Astarita Stakes

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.

Astarita Stakes
Discontinued stakes race
LocationAqueduct Racetrack, South Ozone Park, Queens, New York, United States
Belmont Park
Elmont, New York, United States
Inaugurated1946–2005
Race typeThoroughbred – Flat racing
Race information
Distance6.5 furlongs
SurfaceDirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationTwo-year-old fillies
Purse$100,000

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:

  • Aqueduct Racetrack: 1946–1955, 1962–1966, 1993–1994, 1997
  • Belmont Park: 1956–1957, 1961

It was contested at various distances:

  • 6 furlongs : 1946–1956
  • 6.5 furlongs : 1972–1994, 1997–2005
  • 7 furlongs : 1957–1971, 1996
  • 8 furlongs : 1995

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 2000 Extra 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.[6]

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.[7][8]

Records

Speed record:

  • 110.00 @ 6 furlongs – Alanesian (1956)
  • 1:16.40 @ 6.5 furlongs – Stulcer (1974)
  • 1:22.60 @ 7 furlongs – Syrian Sea (1967)

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
2005 Sensation 2 Eibar Coa Stanley M. Hough Cobra Farm & Castletop Stable 6.5 F 1:16.90 $60,000 G III
2004 Toll Taker 2 Eibar Coa Timothy A. Hills Patrick Welsh 6.5 F 1:18.16 $60,000 G III
2003 Spectacular Moon 2 Jorge Chavez John V. Alecci John V. Alecci 6.5 F 1:17.16 $90,000 G II
2002 Humorous Lady 2 Jerry Bailey Michael R. Smith S. David Plummer 6.5 F 1:17.76 $90,000 G II
2001 Bella Bellucci 2 Gary Stevens Neil D. Drysdale Michael Tabor 6.5 F 1:16.67 $60,000 G II
2000 Xtra Heat 2 Mark Johnston John Salzman Sr. Kenneth Taylor/John Salzman Sr./Harry Deitchman 6.5 F 1:16.71 $60,000 G II
1999 Silentlea 2 Robbie Davis James A. Jerkens Grace E. Ritzenberg 6.5 F 1:17.44 $60,000 G II
1998 Paved in Gold 2 Jorge Chavez Michael T. Trivigno Brian S. Dance 6.5 F 1:18.86 $60,000 G II
1997 Ninth Inning 2 Robbie Davis James A. Jerkens Peter Blum 6.5 F 1:17.44 $60,000 G II
1996 Broad Dynamite 2 Dale Cordova Damon Pollard Joseph D. Kowal 6.5 F 1:24.02 $60,000 G II
1995 Top Secret 2 Mike E. Smith George R. Arnold II John H. Peace 8 F 1:36.79 $60,000 G II
1994 Miss Golden Circle 2 Julie Krone John C. Kimmel Caesar Kimmel & Philip Solondz 6.5 F 1:23.67 $60,000 G II
1993 Shapely Scrapper 2 Joe Bravo Benjamin W. Perkins Jr. Candy Stable (Herb & Ellen Moelis) 6.5 F 1:24.02 $60,000 G II
1992 Missed The Storm 2 Mike E. Smith William I. Mott Pin Oak Stable 6.5 F 1:24.90 $60,000 G II
1991 Easy Now 2 Mike E. Smith C. R. McGaughey III Ogden Phipps 6.5 F 1:22.84 $60,000 G II
1990 Devlish Touch 2 Craig Perret Carlos A. Garcia Burning Tree Farm (Jerry Roth, et al.) 6.5 F 1:18.36 $60,000 G II
1989 Dance Colony 2 José A. Santos Ross R. Pierce Buckland Farm 6.5 F 1:17.80 $60,000 G II
1988 Channel Three 2 Carlos Barrera Michael J. Goswell Elser Farms Corp. 6.5 F 1:17.00 $60,000 G II
1987 Flashy Runner 2 Jacinto Vásquez Frank A. Alexander Barry K. Schwartz 6.5 F 1:16.60 $60,000 G II
1986 Cagey Exuberance 2 John Nied Jr. Robert W. Camac Lindsey D. Burbank 6.5 F 1:18.20 $45,000 G II
1985 Gaudery 2 Ángel Cordero Jr. Jan H. Nerud John A. Nerud 6.5 F 1:17.00 $45,000 G II
1984 Mom's Command 2 Abigail Fuller Edward T. Allard Peter D. Fuller 6.5 F 1:17.80 $45,000 G II
1983 Tinas Ten 2 Richard Migliore Richard T. DeStasio Albert Fried Jr. 6.5 F 1:19.20 $30,000 G II
1982 Wings of Jove 2 Herb McCauley Charles P. Sanborn Helmore Farm (Edgar M. Lucas) 6.5 F 1:16.80 $30,000 G II
1981 Before Dawn 2 Jorge Velásquez John M. Veitch Calumet Farm 6.5 F 1:16.60 $30,000 G II
1980 Sweet Revenge 2 Jorge Velásquez Del W. Carroll William S. Farish III 6.5 F 1:17.20 $33,360 G III
1979 Royal Suite 2 Jeffrey Fell Roger Laurin Reginald N. Webster 6.5 F 1:17.20 $25,815 G III
1978 Fall Aspen 2 Roger Velez James E. Picou Joseph M. Roebling 6.5 F 1:17.00 $24,000 G III
1977 Lakeville Miss 2 Ruben Hernandez Jose A. Martin Randolph Weinsier 6.5 F 1:17.80 $21,000 G III
1976 Sensational 2 Ángel Cordero Jr. Woody Stephens Mill House Stable 6.5 F 1:17.40 $22,185 G III
1975 Picture Tube 2 Eddie Maple Anthony L. Basile Bwamazon Farm (Millard A. Waldheim) 6.5 F 1:18.40 $23,340 G III
1974 Stulcer 2 Ángel Cordero Jr. Warren A. Croll Jr. Jaclyn Stable (W. S. Paley & Dr. Leon Levy) 6.5 F 1:16.40 $17,040 G III
1973 Raisela 2 Ron Turcotte John W. Jacobs Harbor View Farm 6.5 F 1:16.80 $17,610 G III
1972-1 Princess Doubleday 2 Braulio Baeza David Sazer Frank J. Sitzberger 6.5 F 1:17.20 $13,965
1972-2 Waltz Fan 2 John Mallamo Victor J. Nickerson Mereworth Farm (Walter J. Salmon Jr.) 6.5 F 1:17.80 $14,040
1971 Barely Even 2 Tommy Barrow Louis M. Goldfine Mrs. S. Leonard Gilmartin 7 F 1:23.40 $21,120
1970 Deceit 2 Ron Turcotte Del W. Carroll Windfields Farm 7 F 1:23.80 $19,402
1969 Cherry Sundae 2 John Rotz George Seabo Shelter Rock Stable 7 F 1:24.80 $19,890
1968-1 Show Off 2 Eddie Belmonte Willard C. Freeman Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr. 7 F 1:25.00 $14,803
1968-2 Dihela 2 Ron Turcotte Sidney J. Smith Alfred J. Giordano 7 F 1:24.20 $14,966
1967 Syrian Sea 2 Bobby Ussery Casey Hayes Meadow Stable 7 F 1:22.60 $19,175
1966 Irish County 2 Braulio Baeza Edward A. Neloy Wheatley Stable 7 F 1:24.40 $19,370
1965-1 Swift Lady 2 Bill Shoemaker Burley E. Parke Harbor View Farm 7 F 1:23.60
1965-2 Lady Pitt (DH) 2 Ron Turcotte Stephen A. DiMauro Thomas A. Eazor 7 F 1:23.00
1965-2 Prides Profile (DH) 2 Donald Pierce Sam N. Edmundson Clarence W. Smith 7 F 1:23.00
1964 I Deceive † 2 Fernando Alvarez Charles P. Sanborn Ernest H. Wood 7 F 1:26.60 $19,955
1963-1 Petite Rouge 2 Johnny Sellers Woody Sedlacek Jacques D. Wimpheimer 7 F 1:23.60 $14,348
1963-2 Tosmah 2 Sam Boulmetis Sr. Joseph W. Mergler Briardale Farm (Anthony Imbesi) 7 F 1:23.60 $14,511
1962 Main Swap 2 Braulio Baeza Charles R. Parke Fred W. Hooper 7 F 1:23.00 $19,272
1961 Cicada 2 Bill Shoemaker Casey Hayes Meadow Stable 7 F 1:24.40 $19,630
1957 Polamby 2 Pete Anderson MacKenzie Miller Ned W. Brent 7 F 1:25.80 $18,550
1956 Alanesian 2 William Boland James W. Maloney William Haggin Perry 6 F 1:10.00 $11,450
1955 Cosmah † 2 Karl Korte Frank J. Zitto Eugene Mori 6 F 1:11.40 $12,200
1954 Two Stars 2 Nick Shuk Sherrill W. Ward Howard Adams Flanigan 6 F 1:12.80 $12,800
1953 Make A Play 2 Ben Green Thomas A. Kelly Pin Oak Stable 6 F 1:13.20 $8,450
1952 Grecian Queen 2 Eric Guerin James P. Conway Florence Whitaker 6 F 1:13.60 $8,925
1951 Place Card 2 Arnold Kirkland Virgil W. Raines Brandywine Stable 6 F 1:12.60 $9,575
1950 Jacodema 2 Robert Permane Kay E. Jensen Apheim Stable (Bernard Heiman) 6 F 1:12.00 $8,950
1949 Blue Kay 2 Ted Atkinson Harold Crouch Elkcam Stables 6 F 1:14.00 $9,375
1948 Nell K 2 Douglas Dodson John B. Partridge Spring Hill Farm 6 F 1:14.60 $10,275
1947 Bellesoeur 2 Tommy May George P. "Maj" Odom Mrs. Laudy Lawrence 6 F 1:12.60 $9,650
1946 Keynote 2 Hedley Woodhouse James E. Fitzsimmons Wheatley Stable 6 F 1:11.20 $10,325
  • † In 1964 Queen Empress won by a nose but was disqualified to second for interference.
  • † In 1962 Smart Deb won what would have been her eighth straight win had she not been disqualified for interference.
  • † In 1955 Dark Charger won but was disqualified to last.

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". The 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. "Quick 'Heat' making Maryland proud". The Baltimore Sun. 2001-02-25. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  7. "Owner Profile – Cobra Farm and Castletop Stable". Equibase Co. LLC. 2019-08-04. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  8. "'Cugat' King of Jamaica". New York Post. 2000-10-16. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
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