Martin Wygod

2009 Record: (99-23-30-10)

2009 Earnings: $2,754,324

2009 Win %: 23% In-The-Money %: 63%

Born: Martin, Feb. 1, 1940, New York City, N.Y.; Pam, Sept. 8, 1947, Rockville Center, N.Y.
Residence: A 110-acre estate in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
Family: children, Emily and Max
Education: Martin went to high school with Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel. Graduated from New York University
Professional Background:
Martin began his entrepreneurial career with the late Fletcher Jones’ Computer Sciences, showing a gift for developing small companies … Was the youngest managing partner of a New York Stock Exchange brokerage in the 1960s ... Entered the home medical services industry with Glasrock Medical Services, and over a 10-year period built Medco Containment Services into the nation’s largest mail-order prescription drug company … In 1993, he sold Medco to pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. for $6.5 billion … Resigned as a director and chief executive officer in 1994 to return to his specialty of deal-making and building small companies … Martin serves as chairman of the board of directors of WebMD, a leading provider of health information services to consumers, physicians, health care professionals, employers and health plans ... Pam's philanthropic work focuses on health, education and child welfare. She serves as president of the Rose Foundation and Co-Chair of the WebMD Health Foundation ... In Sept. 2008, the Wygods donated $250,000 to Breeders' Cup Charities on behalf of the WebMD Foundation, a significant gift putting Breeders' Cup Charities halfway to its $500,000 goal
Racing Background:
Martin Wygod walked hots at age 15 for trainers Woody Stephens and Homer Pardue … Fletcher Jones, who in addition to his computer business was a California horseman, gave Wygod his first two horses, Verification and Heliotrope, as a birthday gift. Both ran in New York and won … The Wygods’ first trainer was V.J. (Lefty) Nickerson … In 1996, Martin became a trustee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and a member of The Jockey Club … Serves on the board of directors of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
Breeding/Racing Operation: The Wygods ranked as California's leading Thoroughbred breeders in 2006, 2007 and 2008. They own 240-acre River Edge Farm near Buellton, Calif. where they stand Benchmark, Bertrando, and Tribal Rule. Bertrando and Tribal Rule ranked among the top 10 California sires by progeny earnings for 2008. Dixie Chatter, a G1 winner, has been retired and will stand his first season at River Edge in 2010. They also breed many mares to Kentucky-based stallions ... 2009 stakes winners include Life Is Sweet, Courageous Cat, Dixie Chatter and Smooth Performer ... Homebred Life is Sweet is a full sister to the Wygod's 2004 Champion 2-year-old filly Sweet Catomine, winner of the 2004 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies ... The Wygods raced her in the East with Bill Mott and brought her West as a 4-year-old in 2009. Under the care of trainer John Shirreffs, she won the G1 Santa Margarita Handicap and G2 El Encino and La Canada Stakes and finish third against the boys in the G1 TVG/Betfair Hollywood Gold Cup ... Courageous Cat, also a homebred, won the G2T National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes and finished third in the G1T Jamaica Handicap. He is by Storm Cat out of Tranquility Lake and is a full brother to the Wygods' multiple Grade 1 stakes winner After Market ... In 2009, G1 winner Dixie Chatter, owned in part by the Wygods, won and placed at the G2 level, then was retired with four wins and four placings from 13 lifetime starts and earnings of $464,606. ... Life is Sweet and Sweet Catomine are out of the Wygod's mare Sweet Life. A 13-year-old Kris S. mare, she is in foal to Unbridled's Song. Sweet Life was barren for 2009. She has a yearling filly by Storm Cat and a 2007 filly by Storm Cat named Ain't She Sweet, currently at the farm. Her 3-year-old colt named Calimonco is in training with Bill Mott ... Courageous Cat's dam, Tranquility Lake, raced for the Wygods. She was a dual Grade 1-winner and was retired in 2001 after finishing 9th in the 2001 Distaff (now Ladies' Classic). With a racing record of nine wins from 27 races and earnings of $1,662,390, the Rahy mare was bred exclusively to Storm Cat through 2007. At the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale, the Wygods sold her 2004 colt for a sale-topping $9.7 million. Consigned by Mill Ridge Farm as agent for the Wygods, the colt was bought by John Ferguson as agent for Sheikh Mohammed and named Jalil. He is a Group 2 winner in the U.A.E. and placed in the Waquoit Stakes at Suffolk Downs …Tranquility Lake is currently not in foal. Her 2007 Storm Cat colt, named Recap, is in training with Shirreffs and was late so she has no 2008 offspring. She has a 2009 colt by A.P. Indy. ... G1 winner After Market, her first foal, stands at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Ky ... “She (Tranquility Lake) is one of the most consistent mares I’ve ever been around,” said Russell Drake, River Edge’s longtime farm manager. "She was a good racehorse, a good broodmare – a joy for the Wygods" … Daughter Sweet Catomine, now seven, is also in foal to Unbridled's Song. Her 2009 foal died. She was barren in 2008. Her 2007 foal by A.P. Indy died. She has a 3-year-old named Sweet Thoughts ... The Wygods own more than 70 broodmares, which they keep in California as well as at Mill Ridge Farm and Diamond A Farms in Kentucky, and usually have about 50 horses in training with Cliff Sise, Bill Mott, John Shirreffs and Jedd Josephson … Have bred more than 110 stakes winners including Pirate’s Bounty, who emerged as a leading California sire while standing at River Edge. Pirate’s Bounty had to be euthanized in Aug. 2006, at age 31 due to the infirmities of old age. Drake credits much of River Edge’s success to the stallion … Bertrando is the sire of many stakes winners including Officer and Unfurl the Flag. Bertrando ran second in the 1991 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, second in the 1993 Classic and sixth in the ’94 Classic … Other runners the Wygods have campaigned include multiple Grade 1 winner Twice the Vice, whom the Wygods bought for $1 million from Robert and Beverly Lewis in 1994; Idiot Proof, second in the 2007 Breeders' Cup Sprint and in the 2008 Golden Shaheen in Dubai. The 5-year-old homebred has been retired to stud and will stand the 2010 season at Ballena Vista Farm in Ramona, Calif. for a fee of $1,500 ... Exotic Wood, a $75,000 yearling purchase who won the G1 Go for Wand Stakes in 1996; Silent Sighs, Key Phrase, Pharma, Benchmark, Smooth Player, Private Persuasion and Pirate's Revenge … Have had seven starters as owners in the Breeders' Cup, including Sweet Catomine, winner of the 2004 Juvenile Fillies and Idiot Proof, second in the 2007 Sprint. They have also bred five runners who have made a total of seven starts in Breeders' Cup races – including Sweet Catomine, and two runners with two starts, Idiot Proof, second in the 2007 Sprint and unplaced in the 2008 Turf Sprint, and Octave, second in the 2006 Juvenile Filles and third in the 2007 Distaff.