The Woody Stephens Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A Grade II event raced on dirt over a distance of seven furlongs, it is open to three-year-old horses.
Inaugurated in 1985 as the Riva Ridge Stakes, it was named in honor of National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee and Belmont Stakes winner, Riva Ridge. In 2006, it was renamed in memory of Hall of Fame trainer Woody Stephens who won eight U.S. Triple Crown races including a record five consecutive editions of the Belmont Stakes.
Famous quotes containing the words woody, stephens and/or stakes:
“If Woody Allen were a Muslim, he’d be dead by now.”
—Salman Rushdie (b. 1947)
“A woman is a branchy tree
And man a singing wind;
And from her branches carelessly
He takes what he can find.”
—James Kenneth Stephens (1882–1950)
“Law makes long spokes of the short stakes of men.”
—William Empson (1906–1984)