Five Wood Memorial winners worthy of remembrance

Despite its historic and long-standing importance as a Kentucky Derby (G1) prep, the $1 million Wood Memorial (G1) continues to experience a bit of a drought as far as seeing its winners succeed in the Churchill Downs classic or in Eclipse Award balloting as champion three-year-old. Fusaichi Pegasus (2000) is the only Wood winner since 1982 to double up in the Derby, while the last Wood winner to be named divisional champion was Slew o' Gold, who took a division of the race in 1983.

Of course, there have been many good-to-great Wood winners to have come down the pike since those days. Here are several of them, plus one of older vintage, that are historically underrated.

Congaree (2001)

Though second fiddle to fellow Bob Baffert trainee Point Given in his year, he finished a brave third in the Kentucky Derby despite racing even closer to a record early pace than his Horse of the Year-winning stablemate, whom he out-finished. A colt who could do pretty much anything on the main track (he was a Grade 1 winner from seven furlongs to 1 1/4 miles), he was arguably most effective in the lower end of that range with two blowout wins in the Cigar Mile (G1) and a thumping of champion sprinter Aldebaran in the Carter H. (G1) to his credit.

Unbridled's Song (1996)

A gusty, neck winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) in only his third career start, he headed to Churchill Downs as the Derby favorite off comfortable wins in the Florida Derby (G1) and Wood. Though he looked strong rounding the far turn, he proved ineffective in the stretch, no doubt in part caused by the wearing of a bar shoe to protect a quarter crack which appeared after his Wood victory. After closing out his sophomore campaign with four straight defeats, he kicked off his four-year-old season with a sharp win in the Olympic H. at Gulfstream, which at the time seemed to be precursor of better things to come. However, it turned out to be his last race. He was one of the world's most noted and successful stallions up until his death at the age 20.