2016 Ruffian Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - Belmont Park in Elmont, New York will play host to the Grade 2 Ruffian Handicap this Saturday, May 14. Fillies and mares four years old and upward will take to Belmont Park's dirt track and race one mile for the winner's portion of the $250,000 purse.

A competitive field of six will give it a go in the Ruffian Stakes - race 7 on Belmont Park's packed Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:41 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all six combatants for this Grade 2 stakes.

2016 Ruffian Stakes Race Preview at Belmont Park

Cavorting - has 10 career starts with five wins, a second and a third place finish. She enters off a respectable runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct April 17 after an OK third in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita back on December 26, a somewhat disappointing fourth as favorite in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (from an undesirable post 14) and a nice three race win streak - the Grade 2 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga September 16, the Grade 1 Test Stakes August 8 and the minor Jersey Girl Stakes June 5 at Belmont Park. She also recorded a terrific win in the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga August 10, 2014 and had an 11 length a maiden score in wire-to-wire fashion at Belmont Park July 3, 2014. Cavorting had been a tad up and down but has placed in five of her last six starts overall ahead of this weekend. She looks for her first win since September however when she departs from the rail with Javier Castellano guiding her.

Include Betty - Tom Proctor trained filly has five wins, three seconds and three third place finishes in 15 career starts including multiple graded stakes wins. She won the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes last April, the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes in June and the minor Remington Oak September 27 but has just two starts since - a third last time out in the minor Heavenly Prize Invitational at Aqueduct in March and a second in the Grade 3 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes in October. She also had a third in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks in July and a second in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes in May. Include Betty has placed in six of her last seven starts overall and should be competitive again Saturday. Jose Lezcano rides from gate 2.

Bet Belmont Park Horse Racing with OffTrackBetting.com

Carrumba - Shug McGaughey trained filly hasn't been worse than second in seven career starts with four wins so far. Last time out was a good win in the Grade 3 Top Flight Invitational at Aqueduct April 10 after a respectable second behind Forever Unbridled in her stakes debut - the Grade 3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct November 28 and consecutive Allowance scores in the fall on this track. Carrumba has been competitive every time out and is expected to be again Saturday. Jose Ortiz will be in the irons from the outside gate 6 Saturday hoping to keep an impressive roll going.

Spelling Again - has five wins, three seconds and three third place finishes in 17 career starts and has placed in six of eight starts ahead of this weekend. Last time out was a bit of a hiccup however - a seventh in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland April 9 after a third in the Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap at Aqueduct November 27, a good win in the Grade 2 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs November 7, a fourth in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes here in October and two straight wins including the minor Open Mind Stakes in September. She had been very competitive the last year before last time out and will be looking for a strong bounce back Saturday from post 3. Luis Saez has the mount.

Calamity Kate - finished second in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct to end her 2014 campaign in November and had six starts starts in 2015 - including a second last time out in the minor Zia Park Oaks in November which followed a ninth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, a second in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes in September and a win at 54-1 odds in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks July 11. Before that was an eighth in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes and an Allowance Optional Claiming score in May. Calamity Kate has three wins and three second place finishes in 11 career starts and has two wins and three runner-up finishes in her last seven starts overall. Calamity Kate has been pretty good so far in her career and looks for her biggest score to date from gate 4. John Velazquez will be in the saddle.

Welcome Aboard - Eric Reed trained mare made her graded stakes debut January 30 and finished fifth in the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic and followed that with a seventh in the minor Jersey Lilly Stakes February 27. She won the minor Opelousas Stakes at Evangeline in July - her best career effort but has failed to hit the board in four races since. She has eight wins, five seconds and a third place finish in 26 career starts and will be after a career defining win Saturday. Junior Alvarado has been tabbed to ride from post 5.

2016 Ruffian Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 7 on Belmont Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:41 PM.