![]() ![]() The Blue Grass Stakes, while historic, also hasn't produced the results that other Kentucky Derby prep races have. You can also argue that the Polytrack effect, which the Bluegrass was run on from 2007-2014, took a toll on the high level of horses to come to Keeneland to run. Add to that, the last four winners of the Blue Grass, ( Brody's Cause, Carpe Diem, Dance With Fate, and Java's War) never won a race again after winning the Blue Grass. The last horse to run in the Blue Grass and win the Kentucky Derby was Street Sense in 2007. The last time the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner won the Kentucky Derby was Strike the Gold in 1991. The same can be said for the Blue Grass Stakes. So the Wood Memorial, while historic, hasn't produced results. ![]() The last superstar horse to run in the race was Uncle Mo, and he lost. Also, it hasn't had its fair share of star quality names to run in the race in a while. Since 2000, four horses didn't make it to the starting gate at Churchill, many finished in the double digits, and only a handful made it into the superfecta. He was the last Wood Memorial runner to win a Kentucky Derby. The Wood Memorial runner-up that year was Funny Cide, and he won the Kentucky Derby. Of those horses, the best finish by any of the fifteen winners in the Kentucky Derby was Empire Maker when he finished 2nd in 2003. In fact, since 2000, 122 horses have entered the starting gate in the Wood Memorial. The Wood Memorial has produced 11 winners of the Kentucky Derby and four Triple Crown winners, but the race hasn't produced a Kentucky Derby winner since Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000. So why would the commission downgrade these two races? Here are a few reasons why. Both races have produced many Kentucky Derby winners and winners in Triple Crown races. These two races have been run since 19, respectively. Early reaction to these two races being downgraded have been between upset and disappointment. Those two races were the Wood Memorialin New York and the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. Earlier today, the American Graded Stakes Committee announced that two historic Triple Crown prep races would be downgraded from Grade 1 races to Grade 2 races. ![]()
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