Belmont at Big A: La Mehana chases repeat Sunday in Waya

La Mehana will attempt to defend her title Sunday in the Grade 3, $175,000 Waya Stakes, a 1 3/8-mile inner-turf test for fillies and mares at the Belmont at Aqueduct fall meet.

Trained by Miguel Clément for LSU Stables, the 6-year-old Al Wukair bay won this event last October and has had another strong year since, including an 8 3/4-length trouncing of the Glens Falls (G2) going 1 1/2 miles two starts back on July 27 at Saratoga. La Mehana proved much the best over next-out Flower Bowl (G2)-winning stablemate Bellezza over yielding footing.

Click here for Belmont at Aqueduct entries and results. 

La Mehana exited her dominant win to run a last-out, 3 1/4-length fourth to Bellezza in the Flower Bowl over 1 3/8 miles of firm Spa turf Aug. 30. In defeat she earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form, previously posting a career and field-best 104 in winning the Glens Falls.

“La Mehana can handle any ground,” Clément said. “If there’s rain in the forecast, that is fine, because she is a remarkably efficient mover. She can handle anything thrown at her.” 

La Mehana, who starts from post 5 under Manny Franco, landed third in three consecutive Grade 3 races this year at Gulfstream Park, including the Orchid and the The Very One to returning rival Beach Bomb as well as the La Prevoyante. She made her first 12 starts in her native France, including a third in the Prix de Royallieu (G1) traveling about 1 3/4 miles right-handed over good-to-soft green in September 2023 at ParisLongchamp.

Clément also entered Robert Evans’s Grade 3-placed Youknownothing, who drew post 11 and will be ridden by José Lezcano. She comes in off a two-length second to Stellify in a 1 1/2-mile optional claimer Aug. 28 at Kentucky Downs. Stellify wheeled back to win the Ladies Marathon (G3) there Sept. 6. 

Youknownothing has made two graded-stakes attempts including a nine-length second in the Bewitch (G3) in April at Keeneland. The 4-year-old Candy Ride chestnut boasts a record of 11: 2-4-2 with a second in an optional claimer over the course and distance last October.  

Resolute Racing’s Village Voice, who breaks from post 4 under Dylan Davis, makes her stateside and barn debut for five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown after being bought for $1,727,463 at the 2024 Tattersalls December mare sale. 

Brown has won the Waya a record seven times, including with Goldy Espony (2015), Guapaza (2016), Fools Gold (2019), My Sister Nat (2020-21), Rocky Sky (2022) and McKulick (2023). 

In 12 starts for conditioner Jessica Harrington, the 5-year-old Zarak bay landed four wins and four group placings. Village Voice’s victories were highlighted by the 1 1/2-mile listed Prix des Tourelles in September 2024 at Saint Cloud and the Prix de Flore (G3) going about 1 5/16 miles in October 2023 there. The mare has not started since a fourth in the 1 7/16-mile British Champions Fillies and Mares (G1) last October at Ascot. 

Brown also entered First Row Partners’ Alimara, who drew post 3 and will be ridden Joel Rosario in her stakes debut. The 4-year-old gray daughter of The Grey Gatsby is a two-time winner in eight starts, including a rallying, two-length score over the Waya distance in an optional claimer last out Aug. 24 at the Spa. That race’s runner-up, Clément-trained National Archive, returned to win a 1 3/8-mile optional claimer Sept. 26 at Aqueduct.

France-bred Alimara has hit the board in 7 of 8 starts. Her lone effort over the course and distance was a deep-closing, one-length second to Tour Jete in June with returning Hall of Famer Joel Rosario aboard.

Cayton Park Stud’s Beach Bomb drew post 2 and will be ridden by Javier Castellano. She was a last-out sixth in the 1 5/16-mile Ladies Marathon on Sept. 6 at Kentucky Downs. Trained by Graham Motion, the 5-year-old Lancaster Bomber bay is 6: 2-2-0 this year including her wins in the The Very One and Orchid as well as seconds in the local Sheepshead Bay (G3) over the course and distance in May and the New York (G1) in June at Saratoga.

Beach Bomb made her first eight starts in her native South Africa for trainer Candice Leigh Bass-Robinson, including a win in last year’s Paddock (G1) at Kenilworth, earning a win-and-you’re-in berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. There she landed a 3 1/2-length eighth for Motion. 

Motion, who won the Waya in 2013 with Qushchi, also sends out Jayne McGivern’s dual Group 3-placed Sirona from post 9 with jockey Jaime Rodríguez. The 5-year-old Soldier Hollow bay was defeated by a nose last out by stablemate No Show Sammy Jo when she made her barn debut in the 1 1/8-mile All Along on Sept. 13 at Laurel Park.

Germany-bred Sirona made nine stakes outings overseas for conditioner David Menuisier including Group 3 seconds vs. males in the 7 1/4-furlong John Of Gaunt in June 2024 at Haydock and the one-mile Prix Perth last October at Saint Cloud. 

The Waya is slated as race 6 at 3:33 p.m. EDT on Sunday’s nine-race card. The first post is at 1:10 p.m.