Wygod, Pam and Martin

Birthdate: Martin, February 1, 1940; Pam, September 8, 1947

Birthplace: Martin, New York City; Pam, Rockville Center, N.Y.

Residence: Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Family: daughter, Emily; son, Max

The Wygods have ranked among the leading Thoroughbred breeders in California for a number of years. In 2010, the couple announced plans to concentrate their breeding operation in Kentucky and sold off more than 120 California-based horses at sales. Marty Wygod’s interest in racing dates back to his early teen years. He went to high school with Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel and served as a hotwalker for horses at age 15 for trainers Woody Stephens and Homer Pardue.

After graduating from New York University, he began his entrepreneurial career with the late Fletcher Jones' Computer Sciences. Jones gave Wygod his first two horses, both of which won. Wygod's interest in racing deepened and, in 1975, he bought River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif.  

After being the youngest managing partner of a New York Stock Exchange brokerage in the 1960s, Wygod entered the home medical services industry with Glasrock Medical Services. Over a 10-year period, he 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.

Marty Wygod serves as chairman of the board of directors of WebMD, the leading provider of health information services to consumers, physicians, health care professionals, employers and health plans. Very involved in the couple's Thoroughbred racing and breeding business, Pam also is active philanthropically. She focuses on health, education and child welfare, and serves as co-Chair of the WebMD Health Foundation.

The Wygods bred many of the top runners they have raced, including Breeders Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) winner Life is Sweet (2009) and 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Sweet Catomine. Other top runners include After Market, Courageous Cat, Idiot Proof, and Benchmark.