The Astoria Stakes is a long-lived race for two-year-old Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 fillies

Filly

A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....

 run at Belmont Park

Belmont Park

Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...

 during its Spring/Summer season. Originally set at a distance of five furlong

Furlong

A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....

s, beginning in the year 1940, it went off at five and a half furlongs on the dirt. Still at this distance today, the Astoria offers a $100,000 purse.

This race began at Gravesend Race Track

Gravesend Race Track

Gravesend Race Track at Gravesend on Coney Island, New York was a Thoroughbred horse racing facility built by the Brooklyn Jockey Club as a result of the backing of the wealthy racing stable owners, the Dwyer Brothers. Philip J...

 in 1902 where it stayed until 1910. It then moved to Aqueduct Racetrack

Aqueduct Racetrack

Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...

 to be contested from 1914 to 1955, and again from 1960 to 1974. It was at Jamaica Racetrack

Jamaica Racetrack

Jamaica Race Course was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility operated by the Metropolitan Jockey Club in Jamaica, New York. The track opened on April 27, 1903, a day which featured the inaugural running of the Excelsior Handicap. Eugene D. Wood, one of the founders and largest...

 1956, 1958, and 1959.

Named for a town in the New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 borough of Queens, it would have been in its 103nd 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.

Past winners

In 1940, Key Ring dead-heated with Tangled for first but was disqualified.

In 1974 Ruffian

Ruffian (horse)

Ruffian was an American champion thoroughbred racehorse. Ruffian is considered by many to be the greatest female racehorse in history. Ruffian is among the greatest U.S. racehorses of all time. Her story was told in 2007 film Ruffian.- Career :An almost coal black filly of 16 and a half hands,...

ran the fastest 5 1/2 furlong race ran by any 2 year old in history with a finishing time of 1:02.80