The Long Island Stakes is an American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

held annually in November at Aqueduct Racetrack, in

Ozone Park, Queens Ozone Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens, New York, United States. It is next to the Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, a popular spot for Thoroughbred racing and home to the Resorts W ...

, New York. The race is for

fillies A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

and

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than fo ...

s, age three and up, willing to race the one and one-half miles on the

turf Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls. In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricult ...

. Formerly a Grade II event, the race was downgraded to Grade III status in 2007.

Historical notes

The original Long Island Handicap was established in 1894 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. The race was open to horses of either gender age three and older and run on dirt over a distance of one mile and one furlong. It was last run in 1910 when the racetrack closed as a result of anti-gambling legislation. A second edition of the Long Island Handicap was inaugurated in 1956 at Belmont Park. Through 1971 the race was open to horses of either gender, age three and older. It was hosted by Belmont Park in 1956–1960, 1962, 1964–1965, 1968–1969, 1972, 1975–1977, and 1989–1993. Prior to 2017, the Long Island was run under handicap weights. Since then, the

New York Racing Association The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest Thoroughbred horse racing tracks in the state of New York, United States: Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens; Belmont Park i ...

has run the race under allowance weights. Since its inception, the Long Island has been raced at various distances: * 1 mile, 1 furlong : 1894–1910 * 1 mile : 1972 * miles : 1973–1977 * miles : 1959, 1961, 1963–1967, 1970–1971 * miles : 1960, 1962, 1968–1969, 1989, 1997, 2000, 2018–2020 * miles: 1990–1996, 1998–1999, 2001–2017, 2021–present * miles : 1956–1958 It was run in two divisions in 1958, 1962, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1985, 1990, and 1998.

Records

Speed record: (at current distance of miles on turf) * 2:28.08 – Mutamakina (2021) Most wins: * 2 – Parka (1964, 1965) * 2 – Hush Dear (1982, 1983) * 2 – Criticism (2008, 2009) * 2 – Mutamakina (2020, 2021) Most wins by an owner: * 5 –

Cragwood Stables Charles W. Engelhard Jr. (February 15, 1917 – March 2, 1971) was an American businessman, a major owner in Thoroughbred horse racing, and a candidate in the 1955 New Jersey State Senate Elections. He controlled an international mining and meta ...

(1967, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976) Most wins by a jockey: * 5 –

Jorge Velásquez Jorge Velásquez (born December 28, 1946 in Chepo, Panama) is a thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. Jorge Velasquez's career in thoroughbred racing began in his native Panama but as a teenager moved to the United States. In 1967 he won ...

(1969, 1971, 1974, 1976, 1980) Most wins by a trainer: * 5 –

MacKenzie Miller MacKenzie "Mack" Todd Miller (October 16, 1921 – December 10, 2010) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and owner/breeder. During his forty-six-year career, he conditioned seventy-two stakes winners, including four Eclipse Award cha ...

(1967, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976)

Winners of the Long Island Stakes

Winners of the Long Island Handicap at Sheepshead Bay

References

{{Reflist
June 29, 1894 ''New York Times'' article on Sir Walter winning the Long Island Handicap

The 2009 Long Island Handicap at ''Bloodhorse.com''
Graded stakes races in the United States Grade 3 stakes races in the United States Long-distance horse races for fillies and mares Horse races in New York City Turf races in the United States Aqueduct Racetrack Sheepshead Bay Race Track Recurring sporting events established in 1894 1894 establishments in New York (state)