NYRA Photo

La Mehana leads the G3 Long Island

by Christian Abdo

LSU Stables’ La Mehana looks for back-to-back local graded stakes wins in Sunday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Long Island, an 11-furlong inner turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the 5-year-old Al Wukair bay rallied from nine lengths back in last-of-6 to win the Grade 3 Waya last-out on October 4 over Sunday’s course and distance. There, La Mehana slipped up the rail under returning rider Kendrick Carmouche to beat returning rival Immensitude by a neck in a final time of 2:17.64.

"It was a very good effort last time. She came from off the pace - the instructions were to be close to the pace and if he ends up on the lead to dictate it. The filly broke OK but then he put her last and she made one run and actually ran really good,” said Clement’s Belmont Park-based assistant Christophe Lorieul. “It was a dream trip too, coming up the rail - a very good effort.”

La Mehana [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche, 125 pounds] was making her fourth stateside effort, adding to thirds at the Grade 3 level in Gulfstream Park’s 12-furlong Orchid in March and the local 11-furlong Sheepshead Bay in May. Her recent win and the pair of thirds - which she traveled last early in both - all received 90 Beyer Speed Figures.

La Mehana’s best Beyer was a 93 before the Waya when fifth after stumbling at the start of the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial in July at Delaware Park.

"She had a couple unlucky starts stumbling out of the gate, but she seems to be on the right track now,” Lorieul said.

Bred by S.A. Haras du Mezeray, La Mehana made her first 12 starts in her native France, including a third in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu in September 2023 at Longchamp.

Clement will also saddle Avenue Niel [post 2, Joel Rosario, 121 pounds], who he owns in partnership with Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso. The Irish-bred 5-year-old Helmet chestnut was a two-length fourth in the Waya in her first graded attempt. Previously, she won a 12-furlong optional-claimer in September at Kentucky Downs.

“She's always decent - she won at Kentucky Downs the other day. For that filly, it would be better for her if we had a little cut in the ground,” said Lorieul.

A top challenger will be Bridlewood Farm and Madaket Stables’ No Show Sammy Jo [post 8, Flavien Prat, 123 pounds], who is on a four-race win streak for trainer Graham Motion. The 4-year-old Lope de Vega bay won her first stakes in the nine-furlong All Along last-out on September 14 at Laurel Park by 1 1/4-lengths over the Clement-trained Atomic Blonde.

The All Along marked No Show Sammy Jo’s fourth straight win, taking one-mile events in June 2023 at Belmont Park and in May here, in addition to a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer in August at Colonial Downs. She is 5-4-0-0 all-time and will stretch out beyond nine furlongs for the first time.

No Show Sammy Jo is out of the Exceed and Excel mare Shomaria, making her second dam Group 3-winner Shemima and her third dam Group 1-winner Shemaka.

Motion will also send out Wertheimer et Frere’s Group 3-winning Irish homebred Blush [post 4, John Velazquez, 122 pounds], who built a 4-for-8 record for conditioner Carlos Laffon-Parias. The sophomore Kingman bay started slow last-out in her North American bow before closing from 19 lengths off the pace to finish fourth defeated 8 1/2-lengths by frontrunning winner Full Count Felicia in the 10-furlong Grade 1 E.P. Taylor in September at Woodbine Racetrack.

Blush won the nine-furlong Group 3 Prix Chloe by a head over Group 3-placed and next-out Listed stakes-winner Skellet in July at Chantilly in her last start overseas. She is out of the dual Grade 1-winning Scat Daddy mare Lady of Shamrock.

Wathnan Racing’s Group 3-winner Immensitude [post 11, Junior Alvarado, 123 pounds] enters from the aforementioned runner-up finish to La Mehana in the Waya. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 4-year-old Lawman dark bay was previously a one-length third in the Listed One Dreamer going one mile and seventy yards on September 5 at Kentucky Downs.

Immensitude, who boasts a 13-3-1-3 record, made her first eight starts in her native France for trainer Stephane Wattel, including a victory in the Group 3 Prix Bertrand de Tarragon last September at Chantilly before coming to the states for Mott.

Mott will also saddle Lawrence Goichman’s Kentucky homebred Dancing Dean [post 3, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 118 pounds] as she steps into graded stakes company for the first time. The sophomore Constitution bay is out of the stakes-winning Empire Maker mare Dean Henry, who produced Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf contestant Scythian [twelfth].

Dancing Dean enters from a 3 1/2-length score in an 11-furlong optional-claimer on October 17 here. The rallying win from 10 lengths off-the-pace in last-of-8 earned a career-best 84 Beyer.

Michael Ryan’s dual Grade 1-placed Be Your Best [post 7, Frankie Dettori, 121 pounds, blinkers OFF] will make her second start for conditioner Saffie Joseph, Jr. The 4-year-old Muhaarar bay made 15 appearances for trainer Horacio De Paz, highlighted by Grade 1 placings last year in the 10-furlong American Oaks at Santa Anita Park and the nine-furlong Del Mar Oaks at its namesake course.

Be Your Best’s best result this year was a third in an 11-furlong optional claimer in August at the Spa. In her lone effort for Joseph, Jr., she finished sixth last out in the Grade 2 Rodeo Drive going 10 furlongs on October 5 at Santa Anita Park.

Rounding out the field is New York-bred stakes-winner Whatlovelookslike [post 1, Dylan Davis, 121 pounds] for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher; three-time winners Lady Firefoot [post 6, Luis Rivera, Jr., 121 pounds] for trainer Melanie Giddings and Broadway Boogie [post 10, Jose Ortiz, 121 pounds] for conditioner Jimmy Toner; as well as two-time winner Therearenorules [post 9, Katie Davis, 121 pounds] for trainer Lindsay Schultz.

The Long Island is slated as Race 8 on Sunday’s nine-race card that also features the $135,000 Forever Together in Race 7. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.