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:
“Dylan used to sound like a lung cancer victim singing Woody Guthrie. Now he sounds like a Rolling Stone singing Immanuel Kant.”
—Also quoted in Robert Shelton, No Direction Home, ch. 2, “Prophet Without Honor” (1986)
“The long, rolling,
Steady-pouring,
Deep-trenched
Green billow:”
—James Kenneth Stephens (1882–1950)
“This man was very clever and quick to learn anything in his line. Our tent was of a kind new to him; but when he had once seen it pitched, it was surprising how quickly he would find and prepare the pole and forked stakes to pitch it with, cutting and placing them right the first time, though I am sure that the majority of white men would have blundered several times.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)