LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JUNE 22, 2019—Six mares that competed in the Grade 3 Miss Princess Handicap on May 13, including the top three finishers, are among the eight that will be in action in the $35,000 Ivan Ashment Handicap on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

The Miss Princess returnees will be headed by Howard Nichols' La Rusa, a 4-year-old mare by Walk Thru Fire who won the Miss Princess at 23-1. Trained by Jose Flores, La Rusa's victory was also the first stakes victory ever for teenage jockey Oscar Andrade Jr. Bred by Balgo Racing Team Inc.,

La Rusa will enter the Ivan Ashment with career earnings of $76,116 and a racing record that also includes trial wins to the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity and Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and a second place finish to Matilda Czech in the 2017 California Breeders Freshman Stakes for Fillies. Matilda Czech was the only mare to qualify to the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity final during last Sunday's trials.

C.K. and Laurel Allen's Strawfinders Jessee finished second in the Miss Princess and now returns to action Ivan Ashment. A multiple stakes winner, the 6-year-old mare by One Sweet Jess finished second to Just Walk By in her only other stakes outing of 2019. She'll start from the outside post eight tonight.

Vince Genco's Madam Of Fire MV, who posted a strong third in the Miss Princess, and Ed Allred's Denim N Diamonds winner Time To Leave, who was fifth in the Miss Princess, are among the other top contenders.

Other Miss Princess runners that will be in action in the Ivan Ashment are the aforementioned stakes winner Just Walk By, owned by Dr. Steve Burns, and Newport Coaster, who races for Herminia Gutierrez.

The field will be completed by Allred's Tough To Figure, the third place finisher in the Denim N Diamond, and Norma Cano's Jacque On Fire, who will be making her 2019 debut after facing champion KVN Corona in the Los Alamitos Super Derby trials.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.