Six entered for Belmont Park's Ruffian Stakes

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Elmont, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - An evenly matched field of six fillies and mares, including an entry, has been entered for Saturday's $250,000 Ruffian Stakes going a mile at Belmont Park.

House Rules, winner of three of her last four starts, will leave from post 2 with Javier Castellano riding for trainer Jimmy Jerkens and owner Joseph Shields Jr.

The 4-year-old filly has wins this year in the Bal Harbour, Rampart and Top Flight Handicaps with a second in the Royal Delta Stakes. She has won six of 16 career starts for $533,703.

"She's funny," noted Jerkens, "when she gets strangled off a slow pace, or you drag her too far back, she gets discouraged."

Princess Violet, owned by Barry Schwartz, will break from post 4 with Jose Ortiz again in the saddle.

Trained by Linda Rice, Princess Violet is coming off a half-length win in Keeneland's Madison Stakes, ridden by Junior Alvarado filling in for Ortiz.

"She broke pretty good," Alvarado said after the Madison. "In the first part (of the race), the horses ran away from her a little bit. I knew I was in a good spot still and I tried to save ground. When I turned for home, I slipped her out and she was there for me as soon as I asked her. She gave me all she had."

The 4-year-old filly kicked off her season with a second in the Barbara Fritchie at Laurel Park on Feb. 14. As a 3-year-old in 2014 she finished second to eventual champion Untapable in Belmont's Mother Goose. The filly has earnings of $662,810 with wins in half of her 10 lifetime starts.

Here is the field for the Ruffian from the rail out: Shayjolie, Cornelio Velasquez; House Rules, Javier Castellano; Macha, Manny Franco; Princess Violet, Jose Ortiz; Via Strata, Irad Ortiz Jr. and Wedding Toast, Jose Lezcano. Via Strata and Wedding Toast are an entry.

The Ruffian has an approximate post time of 2:53 p.m. ET.