[1] Originally trained by Kenneth McPeek, following a poor performance in the 2005 Arkansas Derby, [2] the horse was transferred to trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr.
At the time of the running of the $1 million Queen's Plate, trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. was under suspension after two of his horses tested positive for banned substances.
[3] The horse's record showed he had had only two less than stellar workouts prior to the Queen's Plate, but an investigation by racing authorities revealed that he had been training in secret.
[4] The controversy was added to because lead owner Daniel Borislow won $100,000 from bets he had made on Wild Desert to win the race.
Retired to stud duty for owners Sanford Goldfarb, Michael Dubb, Carl Gessler, Jr., and Mal Burroughs, Wild Desert stood at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbred near Saratoga Springs, New York through 2009 but was moved to Unbridled Stable near Greenville, New York, for the 2010 season.