| Restricted stakes race | |
| Location | Aqueduct Racetrack South Ozone Park, Queens, New York |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1979 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 7 Furlongs |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | bred in New York State |
| Purse | $100,000 |
The Damon Runyon Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race operated by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) at its Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens. First run in 1979, the annual event is currently contested on dirt over a distance of 7 furlongs. Restricted to horses bred in New York State, it was usually run in the late fall or early winter and open for two-year-olds only until 2020. With no race in 2019, those two-year-olds who turned three in 2020 competed when it was run on March 15.
One of a series of NYRA races for New York-bred horses, it is an important part of maintaining the significant breeding industry in that state.
The race is named for Damon Runyon, a famous sports reporter and short story writer who created a Broadway all his own during the Twenties and Thirties. From these stories came the musical Guys and Dolls. Runyon loved horse racing and campaigned a small string of his own horses.