Ruffian Stakes

Last updated
Ruffian Stakes
Grade II race
Location Belmont Park
New York, United States
Inaugurated1976
Race type ThoroughbredFlat racing
Website NYRA
Race information
Distance1 mile
SurfaceDirt
TrackLeft-handed
Qualification Fillies & Mares, four-years-old and older
Weight124 lbs with allowances
Purse$200,000 (2021)

The Ruffian Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares ages four-years-old and older run over a distance of one mile on a dirt track scheduled annually in early May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Contents

Race history

The race is named in honor of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame filly, Ruffian who broke down in a match race with the 1975 Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure on 6 July 1975 at Belmont Park and was humanely destroyed the following day. [1]

The following year the New York Racing Association scheduled the inaugural running of the Ruffian Stakes on 9 October 1976 as a 1+14 miles race for fillies and mares, three-year-old and older. The event was won by Revidere who defeated the Argentine bred Bastonera II by 14 lengths on a sloppy track in a time of 2:01 flat. [2] Revidere was sired by Reviewer the same sire of the ill-fated Ruffian. After the first running the event was classified as Grade I.

In 1977 the distance of the event was decreased to 1+18 miles and the conditions of the event were changed to a handicap thus the name of the event became the Ruffian Handicap. [3] In 1990 the distance was reduced once again to 1+116 miles. [4]

The 2001 running of the Ruffian Handicap was cancelled due to the September 11th terrorist attacks.

In 2010 and 2011 the event was moved to the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York during the regular summer meeting and was run as the Ruffian Invitational Handicap over a distance of 1+18 miles. [4]

In late 2011 the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association downgraded the event to Grade II for 2012 [5] however, NYRA did not schedule the event.

The event was moved to Aqueduct Racecourse in 2013 and held in April over a distance of one mile [3] and then returned to Belmont Park in 2014 and scheduled in May where it was run on the undercard of the Man o' War Stakes on Mother's Day. That year the event became the Ruffian Stakes again in 2014 and the conditions were changed to the current format of fillies and mares ages four-years-old and older allowed to enter. [3] Fiftyshadesofhay won the race, giving John Velazquez his sixth win in the race, currently the leading jockey to have won this event. [6]

Outstanding mares to have won this event include Sky Beauty who won this race in 1994 with 130 pounds, [7] Bayakoa who won the event in 1989, and Lady's Secret who won it twice, in 1985 and 1986, after which she was awarded the Eclipse Award for U.S. Horse of the Year. Genuine Risk, the second filly to win the Kentucky Derby, won it in 1980.

The 2020 winner Monomoy Girl would go on and win the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland and would be crowned U.S. Champion Older Female Horse.

In 2024 the event was moved to Aqueduct Racetrack due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at Belmont Park. [8]

Records

Speed record:

Margins:

Most wins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

YearWinnerAgeJockeyTrainerOwnerDistanceTimePurseGradeRef
At Aquaduct Ruffian Stakes
2024Soul of an Angel5Trevor McCarthySaffie Joseph Jr.C Two Racing Stable & Agave Racing Stable1 mile1:35.40$200,000II [9]
At Belmont Park
2023Pass the Champagne5Feargal LynchGeorge WeaverR.A. Hill Stable, Black Type Thor., Rock Ridge Racing, BlackRidge Stables & James F. Brown1 mile1:36.13$200,000II [10]
2022Search Results4 Irad Ortiz Jr. Chad C. Brown Klaravich Stables 1 mile1:34.88$200,000II [11]
2021Vault5 Joel Rosario Brad H. Cox Kueber Racing, Barlar, Madaket Stables & Little Red Feather Racing1 mile1:35.81$200,000II [12]
2020 Monomoy Girl 5 Florent Geroux Brad H. Cox Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables1 mile1:34.13$145,500II [13]
2019Come Dancing5 Manuel Franco Carlos F. MartinBlue Devil Racing Stable1 mile1:36.54$242,500II [14]
2018Pacific Wind4 Irad Ortiz Jr. Chad C. Brown Sharon Alesia, Ciaglia Racing, Peter M. Brant & Dominic Savides1 mile1:39.05$245,000II [15]
2017Highway Star4Angel S. ArroyoRodrigo A. UbilloChester & Mary Broman1 mile1:39.05$245,000II [16]
2016Cavorting4 Javier Castellano Kiaran P. McLaughlin Stonestreet Stables 1 mile1:34.05$250,000II [17]
2015§ Wedding Toast5 Jose Lezcano Kiaran P. McLaughlin Godolphin Racing 1 mile1.35.57$250,000II [18]
2014 Fiftyshadesofhay 4 John R. Velazquez Bob Baffert Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman1 mile1:35.70$250,000II [6]
At Aqueduct Ruffian Handicap
2013Withgreatpleasure5 John R. Velazquez David NunnDavid Blethen1 mile1:36.52$250,000II [19]
2012Race not held
At Saratoga Ruffian Invitational Handicap
2011Ask the Moon6 Javier Castellano Martin D. Wolfson Farnsworth Stable1+18 miles1:50.46$250,000I [20]
2010Malibu Prayer4 John R. Velazquez Todd A. Pletcher Edward P. Evans 1+18 miles1:48.14$250,000I [21]
At Belmont Park Ruffian Handicap
2009 Swift Temper 5 Alan Garcia Dale L. Romans Richard Nip & Omar Trevino1+116 miles1:40.59$300,000I [22]
2008Tough Tiz's Sis4 Edgar S. Prado Bob Baffert Karl Watson & Weitman Performance1+116 miles1:40.16$300,000I [23]
2007 Ginger Punch 4 Rafael Bejarano Robert J. Frankel Stronach Stables 1+116 miles1:40.25$285,000I [24]
2006Pool Land4 John R. Velazquez Todd A. Pletcher Melnyk Racing Stable 1+116 miles1:41.81$294,000I [25]
2005Stellar Jayne4 Jerry D. Bailey Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin Racing 1+116 miles1:41.87$300,000I [26]
2004 Sightseek 5 John R. Velazquez Robert J. Frankel Juddmonte Farms 1+116 miles1:41.51$294,000I [27]
2003Wild Spirit (CHI) 4 Jerry D. Bailey Robert J. Frankel Sumaya Us Stable1+116 miles1:41.23$300,000I [28]
2002Mandy's Gold4 Jose A. Santos Michael E. GorhamSteeplechase Farm1+116 miles1:42.57$300,000I [29]
2001Race not held
2000Riboletta (BRZ) 5 Chris McCarron Eduardo IndaAaron U. & Marie D. Jones1+116 miles1:40.35$250,000I [30]
1999Catinca4 Jerry D. Bailey John C. Kimmel Robert K. Waxman1+116 miles1:41.94$250,000I [31]
1998 Sharp Cat 4 Corey Nakatani Wallace Dollase The Thoroughbred Corporation 1+116 miles1:42.40$250,000I [32]
1997Tomisue's Delight3 Jerry D. Bailey Neil J. Howard Stephen C. Hilbert1+116 miles1:44.43$250,000I [33]
1996 Yanks Music 3 John R. Velazquez Leo O'BrienMichael Fennessy1+116 miles1:41.84$250,000I [34]
1995 Inside Information 4 Mike E. Smith Claude R. McGaughey III Ogden Mills Phipps 1+116 miles1:40.98$200,000I [35]
1994 Sky Beauty 4 Mike E. Smith H. Allen Jerkens Georgia E. Hofmann1+116 miles1:41.79$200,000I [7]
1993Shared Interest5 Robbie Davis Flint S. Schulhofer Robert S. Evans1+116 miles1:41.92$200,000I [36]
1992Versailles Treaty5 Mike E. Smith Claude R. McGaughey III Cynthia Phipps 1+116 miles1:41.41$200,000I [37]
1991Queena5 Angel Cordero Jr. Claude R. McGaughey III Emory A. Hamilton1+116 miles1:41.65$200,000I [38]
1990Quick Mischief4Raul I. RojasCharles J. Carlesimo Jr.Gregory Mordas1+116 miles1:42.80$240,840I [39]
1989 Bayakoa (ARG) 5 Laffit Pincay Jr. Ron McAnally Janis & Frank Whitham1+18 miles1:48.40$226,400I [40]
1988Sham Say3 Jacinto Vasquez William B. CoxEvergreen Farm1+18 miles1:48.00$244,000I [41]
1987†§ Coup de Fusil5 Angel Cordero Jr. Jan H. NerudTartan Farms1+18 miles1:48.60$249,600I [42]
1986 Lady's Secret 4 Pat Day D. Wayne Lukas Eugene V. Klein 1+18 miles1:46.80$230,400I [43]
1985§ Lady's Secret 3 Jorge Velasquez D. Wayne Lukas Eugene V. Klein 1+18 miles1:47.40$169,800I [44]
1984Heatherten5 Randy Romero William I. Mott John A. Franks 1+18 miles1:48.20$172,200I [45]
1983Heartlight No. One3 Laffit Pincay Jr. Pedro Marti Burt Bacharach 1+18 miles1:47.20$171,925I [46]
1982 Christmas Past 3 Jacinto Vasquez Angel A. Penna Jr. Cynthia Phipps 1+18 miles1:48.60$166,800I [47]
1981 Relaxing 5 Angel Cordero Jr. Angel Penna Sr. Ogden Phipps 1+18 miles1:47.60$161,700I [48]
1980 Genuine Risk 3 Jacinto Vasquez LeRoy Jolley Diana M. Firestone 1+18 miles1:49.20$136,500I [49]
1979 It's in the Air 3 Laffit Pincay Jr. Laz Barrera Harbor View Farm 1+18 miles1:47.40$133,125I [50]
1978Late Bloomer4 Jorge Velasquez John M. Gaver Jr. Greentree Stable 1+18 miles1:47.00$108,100I [51]
1977 Cum Laude Laurie 3 Angel Cordero Jr. Thomas L. RondinelloDaniel W. Galbreath1+18 miles1:52.20$110,300I [52]
Ruffian Stakes
1976 Revidere 3 Jacinto Vasquez David A. Whiteley William Haggin Perry 1+14 miles2:01.00$132,375I [2]

Notes:
§ Ran as an entry
† In the 1987 running Sacahuista finished first, but was disqualified for interfering with other runners in the straight. Coup De Fusil was declared the winner and Sacahuista was placed third. However, since all three placegetters were part of an entry Coup De Fusil, Clabber Girl and Sacahuista the payout for first place was $2.80 as the entry's odds were 2/5.

See also

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References

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