The James W. Murphy Stakes is an American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

run annually at

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Ol ...

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. Open to three-year-old horses, it is contested over a distance of one mile on

turf Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls. In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricultu ...

. Beginning with the 2010 race, the Woodlawn Stakes was renamed the James W. Murphy Stakes in honor of the late trainer, James W. Murphy, a stalwart on the Maryland racing circuit.Preakness,com – Mar 16, 2010
/ref> The race is run on the third Saturday of May on the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

undercard. The race was originally named in honor of the

Woodlawn Vase The Woodlawn Vase is an American trophy given annually to the winning owner of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Overview of the trophy After the Preakness Stakes is run each year on the third Saturday of May, t ...

. Due to heavy rains, the 2008 edition had to be switched from the turf to miles on the muddy main track. The race attracts a different type of horse than the older

Dixie Stakes The Dinner Party Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid-May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the eighth-oldest graded stakes race in the United States and the oldest stakes race in Maryland and all o ...

, also run on the turf at Pimlico on that same day. First and most importantly, the Woodlawn is run at one mile, which is considered a sprint on the turf, while the Dixie is run at miles. Horses from the Woodlawn will typically be candidates for the

Breeders' Cup Mile The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's incept ...

later in the year, while Dixie Stakes horses will typically target the

Breeders' Cup Turf The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current ...

. The Woodlawn is also restricted to only horses that are three years old, while the Dixie is for any horse three years old and up.

Artie Schiller Artie Schiller (foaled April 23, 2001 in Kentucky) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Haras du Mezeray of Ticheville, Orne in Lower Normandy, France, he was out of the mare Hidden Light, a daughter of multiple Grade I winner, ...

in 2004 and

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

in 2005 are the only Woodlawn Stakes winners to go on and win a Breeders' Cup race. The Woodlawn Stakes was run as a Handicap race in 1966. The race was taken off the turf and run on the main track in 1967, 1975–1978, 1980, 1981, 1988–1990, 1997, 1998 and 2003. The Woodlawn Stakes was an American Grade III stakes race between 1973 through 1989. The race was run in two divisions in 1986, 1985, 1981, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1971, 1969 and 1968.

Records

Master Dunker and Chinglish at 2011 James W Murphy Stakes

Speed record: * 1 mile – 1:34.32 – Woodwin W (2015) * miles – 1:43 2/5 – Pulverizing (1989) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

: * 3 –

Eldon Nelson Glen Eldon Nelson (January 28, 1927 - March 16, 2012) was an American jockey in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing who competed primarily at tracks on the East Coast of the United States and who is best known for winning the 1972 Preakness St ...

(1967, 1970, 1973) * 3 – William Passmore (1969, 1981 (2×)) * 3 – Vincent Bracciale Jr. (1973, 1980, 1985) * 3 –

Edgar Prado Edgar S. Prado (Lima, June 12, 1967) is a Peruvian-born American jockey, a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey in thoroughbred horse racing. His big break came in 1997 when he won 536 races, making him the fourth rider in history to win 500 races in ...

(1993, 1996, 1997) * 3 – John R. Velazquez (2005, 2009, 2011) * 3 –

Joel Rosario Joel Rosario (born January 14, 1985) is a Champion jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing, originally from the Dominican Republic. In the space of five weeks in 2013 he rode the winners of the Dubai World Cup and the Kentucky Derby. More rec ...

(2012, 2013, 2017) Most wins by a trainer: * 3 –

Del W. Carroll Delmer W. Carroll (October 30, 1919 - May 9, 1982) was an American champion polo player, Thoroughbred racehorse owner/ trainer, and soldier during World War II. Biography Del Carroll had begun riding horses as a boy of ten which led to him servi ...

(1969, 1970, 1980) Most wins by an owner: * 2 – Skeedattle Associates (2001 & 2002) * 2 – Frank E. Power (1969, 1971)

Winners

A # signifies that the race was run in two divisions in 1985, 1981, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1971, 1969 and 1968.

References

{{reflist Flat horse races for three-year-olds Turf races in the United States Listed stakes races in the United States Sports competitions in Baltimore Pimlico Race Course Horse races in Maryland Recurring sporting events established in 1966

Records

Winners

See also

References