The following year the New York Racing Association scheduled the inaugural running of the Ruffian Stakes on 9 October 1976 as a 1+1⁄4 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.[2]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 1+1⁄8 miles and the conditions of the event were changed to a handicap thus the name of the event became the Ruffian Handicap.[3] In 1990 the distance was reduced once again to 1+1⁄16 miles.[4]
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 1+1⁄8 miles.[4]
The event was moved to Aqueduct Racecourse in 2013 and held in April over a distance of one mile[3] 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.[3] Fiftyshadesofhay won the race, giving John Velazquez his sixth win in the race, currently the leading jockey to have won this event.[6]
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.