Semper Sententiae should enjoy the softer company in River Memories

ELMONT, N.Y. – After finishing second or third in four consecutive graded stakes, Semper Sententiae catches some class relief in Friday’s $100,000 River Memories Stakes at Belmont Park.

Just how many of the 11 other turf fillies and mares she’ll have to face in the River Memories remains to be seen. Four of the River Memories entrants were cross-entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware. However, horses who ship in to Delaware are not permitted to ship back to certain tracks because of a suspected case of strangles at Delaware.

Trainer Michael Dickinson said Wednesday that he is unlikely to send Theodora B. or Pamina to New York. Both are entered in the Dick. Also cross-entered in both spots are Homeland Security, who won the River Memories last year, and Gaining.

Trainer Mark Hennig was always pointing Semper Sententiae to the River Memories. Semper Sententiae has run well at Belmont, recording her lone victory here last year while this year running second to Santa Monica in the Sheepshead Bay and third to Homerique in the New York, both Grade 2 stakes run here earlier in the meet.

The River Memories is run at 1 1/2 miles. In her only try at the distance, Semper Sententiae finished third in the Grade 3 La Prevoyante at Gulfstream Park in January under John Velazquez.

“Johnny felt he got forced into moving a little too early,” Hennig said. “I think she appreciates the distance. She always tries hard. She’s a neat filly.”

Velazquez rides Semper Sententiae again from post 4.

If trainer Brad Cox and Juddmonte Farms decide to send Gaining to New York, she will be a player in the River Memories. She finished second in both the Grade 3 Bewitch at Keeneland and the Keertana at Churchill in her two starts since coming to the United States from France.

Juddmonte also has Scottish Jig in the River Memories. Trained by Bill Mott, Scottish Jig is a 4-year-old daughter of Speightstown who won a second-level allowance going 1 1/4 miles at Belmont in May. Ferdinanda, second that day, is back in this race.

Trainer Chad Brown has Fools Gold stretching out in distance from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/2 miles in the River Memories.

“We always wanted to try her a little longer and this seems like the time of year to try it,” Brown said. “It’s a big jump up in distance from where she’s been running, but she has a steady body of work under her belt now.”

Lemon Zip brings a three-race win streak into the River Memories, including a second-level allowance win going 1 3/8 miles here June 14 and a first-level allowance at Pimlico in May.

Sky Full of Stars makes her first start for Christophe Clement and first since she ran seventh in last year’s Group 1 E.P. Taylor. She has a steady string of workouts over the Belmont turf course, but must overcome post 12. Clement also sends Homeland Security, who is 0 for 2 this year.