Saratoga: Miguel Clément sends out trio for Glens Falls

Trainer Miguel Clément entered Bellezza, La Mehana and Sacaya for Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls, a 1 1/2-mile, inner-turf test for seven older fillies and mares at Saratoga. It is the only race still carded for the grass after four undercard races were shifted to the main track.

Belleza, a homebred for Moyglare Stud Farm who starts from post 6 under Joel Rosario, earned a top-level placing when she finished third last out in the 1 3/16-mile New York (G1) on June 6 at Saratoga. The 4-year-old Siyouni bay stalked in a close fourth position and improved to show honors on the yielding turf finishing 4 1/2 lengths behind multiple Grade 1 winner She Feels Pretty. 

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“She ran respectable. The ground was perhaps not what she cared for,” Clément said. “Nevertheless she was able to get Grade 1 black type. She is a very good filly. She is exciting, training well here, based here, and this race is a logical next step.” 

Bellezza upset the 1 3/8-mile Sheepshead Bay (G3) on May 2 at Belmont at Aqueduct making her stateside debut at odds of 10-1. She made seven prior starts in her native Ireland for conditioner Ger Lyons, including a win in the 1 1/4-mile Diamond traveling left-handed over the Dundalk synthetic in September.

“She stays without a doubt,” Clément said. “She is good mentally. I think she’ll produce a good account of herself on Sunday.”

La Mehana starts from the rail with jockey Flavien Prat for owner LSU Stables. She enters from a one-length, optional-claiming score traveling 1 3/8 miles over firm Belmont at the Big A turf June 27. She traveled off the pace in fourth before closing to defeat returning rivals No Show Sammy Jo, Dazzlin’ Dictator, Immensitude, Sacaya and Lady Firefoot. That prep race’s six-horse field was entered back against two others in the Glens Falls.

The victory marked the 6-year-old Al Wukair bay’s first win in five races this year. She landed third in three consecutive Grade 3 races at Gulfstream Park including the Orchid, The Very One and La Prevoyante. She has been third at that level five times since coming to the U.S. last year, but she won the 1 3/8-mile Waya (G3) in October at Aqueduct. 

“She was very impressive last out to beat No Show Sammy Jo. She’s amazingly consistent. She is game,” Clément said. “She loves it here at Saratoga and has been based here, but somehow this will be her first start at Saratoga. She’s been based here for the last two summers, and even before her last race at Aqueduct she was based here.”

La Mehana 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.

France-bred Sacaya, who starts from post 3 with rider Luis Sáez, seeks her first win in her third stateside outing. The 5-year-old The Grey Gatsby chestnut was fifth last out traveling off the pace in La Mehana’s optional claimer on June 27 at Belmont at the Big A for owners Adelphi Racing Club, Steven Rocco and Winters Equine.

“Sacaya has been training very well and may go to the lead,” Clément said. “She works better in front compared to behind. She will be forwardly placed with Luis Sáez.” 

Trainer Graham Motion will send out strong opposition with Bridlewood Farm and Madaket Stables’ No Show Sammy Jo starting from post 2 with Manny Franco. The 5-year-old Lope de Vega bay looks to avenge her last-out defeat to La Mehana. It came on the heels of two top-level attempts. She finished seventh in the 1 1/16-mile Jenny Wiley in April (G1) at Keeneland and sixth in the 1 1/8-mile Gamely (G1) in May at Santa Anita. 

Great Britain-bred No Show Sammy Jo won 3 of 4 starts last year with a victory in the 1 1/8-mile All Along at Laurel Park. That came ahead of a nose defeat in the 1 3/8-mile Long Island (G3) in November at Aqueduct to next-out Grade 3 winner and subsequent Grade 1 victor Be Your Best. 

The 9: 4-2-0 No Show Sammy Jo is out of Exceed And Excel mare Shomaria. Her second dam is Group 3 winner Shemima, and her third dam is Group 1 winner Shemaka. Motion captured the Glens Falls with Humaita in 2004, Rosinka in 2007 and Mrs. Sippy in 2019. 

Long Ago, who starts from post 5 with jockey José Ortiz, will look to go from claim to fame for trainer William Morey and owner Chris Nolan. The 5-year-old Roaring Lion chestnut was a three-quarter-length third to Pin Up Betty in the 1 1/8-mile Anchorage last out June 29 at Churchill Downs when making her barn debut.

Long Ago was haltered for $80,000 in her prior outing capturing a 1 3/8-mile optional claimer on the front end for trainer Brendan Walsh. The Great Britain-bred spent her first three seasons running in Europe, winning 3 of 12 outings, good for a career ledger of 16: 5-2-3 with $147,803 in earnings. 

Four-time winner Lady Firefoot in post 4 with Chris Elliott for conditioner Melanie Giddings and three-time winner Dazzlin’ Dictator in post 7 with Irad Ortiz Jr. for trainer Rodolphe Brisset round out the field.

Bernietakescharge was entered for the main track only.

Group 3 winner Immensitude was scratched Sunday morning.

The Glens Falls is slated as the seventh of 10 races with a post time of 4:35 p.m. EDT. The first race starts Sunday at 1:10 p.m.