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.

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 euthanized the following day.

The following year the New York Racing Association scheduled the inaugural running of the Ruffian Stakes on 9 October 1976 as a 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. 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 miles and the conditions of the event were changed to a handicap thus the name of the event became the Ruffian Handicap. In 1990 the distance was reduced once again to miles.

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 miles.

In late 2011 the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association downgraded the event to Grade II for 2012 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 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. Fiftyshadesofhay won the race, giving John Velazquez his sixth win in the race, currently the leading jockey to have won this event.

Outstanding mares to have won this event include Sky Beauty who won this race in 1994 with 130 pounds, 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.

Records Speed record: 1 mile – 1:34.05 Cavorting (2016) miles – 1:40.16 Tough Tiz's Sis (2008) miles – 1:46.80 Lady's Secret (1986)

Margins: 14 lengths – Revidere (1976) lengths – Tough Tiz's Sis (2008)

Most wins: 2 – Lady's Secret (1985, 1986)

Most wins by a jockey: 6 – John Velazquez (1996, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2014)

Most wins by a trainer: 3 – Claude R. McGaughey III (1991, 1992, 1995) 3 – Robert J. Frankel (2003, 2004, 2007)

Most wins by an owner: 2 – Cynthia Phipps (1982, 1992) 2 – Eugene V. Klein (1985, 1986) 2 – Karl Watson & Paul Weitman (2008, 2014) 2 – Godolphin Racing (2005, 2015)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefAt Aqueduct - Ruffian Stakes2026Irish Maxima5Frankie PenningtonJohn C. ServisIrish Three Racing1 mile1:36.51$200,000II2025Jody's Pride4Joel RosarioJorge R. AbreuParkland Thoroughbreds & Sportsmen Stable 1 mile 1:35.04$200,000II2024Soul of an Angel5Trevor McCarthySaffie Joseph Jr.C Two Racing Stable & Agave Racing Stable1 mile1:35.40$200,000IIAt Belmont Park 20235Feargal LynchGeorge WeaverR.A. Hill Stable, Black Type Thor., Rock Ridge Racing, BlackRidge Stables & James F. Brown1 mile1:36.13$200,000II2022Search Results4Irad Ortiz Jr.Chad C. BrownKlaravich Stables1 mile1:34.88$200,000II2021Vault5Joel RosarioBrad H. Cox Kueber Racing, Barlar, Madaket Stables & Little Red Feather Racing1 mile1:35.81$200,000II2020Monomoy Girl5Florent GerouxBrad H. Cox Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables1 mile1:34.13$145,500II2019Come Dancing5Manuel FrancoCarlos F. MartinBlue Devil Racing Stable 1 mile1:36.54$242,500II2018Pacific Wind4Irad Ortiz Jr.Chad C. BrownSharon Alesia, Ciaglia Racing, Peter M. Brant & Dominic Savides1 mile1:39.05$245,000II2017Highway Star4Angel S. ArroyoRodrigo A. UbilloChester & Mary Broman1 mile1:39.05$245,000II2016Cavorting4Javier CastellanoKiaran P. McLaughlinStonestreet Stables1 mile1:34.05$250,000II2015§ Wedding Toast5Jose LezcanoKiaran P. McLaughlinGodolphin Racing1 mile1.35.57$250,000II2014Fiftyshadesofhay4John R. VelazquezBob Baffert Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman 1 mile1:35.70$250,000IIAt Aqueduct – Ruffian Handicap2013Withgreatpleasure5John R. VelazquezDavid NunnDavid Blethen1 mile1:36.52$250,000II2012Race not heldAt Saratoga – Ruffian Invitational Handicap2011Ask the Moon6Javier CastellanoMartin D. WolfsonFarnsworth Stable miles1:50.46$250,000I2010Malibu Prayer4Todd A. PletcherEdward P. Evans miles1:48.14$250,000IAt Belmont Park – Ruffian Handicap2009Swift Temper5Alan GarciaDale L. RomansRichard Nip & Omar Trevino miles1:40.59$300,000I2008Tough Tiz's Sis4Edgar S. PradoBob BaffertKarl Watson & Weitman Performance miles1:40.16$300,000I2007Ginger Punch4Rafael BejaranoRobert J. FrankelStronach Stables miles1:40.25$285,000I2006Pool Land4John R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherMelnyk Racing Stable miles1:41.81$294,000I2005Stellar Jayne4Jerry D. BaileySaeed bin SuroorGodolphin Racing miles1:41.87$300,000I2004Sightseek5John R. VelazquezRobert J. FrankelJuddmonte Farms miles1:41.51$294,000I2003Wild Spirit (CHI)4Jerry D. BaileyRobert J. Frankel Sumaya Us Stable miles1:41.23$300,000I2002Mandy's Gold4Jose A. SantosMichael E. GorhamSteeplechase Farm miles1:42.57$300,000I2001Race not held2000Riboletta (BRZ)5Chris McCarronEduardo Inda Aaron U. & Marie D. Jones miles1:40.35$250,000I1999Catinca4Jerry D. BaileyJohn C. KimmelRobert K. Waxman miles1:41.94$250,000I1998Sharp Cat4Corey NakataniWallace DollaseThe Thoroughbred Corporation miles1:42.40$250,000I1997Tomisue's Delight3Jerry D. BaileyNeil J. HowardStephen C. Hilbert miles1:44.43$250,000I1996Yanks Music3John R. VelazquezLeo O'BrienMichael Fennessy miles1:41.84$250,000I1995Inside Information4Mike E. SmithOgden Mills Phipps miles1:40.98$200,000I1994Sky Beauty4Mike E. SmithH. Allen Jerkens Georgia E. Hofmann miles1:41.79$200,000I1993Shared Interest5Robbie DavisFlint S. Schulhofer Robert S. Evans miles1:41.92$200,000I1992Versailles Treaty5Mike E. SmithClaude R. McGaughey IIICynthia Phipps miles1:41.41$200,000I1991Queena5Angel Cordero Jr.Claude R. McGaughey IIIEmory A. Hamilton miles1:41.65$200,000I1990Quick Mischief4Raul I. RojasCharles J. Carlesimo Jr.Gregory Mordas miles1:42.80$240,840I1989Bayakoa (ARG)5Laffit Pincay Jr.Ron McAnallyJanis & Frank Whitham miles1:48.40$226,400I1988Sham Say3Jacinto VasquezWilliam B. CoxEvergreen Farm miles1:48.00$244,000I1987†§ Coup de Fusil5Angel Cordero Jr.Jan H. NerudTartan Farms miles1:48.60$249,600I1986Lady's Secret4Pat DayD. Wayne LukasEugene V. Klein miles1:46.80$230,400I1985§ Lady's Secret3Jorge VelasquezD. Wayne LukasEugene V. Klein miles1:47.40$169,800I1984Heatherten5Randy RomeroWilliam I. MottJohn A. Franks miles1:48.20$172,200I19833Laffit Pincay Jr.Pedro MartiBurt Bacharach miles1:47.20$171,925I1982Christmas Past3Jacinto VasquezAngel A. Penna Jr.Cynthia Phipps miles1:48.60$166,800I1981Relaxing 5Angel Cordero Jr.Angel Penna Sr.Ogden Phipps miles1:47.60$161,700I1980Genuine Risk3Jacinto VasquezLeRoy JolleyDiana M. Firestone miles1:49.20$136,500I1979It's in the Air3Laffit Pincay Jr.Laz BarreraHarbor View Farm miles1:47.40$133,125I1978Late Bloomer4Jorge VelasquezJohn M. Gaver Jr.Greentree Stable miles1:47.00$108,100I1977Cum Laude Laurie3Angel Cordero Jr.Thomas L. Rondinello Daniel W. Galbreath miles1:52.20$110,300IRuffian Stakes1976Revidere3Jacinto VasquezDavid A. WhiteleyWilliam Haggin Perry miles2:01.00$132,375I

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 List of American and Canadian Graded races

References