Keeneland Racecourse - Photo courtesy Tom Ferry
would only grow: in 2003, it was won by the Belmont upset Empire Maker, and the next year by successful sire Tapit. In 2005, George Steinbrenner’s Bellamy Road would win the Wood Memorial by a remarkable 17 ½ lengths with a final time of 1:47.16 – a stakes record for the nine furlong race.
GULFSTREAM PARK: At Gulfstream Park under the warm Miami sun, a wave of horseflesh hurdles towards the ocean. On this oval, arguably the greatest Derby prospects of the east coast collide to earn their place atop the three year old ranks. Early favoritism is won in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (GII) while the Derby choice is Though the Wood Memorial has faced a short drought of often determined by the track’s following qualifier, the Florida Kentucky Derby winners, the contest has lost nothing in quality. Derby (GI). In 2009, I Want Revenge won the race in remarkable fashion. The dark bay colt was made the clear Derby favorite, only to Hosting its first race meet in 1939, Gulfstream Park has been be famously scratched the morning of the run for the roses. the stomping ground of countless Kentucky Derby hopefuls. The next year, Eskendereya romped the race, gaining favoritism The Florida Derby quickly became an important contest after its for the Kentucky Derby, only to be withdrawn from the race first installment in 1952. Within ten years, its winners included the week before. In 2013, Verrazano won the Wood Memorial Nashua, Needles,Tim Tam, Carry Back and Ridan. In 1957, Gen. before an unfortunate fourteenth in the Derby. However, the Duke would win the Florida Derby with a stakes record time that impressive colt later won the Haskell Invitational Stakes (GI) and still remains today – a world record at the time. The nine furlong ran well in Europe’s top races as a four-year-old. He was third contest has produced thirteen Kentucky Derby winners, most to Olympic Glory in the Lockinge Stakes (Gr-I), then was beaten notably Northern Dancer, Spectacular Bid, and Swale. Its long only ¾ of a length by Toronado in Royal Ascot’s Queen Anne list of graduates also includes Candy Spots, Forward Pass, Alydar, Stakes (Gr-I). In 2015, Wood Memorial winner Frosted finished Unbridled, Thunder Gulch, Monarchos, and Empire Maker. The fourth in the Kentucky Derby, second in the Belmont, third in the Florida Derby’s recent three-year-old sensations are highlighted Travers Stakes (GI), and won the Pennsylvania Derby (GII). by the late Kentucky Derby champion Barbaro (2006), Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown (2008), and Kentucky The Wood Memorial winner has usually come out of one of Derby winner Orb (2013). Aqueduct’s previous contests for three-year-old colts – the Jerome Stakes (GIII), the Withers (GIII), or the Gotham Stakes KEENELAND: (GIII). With its overwhelming list of graduates, the Wood “A nobler want of man is served by nature, namely, the love Memorial has drawn in visitors in recent years as well. In 2010, of Beauty,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson in Nature. The Kentucky Derby hopeful Eskendereya opted out of the Florida Thoroughbred breed is undoubtedly one of nature’s finest Derby after winning Gulfstream Park’s other three-year-old prep masterpieces. Perhaps there is no better place to observe the races for the Wood Memorial, which he won by an impressive brilliance of this breed than at Keeneland Racecourse, where 9 ¾ lengths. the horse racing world gathers together in pursuit of a dream. INTERNATIONAL RACEHORSE
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