Astarita Stakes

Last updated
Astarita Stakes
ClassDiscontinued stakes
Location Aqueduct Racetrack, South Ozone Park, Queens, New York, United States
Belmont Park
Elmont, New York, United States
Inaugurated1946–2005
Race type Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Race information
Distance6.5 furlongs
SurfaceDirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationTwo-year-old fillies
Purse$100,000

The Astarita Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run between 1946 and 2005 at New York's Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens and at Belmont Park in Elmont. Open to two-year-old fillies, it was a sprint race contested on dirt over a distance of six and a half furlongs. It offered a purse of $100,000.

Contents

The Astarita was given Grade III stakes status in 1973 when a grading system was instituted at all racetracks in North America. In 1981 it was elevated to a Grade II event before being downgraded in 2004 to its original Grade III which was maintained until the race was dropped from the schedule in 2006.

In 1955 the Greater New York Association took over management of Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack, Jamaica Race Course and the Saratoga Race Course. Massive renovations led to the subsequent closure of Aqueduct Racetrack for four years and there was no Astarita Stakes run for the three years between 1958 and 1960.

The race was named for Astarita, John Follansbee's filly who won the 1902 inaugural running of the Astoria Stakes at the now defunct Gravesend Race Track on Coney Island, New York City. The Astarita Stakes was run at:

It was contested at various distances:

The Astarita was run in two divisions in 1965, 1968 and 1972.

Historical notes

The first running of the Astarita Stakes took place at Aqueduct on September 21, 1946. It was won by Keynote, a strawberry roan filly owned by the Wheatley Stable and ridden by future Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Hedley Woodhouse. [1]

USN Rear-Admiral Howard Adams Flanigan won the 1954 running of the Astarita with his good filly Two Stars. On the same racecard, future U. S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey Ted Atkinson reached a milestone in his career with his 3,000th win aboard the Greentree Stable colt Devastation. [2]

In 1955 Cosmah captured the Astarita Stakes and in 1963 her daughter Tosmah, a future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, also won it. [3] [4]

The 1961 edition was won by Cicada, Christopher Chenery's three-time National Champion and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. [5]

In 1964 Queen Empress won by a nose but was disqualified to second for interference giving the win to runner-up I Deceive. [6]

In 2000 Xtra Heat’s win extended her career unbeaten streak to six. She would be voted the 2001 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly and in 2015 would be inducted into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. [7]

The final running of the Astarita Stakes took place on October 2, 2005. It was won by Sensation with Eibar Coa aboard for owner Gary and Betty Biszantz's Cobra Farm and their partner, the Castletop Stable owned by Morton and Bobbi Topfer. [8]

Records

Speed record:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Dist.
(Furlongs)		Time
Win$Grade
2005Sensation2 Eibar Coa Stanley M. Hough Cobra Farm & Castletop Stable6.5 F1:16.90$60,000G III
2004Toll Taker2 Eibar Coa Timothy A. Hills Patrick Welsh6.5 F1:18.16$60,000G III
2003Spectacular Moon2 Jorge Chavez John V. AlecciJohn V. Alecci6.5 F1:17.16$90,000G II
2002Humorous Lady2 Jerry Bailey Michael R. SmithS. David Plummer6.5 F1:17.76$90,000G II
2001Bella Bellucci2 Gary Stevens Neil D. Drysdale Michael Tabor 6.5 F1:16.67$60,000G II
2000 Xtra Heat 2 Mark Johnston John Salzman Sr.Kenneth Taylor/John Salzman Sr./Harry Deitchman6.5 F1:16.71$60,000G II
1999Silentlea2 Robbie Davis James A. Jerkens Grace E. Ritzenberg6.5 F1:17.44$60,000G II
1998Paved in Gold2Jorge ChavezMichael T. TrivignoBrian S. Dance6.5 F1:18.86$60,000G II
1997Ninth Inning2 Robbie Davis James A. Jerkens Peter Blum6.5 F1:17.44$60,000G II
1996Broad Dynamite2Dale CordovaDamon PollardJoseph D. Kowal6.5 F1:24.02$60,000G II
1995Top Secret2 Mike E. Smith George R. Arnold II John H. Peace8 F1:36.79$60,000G II
1994Miss Golden Circle2 Julie Krone John C. Kimmel Caesar Kimmel & Philip Solondz6.5 F1:23.67$60,000G II
1993Shapely Scrapper2 Joe Bravo Benjamin W. Perkins Jr. Candy Stable (Herb & Ellen Moelis)6.5 F1:24.02$60,000G II
1992Missed The Storm2 Mike E. Smith William I. Mott Pin Oak Stable 6.5 F1:24.90$60,000G II
1991Easy Now2Mike E. Smith C. R. McGaughey III Ogden Phipps 6.5 F1:22.84$60,000G II
1990Devlish Touch2 Craig Perret Carlos A. GarciaBurning Tree Farm (Jerry Roth, et al.)6.5 F1:18.36$60,000G II
1989Dance Colony2 José A. Santos Ross R. Pierce Buckland Farm 6.5 F1:17.80$60,000G II
1988Channel Three2Carlos BarreraMichael J. GoswellElser Farms Corp.6.5 F1:17.00$60,000G II
1987Flashy Runner2 Jacinto Vásquez Frank A. Alexander Barry K. Schwartz 6.5 F1:16.60$60,000G II
1986Cagey Exuberance2John Nied Jr. Robert W. Camac Lindsey D. Burbank6.5 F1:18.20$45,000G II
1985Gaudery2 Ángel Cordero Jr. Jan H. Nerud John A. Nerud 6.5 F1:17.00$45,000G II
1984 Mom's Command 2 Abigail Fuller Edward T. Allard Peter D. Fuller 6.5 F1:17.80$45,000G II
1983Tinas Ten2 Richard Migliore Richard T. DeStasioAlbert Fried Jr.6.5 F1:19.20$30,000G II
1982Wings of Jove2 Herb McCauley Charles P. Sanborn Helmore Farm (Edgar M. Lucas)6.5 F1:16.80$30,000G II
1981 Before Dawn 2 Jorge Velásquez John M. Veitch Calumet Farm 6.5 F1:16.60$30,000G II
1980Sweet Revenge2Jorge Velásquez Del W. Carroll William S. Farish III 6.5 F1:17.20$33,360G III
1979Royal Suite2 Jeffrey Fell Roger Laurin Reginald N. Webster 6.5 F1:17.20$25,815G III
1978Fall Aspen2Roger Velez James E. Picou Joseph M. Roebling 6.5 F1:17.00$24,000G III
1977Lakeville Miss2 Ruben Hernandez Jose A. Martin Randolph Weinsier6.5 F1:17.80$21,000G III
1976 Sensational 2 Ángel Cordero Jr. Woody Stephens Mill House Stable 6.5 F1:17.40$22,185G III
1975Picture Tube2 Eddie Maple Anthony L. Basile Bwamazon Farm (Millard A. Waldheim)6.5 F1:18.40$23,340G III
1974Stulcer2Ángel Cordero Jr. Warren A. Croll Jr. Jaclyn Stable (W. S. Paley & Dr. Leon Levy)6.5 F1:16.40$17,040G III
1973Raisela2 Ron Turcotte John W. Jacobs Harbor View Farm 6.5 F1:16.80$17,610G III
1972-1Princess Doubleday2 Braulio Baeza David SazerFrank J. Sitzberger6.5 F1:17.20$13,965
1972-2Waltz Fan2John Mallamo Victor J. Nickerson Mereworth Farm (Walter J. Salmon Jr.)6.5 F1:17.80$14,040
1971Barely Even2Tommy Barrow Louis M. Goldfine Mrs. S. Leonard Gilmartin7 F1:23.40$21,120
1970 Deceit 2 Ron Turcotte Del W. Carroll Windfields Farm 7 F1:23.80$19,402
1969Cherry Sundae2 John Rotz George Seabo Shelter Rock Stable7 F1:24.80$19,890
1968-1Show Off2 Eddie Belmonte Willard C. Freeman Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr. 7 F1:25.00$14,803
1968-2Dihela2Ron TurcotteSidney J. SmithAlfred J. Giordano7 F1:24.20$14,966
1967 Syrian Sea 2 Bobby Ussery Casey Hayes Meadow Stable 7 F1:22.60$19,175
1966Irish County2Braulio Baeza Edward A. Neloy Wheatley Stable 7 F1:24.40$19,370
1965-1Swift Lady2 Bill Shoemaker Burley E. Parke Harbor View Farm7 F1:23.60
1965-2 Lady Pitt (DH)2Ron Turcotte Stephen A. DiMauro Thomas A. Eazor7 F1:23.00
1965-2Prides Profile (DH)2 Donald Pierce Sam N. EdmundsonClarence W. Smith7 F1:23.00
1964I Deceive †2Fernando AlvarezCharles P. SanbornErnest H. Wood7 F1:26.60$19,955
1963-1Petite Rouge2 Johnny Sellers Woody Sedlacek Jacques D. Wimpheimer7 F1:23.60$14,348
1963-2 Tosmah 2 Sam Boulmetis Sr. Joseph W. Mergler Briardale Farm (Anthony Imbesi)7 F1:23.60$14,511
1962Main Swap2Braulio Baeza Charles R. Parke Fred W. Hooper 7 F1:23.00$19,272
1961 Cicada 2 Bill Shoemaker Casey Hayes Meadow Stable 7 F1:24.40$19,630
1957Polamby2 Pete Anderson MacKenzie Miller Ned W. Brent7 F1:25.80$18,550
1956 Alanesian 2 William Boland James W. Maloney William Haggin Perry 6 F1:10.00$11,450
1955 Cosmah †2Karl KorteFrank J. Zitto Eugene Mori 6 F1:11.40$12,200
1954Two Stars2 Nick Shuk Sherrill W. Ward Howard Adams Flanigan6 F1:12.80$12,800
1953Make A Play2Ben GreenThomas A. Kelly Pin Oak Stable 6 F1:13.20$8,450
1952 Grecian Queen 2 Eric Guerin James P. Conway Florence Whitaker 6 F1:13.60$8,925
1951Place Card2 Arnold Kirkland Virgil W. Raines Brandywine Stable 6 F1:12.60$9,575
1950Jacodema2 Robert Permane Kay E. Jensen Apheim Stable (Bernard Heiman)6 F1:12.00$8,950
1949Blue Kay2 Ted Atkinson Harold Crouch Elkcam Stables 6 F1:14.00$9,375
1948Nell K2 Douglas Dodson John B. Partridge Spring Hill Farm 6 F1:14.60$10,275
1947Bellesoeur2Tommy May George P. "Maj" Odom Mrs. Laudy Lawrence6 F1:12.60$9,650
1946Keynote2 Hedley Woodhouse James E. Fitzsimmons Wheatley Stable6 F1:11.20$10,325

References

  1. ↑ "Aqueduct Racing Chart". The New York Times . 1946-09-22. Sports, page 4S. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  2. ↑ "Atkinson Pilots 3,000th Winner; Two Stars Scores in Astarita". New York Times . 1954-09-02. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  3. ↑ "Aqueduct Racing Chart". The New York Times. 1955-09-01. p. 26. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  4. ↑ "Tosmah and Petite Rouge Take Divisions of Astarita Stakes at Aqueduct". Daily Racing Form . 1963-09-26. Retrieved 2019-08-04– via University of Kentucky Archives.
  5. ↑ "Cicada's Late Rush Takes $30,200 Astarita at Belmont". The New York Times. 1961-09-26. p. 61. Retrieved 2019-08-03.
  6. ↑ "I Deceive, $170, Gains First Place in $30,700 Astarita After Foul". New York Times, page 42. 1964-10-01. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  7. ↑ "Quick 'Heat' making Maryland proud". The Baltimore Sun . 2001-02-25. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  8. ↑ "Owner Profile – Cobra Farm and Castletop Stable". Equibase Co. LLC. 2019-08-04. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.