2017 Ruffian Handicap Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G2 Ruffian Handicap will be run Saturday, May 13 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A purse of $250,000 will be on the line for fillies and mares four years old and upward willing to go one mile on Belmont Park's dirt track.

A field of just five will take to the track in the Ruffian Handicap - race 10 on Belmont Park's stacked Saturday schedule. Post time is 6:17 PM. Let's take a look into the past performances of all five entries for this intriguing G2 stakes.

2017 Ruffian Handicap Entries at Belmont Park

Highway Star - lightly raced Rodrigo Ubillo trained filly has six wins (three stakes) and a third place finish in her nine career starts. She enters off a good win in the G3 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct April 9 which followed a fourth in the minor Ladies Handicap on that track January 13 and a nice two race win streak - the minor New York Stallion Series Stakes at Aqueduct November 13 and an Allowance Optional Claiming at Belmont Park September 28 - she earned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure in both races. Before that was a third in the minor Fleet Indian Stakes August 29 and a fourth in the minor New York Stallion Series Stakes August 11 - both at Saratoga. Highway Star has been a factor every time out in winning four of her last five starts overall (her last three starts at Belmont Park) and hopes to be again Saturday with Angel Arroyo in the saddle from post 3.

Indulgent - Kiaran McLaughlin trained filly has placed in five of six career starts - three wins and two runner-up finishes. Last time out was a respectable graded stakes debut - a second behind Highway Star in the G3 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct April 9 which followed three straight wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming at Aqueduct January 26, an Allowance on that track in November and a maiden score at Parx in October. Indulgent has been good the last seven months and hopes for a first stakes score from gate 4. Irad Ortiz gets the call.

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High Ridge Road - has placed in 10 of 12 career starts for trainer Linda Rice - five wins, two seconds and three third place finishes. She enters off a disappointing seventh in the G1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland April 8 after a good win in the G2 Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel Park February 18 which, another win in the minor Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes on that track December 31, a decent second by a nose in her only other graded stakes action to date - the G3 Go for Wand Handicap at Aqueduct December 3, a fourth in the minor Lady's Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park July 4 and two straight Allowance scores at Laurel Park last spring. High Ridge Road had looked good the last year in winning four of her last seven races (four of her five starts at a mile) but will be after a bounce back Saturday with Jose Ortiz guiding her from the rail.

Verve's Tale - has placed in 10 of 11 career starts for trainer Barclay Tagg - two wins, six seconds and two third place finishes. She enters this week off a respectable second in the G3 Top Flight Invitational Stakes at Aqueduct April 2 which followed her only off-the-board effort - a fourth in the G2 Royal Delta Stakes at Gulfstream Park February 18. Before that was a nice two race win streak - the G3 Comely Stakes at here in her stakes debut - November 26 and a MSW at Keeneland in October and four straight runner-up finishes in MSW races. Verve's Tale has been good so far in her career and will be looking for her second graded stakes score Saturday. Paco Lopez has been tabbed to ride from gate 2.

Bar of Gold - won her first three career starts - all at Aqueduct for trainer John Kimmel and has been up and down in 14 starts since. She enters on the heels of consecutive fourths - the minor Plenty of Grace Stakes at Aqueduct April 15 and the G3 Go for Wand Handicap on that track in December. Before that was a terrific 18 length win with a 117 Beyer Speed Figure in the minor Empire Distaff Handicap here October 22, a respectable third in the G2 Presque Isle Downs Masters September 19, a seventh in the G2 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga July 27, a decent third in the G3 Bed o' Roses Handicap at Belmont Park June 25 and a nice win in the minor Critical Eye Stakes at Belmont Park May 30. In 2015 she posted three straight runner-up finishes - the G2 Lexus Raven Run Stakes the G2 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga and the G1 Test Stakes. She now has five wins, three seconds and three third place finishes in 17 career starts and will look to his the board for the first time in three races. Bar of Gold looks for her first ever graded stakes score as well with Joel Rosario in the irons from the outside post 5.

2017 Ruffian Handicap Odds & Entries

Race 10 on Belmont Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 6:17 PM.