Miss Woodford (1880–1899) was a champion American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse who was one of the top American fillies of all time, winning 16 consecutive races.

Background

Miss Woodford was bred in Kentucky by the Ezekiel Clay & Catesby Woodford breeding partnership and foaled at Clay's Runnymeade Stud. Miss Woodford was by Billet, who was imported from England and went on to be the Leading sire in North America in 1883, due almost entirely to Miss Woodford. She was out of the unraced mare Fancy Jane, who was by Neil Robinson. Miss Woodford was sold to Mike and Phil Dwyer of the Dwyer Brothers Stable to replace Hindoo, their retired champion. They traded Hindoo as a stallion prospect plus a couple of fillies to her then owner, George W. Bowen, in exchange for $9,000 cash and his three-year-old filly. The fillies were two daughters of the mare Maggie B.B.: Red and Blue by Alarm, and the stakes winner Francesca by the leading sire Leamington.

Racing career

Miss Woodford had already raced for Bowen & Company, winning the

Spinaway Stakes The Spinaway Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old fillies, it is a Grade I event contested at a distance of seven furlongs (1,408 metres) on dirt. ...

. After she was purchased by the Dwyers, Miss Woodford, like Hindoo, was trained by National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee James G. Rowe, Sr. A dispute with the Dwyers concerning Miss Woodford caused Rowe to resign and become a racing official. Eventually, though, Rowe returned to training, campaigning great runners such as Sysonby, Colin, two-time Horse of the Year (1900-1901) Commando: the sire of Colin, Peter Pan, Maskette and Sweep.) At the time they acquired Miss Woodford, the Dwyer brothers already owned a colt who was considered the best of his crop. With the addition of Miss Woodford, they now owned a top colt, George Kinney, and a top filly. One of the highlights of her three-year-old season was defeating George Kinney, her stablemate who had won the Belmont Stakes. At three, four, and five, Miss Woodford won 16 consecutive races. By the end of her fifth year of racing, Miss Woodford was America's leading money winner, having earned $98,179. She won six races in less than two months at the age of six.Thoroughbred Heritage: Billet
Retrieved 2010-11-17 One of her best efforts was the Eclipse Stake at the Fair Grounds in

St Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

. There she faced the first two winners of the

American Derby The American Derby is a Thoroughbred horse race in the United States run annually at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The inaugural American Derby was held at Chicago's old Washington Park Race Track on the city's South Side and ra ...

: Modesty and Volante. Miss Woodford won to push her earnings over the $100,000 mark, becoming the first horse ever to do so in a racing career. She also won the

Monmouth Cup The Monmouth Cup Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of miles annually in early July at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event currently offers a purse of $400,00 ...

Long Branch Racetrack Long Branch Racetrack was a horse-racing facility in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. It was situated in Etobicoke, then a township, just north of the village of Long Branch and just west of the city of Toronto. It operated from 1924 until 1955 at a loc ...

(twice), the Monmouth Oaks, the Ocean Stakes (three times), the Eatontown Stakes and the West End Hotel Stakes. Miss Woodford ran in 48 races and won 37. She was second in 7 and third in 2. In her three match races, she won two. Her lifetime earnings at distances up to 2½ miles amounted to $118,270. This made her the highest stakes winning filly in American history.

Firenze Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

followed her in earnings, and then came

Yo Tambien Yo Tambien (1889–1896) was an American Thoroughbred racing filly bred in California by Theodore Winters, a breeder and major landholder from the Washoe Valley in Nevada who was sometimes called "Black T" due to his huge, black, T-shaped mousta ...

Breeding career

Miss Woodford was sold to James B. A. Haggin and was bred. Although she produced the stakes winners George Kessler and Sombre, as well as three other winners from nine foals, none of her progeny approached her abilities.

Honors

Miss Woodford was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in

Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...

, New York, in 1967. Hall of Fame trainers

Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons James Edward "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons (July 23, 1874 – March 11, 1966) was a Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. Early life Born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn in 1874, Fitzsimmons began his career in 1885 working at a racetrack as a stable boy. Aft ...

, Thomas J. Healey, A. Jack Joyner,

R. Wyndham Walden Robert Wyndham Walden (August 2, 1844 – April 28, 1905) was one of the most successful American trainers in thoroughbred horse racing during the last quarter of the 19th century. He was inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame ...

, and Rowe all thought her one of the best fillies of all time. In a poll among members of the American Trainers Association, conducted in 1955 by

Delaware Park Racetrack Delaware Park (also known as ''DelPark'') is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware. It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, and about 30 miles from Philadelphia. Thoroughbred racing ...

, Miss Woodford was voted the fifth greatest filly in American racing history. Gallorette was voted first. The

Miss Woodford Stakes The Miss Woodford Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race usually run each year in August at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey open to three-year-old Filly, fillies. An Graded stakes race, ungraded stakes currently offering a ...

has been run at

Monmouth Park Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...

in her memory since 1952. Miss Woodford died in 1899 at

Elmendorf Farm Elmendorf Farm is a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, involved with horse racing since the 19th century. Once the North Elkhorn Farm, many owners and tenants have occupied the area, even during the American Civil War. Mo ...

in Lexington, Kentucky.

References

Miss Woodford's pedigree

at The National Sporting Library's Thoroughbred Heritage website
Miss Woodford in the Hall of Fame
* ''Women of the Year - Ten Fillies Who Achieved Horse Racing's Highest Honor'' by the Staff and Correspondents of ''The Blood-Horse'' magazine (2004) Eclipse Press

External link