La Bella Valeria has experience edge in Wednesday feature

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Talent versus experience will be factors in handicapping Wednesday’s $56,000 New York-bred second-level allowance feature when the talented duo of Blithely and Sister Margaret meet the impressive last-out winner La Bella Valeria going six furlongs at Aqueduct.

Blithely, a 3-year-old daughter of Exchange Rate trained by Mark Hennig, is 2 for 4 and coming off a six-length victory in a first-level allowance race at Belmont on Sept. 17. Sister Margaret, a 3-year-old daughter of Pulpit trained by Nick Esler, is 2 for 3 and coming off a half-length allowance score in the mud at Belmont on Oct. 16.

Meanwhile, La Bella Valeria, a 5-year-old daughter of Stonesider, is coming off the best race of her 18-race career when winning a starter allowance by 4 1/4 lengths for trainer Chris Englehart on Oct. 1.

Two other 3-year-olds, Henry’s Gal, 2 for 2 over Aqueduct’s main track including a Stallion Stakes victory in April, and Alwaysinstilettos, winner of three straight at Finger Lakes, add to the contentiousness of this nine-horse field.

KEY CONTENDERS

Blithely (Last 3 Beyers: 81-73-73)

◗ She had a chip removed after her 11 1/4-length victory in September 2013 – the second start of her career – and has come back with a second-place finish Aug. 24 followed by her six-length win Sept. 17.

“She may have needed the first race of her life, and she may have needed the first race of her comeback,” Hennig said. “She’s a stocky-made horse. She’s a [half-]sister to Merry Meadow. It didn’t take her quite as long to put it together as Merry Meadow, but both fillies have got some quality.”

◗ With Joel Rosario beginning a seven-day careless riding suspension dating back to Aug. 13 at Saratoga, Javier Castellano, aboard for Blithely’s maiden win last fall, reunites with the filly from post 8.

Sister Margaret (Last 3 Beyers: 80-79-72)

◗ She came off a five-month layoff, precipitated by a fever, to win a first-level allowance race going seven furlongs in an off-the-turf race three weeks ago at Belmont.

“She was ready to run for about a month before that, but the races didn’t go,” Esler said. “I thought seven-eighths coming off the layoff was a good effort. I did tell the rider that if he felt she was getting a little tired to look after her. For me, she won going away at the end.”

◗ Sister Margaret’s lone loss in three starts was to Princess Violet, runner-up to Untapable in the Grade 1 Mother Goose and winner of the Empire Distaff last out.

La Bella Valeria (Last 3 Beyers: 93-71-73)

◗ She has a win and two seconds from three starts this year after being claimed for $20,000 last December by Englehart.

◗ She earned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure in a front-running starter-allowance score under John Velazquez, who is back aboard again from post 9 on Wednesday.

◗ She fired a best-of-37 half-mile work in 47.12 seconds last Friday on the Belmont training track.