Astoria Stakes
| Ungraded Stakes Race race | |
| Location |
Belmont Park Elmont, New York, USA |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1902 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | www |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 5 1⁄2 furlongs |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Qualification | Two-year-old fillies |
| Weight | 120 pounds Non winners of a race other than claiming or starter allowed 3 lbs.; Maidens, 5 lbs. |
| Purse | US $200,000 (2016) |
The Astoria Stakes is a long-lived race for two-year-old Thoroughbred fillies run at Belmont Park in early June during the Belmont Stakes carnival. Originally set at a distance of five furlongs, beginning in the year 1940, the event was increated to five and a half furlongs on the dirt. The race currently offers a $200,000 purse.
This race began at Gravesend Race Track in 1902 where it stayed until 1910. It then moved to Aqueduct Racetrack to be contested from 1914 to 1955, and again from 1960 to 1974. It was at Jamaica Racetrack 1956, 1958, and 1959.
Named for a town in the New York City borough of Queens, it would have been in its 103rd running in 2009, but due to the troubled economy in 2008, the Astoria was canceled by the NYRA as they adjusted races to meet the new Grade I standard purse of $300,000. The race was run again in 2014 as an ungraded stakes.
In 1940, Key Ring dead-heated with Tangled for first but was disqualified.
In 1974 Ruffian ran the fastest 5 1⁄2 furlong race ran by any 2 year old in history with a finishing time of 1:02.80
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