heliodoro Gustines | Sherrill W. Ward | Lazy F Ranch | 2:27.40 |
| 1973 | Prove Out | 4 | Jorge Velásquez | H. Allen Jerkens | Hobeau Farm | 2:25.80 |
| 1972 | Key To The Mint | 3 | Braulio Baeza | J. Elliott Burch | Rokeby Stable | 2:28.40 |
| 1971 | West Coast Scout † | 3 | John L. Rotz | Mervin Marks | Oxford Stable | 2:00.40 |
| 1970 | Personality | 3 | Eddie Belmonte | John W. Jacobs | Ethel D. Jacobs | 2:01.80 |
| 1969 | Arts and Letters | 3 | Braulio Baeza | J. Elliott Burch | Rokeby Stable | 2:01.00 |
| 1968 | Mr. Right | 5 | Heliodoro Gustines | Evan S. Jackson | Cheray Duchin | 2:03.00 |
| 1967 | Damascus | 3 | Bill Shoemaker | Frank Y. Whiteley Jr. | Edith W. Bancroft | 2:00.60 |
| 1966 | Buckpasser | 3 | Braulio Baeza | Edward A. Neloy | Ogden Phipps | 2:02.80 |
| 1965 | Roman Brother | 4 | Braulio Baeza | Burley Parke | Harbor View Farm | 2:01.80 |
| 1964 | Gun Bow | 4 | Walter Blum | Edward A. Neloy | Gedney Farm | 2:02.40 |
| 1963 | Kelso | 6 | Ismael Valenzuela | Carl Hanford | Bohemia Stable | 2:00.80 |
| 1962 | Kelso | 5 | Ismael Valenzuela | Carl Hanford | Bohemia Stable | 2:03.20 |
| 1961 | Kelso | 4 | Eddie Arcaro | Carl Hanford | Bohemia Stable | 2:00.00 |
| 1960 | Sword Dancer | 4 | Eddie Arcaro | J. Elliott Burch | Brookmeade Stable | 2:01.20 |
| 1959 | Sword Dancer | 3 | Eddie Arcaro | J. Elliott Burch | Brookmeade Stable | 2:04.40 |
| 1958 | Clem | 4 | Bill Shoemaker | William W. Stephens | Adele L. Rand | 2:01.00 |
| 1957 | Dedicate | 5 | Bill Hartack | G. Carey Winfrey | Jan Burke | 2:01.00 |
| 1956 | Mister Gus | 5 | Ismael Valenzuela | Charlie Whittingham | Gustave Ring | 2:03.00 |
| 1955 | Traffic Judge | 3 | Eddie Arcaro | Woody Stephens | Clifford Mooers | 1:48.20 |
| 1954 | Pet Bully | 6 | Bill Hartack | Tommy Kelly | Ada L. Rice | 1:35.60 |
* A ‡ designates that this is a filly or mare that won the race.
* † Cougar II finished first, but was disqualified and placed third.