Aqueduct: Le Mehana chases another graded win in Long Island
La Mehana looks for back-to-back local graded-stakes wins in Sunday’s Grade 3 Long Island, an 11-furlong inner turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct.
Trained by Christophe Clement, the 5-year-old Al Wukair bay rallied from nine lengths back in last of six to win the Waya (G3) last out Oct. 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” said Clement’s Belmont Park-based assistant Christophe Lorieul. "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. It was a dream trip too, coming up the rail. A very good effort.”
La Mehana 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, when she traveled last early in both, all received 90 Beyer Speed Figures from Daily Racing Form.
La Mehana’s best Beyer was a 93 before the Waya when fifth after stumbling at the start of the Robert G. Dick Memorial (G3) 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 Prix de Royallieu (G1) in September 2023 at Longchamp.
Clement also will saddle Avenue Niel, 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,” Lorieul said.
A top challenger will be No Show Sammy Jo, 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 Sept. 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 at Aqueduct, 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.
Motion will also send out Group 3 winner Blush, 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 front-running winner Full Count Felicia in the 10-furlong E.P. Taylor (G1) in September at Woodbine.
Blush won the nine-furlong Prix Chloe (G3) 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.