Princess Violet finds return spot in Garland of Roses

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Princess Violet, a Grade 1 winner earlier in the year, will return from a six-month layoff in Saturday’s $100,000 Garland of Roses Stakes, the final stakes to be run over Aqueduct’s main track in 2015.

Princess Violet, one of seven entered in the six-furlong event, is back with trainer Mike Hushion after making her last three starts with trainer Linda Rice. Hushion battled leukemia earlier in the year but has been back training on a full-time basis since Saratoga.

Princess Violet, a 4-year-old New York-bred daughter of Officer, won the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland in April, a couple of weeks after being transferred by owner Barry Schwartz to Rice. She defeated, among others, Stopchargingmaria, who came back to win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Following the Madison, Princess Violet finished second to Wedding Toast in the Grade 2 Ruffian and then fifth to Wedding Toast in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps in June.

She emerged from that race with an ankle injury and was sent to the farm before being reunited with Hushion, who said it wasn’t easy trying to find a race for Princess Violet.

“I kind of had to hurry up to get to this race,” Hushion said.

Princess Violet shows five works leading up to the Garland of Roses, including a half-mile move in 47.44 seconds Nov. 23, the fastest of 26 at the distance that day.

Princess Violet will be ridden by Junior Alvarado. The others entered were Classic Point, La Madrina, Medaglia d’Argento, Nuffsaid Nuffsaid, Room for Me, and Jubilant Vision, a recent $40,000 claim by Naipaul Chatterpaul, who supplemented her to this race.