Sabellina is tops in Mount Vernon

Jay Lieberman's SABELLINA (Langfuhr) trailed in last during the early running

of Sunday's $114,700

Mount

Vernon H. at Belmont Park, but came along late to just get up for the neck

victory under Javier Castellano. Trained by Joseph Aquilino, the five-year-old

mare was sent off the 4-1 second choice in the 12-horse field and rewarded her

backers with payouts of $10.60, $5.70 and $4.10.

The Lamp is Lit (Miswaki) grabbed the lead soon after the gates opened,

setting splits of :24 2/5, :48 4/5 and 1:12 3/5 while Sabellina was content to

trail 11th and then last. Starting her run in the stretch as Rahys' Appeal

(Rahy) wrested the lead away through a mile in 1:36 1/5, the eventual winner ran

along the rail late before altering course in deep stretch to the outside and

moving up to stop the clock in 1:48 for 1 1/8 miles on the firm inner turf.

Finlandia (Royal Anthem) came from midpack to take second by 1 1/2 lengths

over Rahys' Appeal, paying $10 and $6.30 as the 11-1 sixth choice. Show returned

$10.60 at 14-1, and the exotics gave back $115 (exacta), $1,360 (trifecta) and

$13,395 (5-3-8-4 superfecta).

Nurse Culkin (Take Me Out), The Lamp is Lit, Little Buttercup (Labeeb [GB]),

Half Heaven (Regal Classic), Samsincharge (Dixie Brass), Itsnotthemoney (Prime

Timber), Elisa's Energy (Chester House), On the Bus (Ghazi) and Lady Bi Bi (Lord

Avie) completed the order under the wire. Tiffany Touch (Deputy Minister),

Square Dancing (Western Expression) and Lookin' Swell (Wild Rush) were on the

also-eligible list and didn't draw in.

Sabellina ran third by a neck in this event last year and owns another

placing in the 2004 Ticonderoga H. She won that year's edition of the Yaddo H.,

but this is her first win since taking an allowance/optional claimer over the

track last July. The dark bay mare moved her record to 24-6-2-4 with this one

and now owns $325,391 in accumulated earnings.

Bred in New York by John Valentino, Sabellina is out of multiple Grade 3

winner Restored Hope (He's Bad), who ran third in the 1995-1996 editions of the

Shuvee H. (G1) as well as the 2006 Hempstead H. (G1). Sabellina counts an

unnamed 2006 filly by Strong Hope as a half-sister.