Belmont Park: Lisvernane back on short rest for Friday allowance

ELMONT, N.Y. – After being eased in her most recent start Sept. 25 when the saddle slipped early in the race, Lisvernane is wheeled right back in Friday’s $87,000 first-level allowance feature at Belmont Park going 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Entered in last January’s Keeneland sale of horses of all ages as a broodmare prospect, Lisvernane, a 5-year-old daughter of Arch, was purchased by Ninety North Racing Stable and turned over to trainer Jimmy Toner in south Florida. She performed well enough to be put back in training and won her second start of 2013, a maiden race at Pimlico in May.

After finishing fifth over yielding ground at Pimlico in June, Lisvernane finished a good third at 25-1 in an allowance race at Saratoga in July.

“She wants to be covered up,” Toner said. “The second time we ran her [at Pimlico], she was in the clear, and that’s not what she wants. I took her to Saratoga; she ran well up there. Unfortunately, the last time, the saddle slipped.”

Getting covered up shouldn’t be a problem, as Lisvernane will break from the rail Friday under Junior Alvarado. Toner would have preferred to have run Lisvernane farther in distance, but with limited time left in the turf season, he didn’t want to wait and risk the chance of inclement weather or a race not filling.

Justoneatheguys, a 3-year-old daughter of Corinthian, returns to Belmont Park, where she went 2 for 2 during the spring/summer meet. In her most recent start, at Saratoga, Justoneatheguys chased a hot early pace and finished ninth.

“Things didn’t unfold too well – she was too close to the pace,” trainer Linda Rice said. “She’s run well at Belmont.”

Justoneatheguys could play out as the primary speed after breaking from post 8 under Jose Ortiz.

While most of the horses in this field have just one or two victories on their r é sum é , Sally’s Dream is an eight-time winner, with three of those wins coming at Belmont Park. Like Lisvernane, Sally’s Dream is coming back on nine days’ rest, only she won her last outing, a starter/optional claimer, by a nose.

Divine Luck finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Lisvernane in that aforementioned July race at Saratoga, then came back to finish second in a race at this condition a month later. Trainer Shug McGaughey puts blinkers back on the 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper on Friday.

Celtic Arch, trained by Christophe Clement, comes off a maiden win at Monmouth, while Corporate Culture, trained by Chad Brown, returns to Belmont, where she won a maiden race over this course last October.

My Marigold, D’ Oratory, and Samiam complete the field.