La Mehana wins the Waya (G3) Oct. 4, 2024, at Aqueduct (NYRA/Coglianese)
Christian Abdo/NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Miguel Clement has entered Bellezza, La Mehana and Sacaya in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls, a 1 1/2-mile inner turf test for older fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.
Moyglare Stud Farm’s Irish-homebred Bellezza [post 6, Joel Rosario] earned a top-level placing when third last out in the local 1 3/16-mile Grade 1 New York presented by Rivers Casino on June 6. There, the 4-year-old Siyouni bay stalked in a close fourth position and improved to show-honors on the yielding turf when finishing 4 1/2 lengths back of multiple Grade 1-winner She Feels Pretty.
“She ran respectable. The ground was perhaps not what she cared for,” said Clement. “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 previously upset the 11-furlong Grade 3 Sheepshead Bay on May 2 at Belmont at the Big A when making her stateside debut at odds of 10-1. She had made seven prior starts in her native Ireland for conditioner Ger Lyons, including a win in the 10-furlong Diamond traveling left-handed over the Dundalk synthetic in September.
“She stays, without a doubt,” Clement said. “She is good mentally. I think she’ll produce a good account of herself on Sunday.”
LSU Stables’ La Mehana [post 1, Flavien Prat] enters from a one-length optional claiming score traveling 11 furlongs over firm Belmont at the Big A turf on June 27. She traveled off the pace in fourth position before closing to defeat returning rivals No Show Sammy Jo, Dazzlin’ Dictator, Immensitude, Sacaya and Lady Firefoot – the prep race’s six-horse field entered back in the Glens Falls.
The victory marked the 6-year-old Al Wukair bay’s first win in five races this year, landing third in three consecutive Grade 3s at Gulfstream Park, including the Orchid, the The Very One and the La Prevoyante. She has been third at that level five times since coming to the U.S. last year, but did win the 11-furlong Grade 3 Waya in October at Belmont at the Big A.
“She was very impressive last out to beat No Show Sammy Jo. She’s amazingly consistent. She is game,” said Clement. “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 Group 1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu traveling about 1 3/4 miles right-handed over good-to-soft green in September 2023 at Longchamp.
Adelphi Racing Club, Steven Rocco and Winters Equine’s French-bred Sacaya [post 3, Luis Saez] seeks her first win in her third stateside outing. The 5-year-old The Grey Gatsby chestnut was fifth last out when traveling off the pace in La Mehana’s optional claimer on June 27 at Belmont at the Big A.
“Sacaya has been training very well and may go to the lead,” Clement said. “She works better in front, compared to behind. She will be forwardly placed with Luis Saez.”
Conditioner Graham Motion will send out strong opposition with Bridlewood Farm and Madaket Stables’ No Show Sammy Jo [post 2, Manny Franco]. The 5-year-old Lope de Vega bay looks to avenge her last out defeat to La Mehana, which came on the heels of two Grade 1 attempts, finishing off-the-board in the 1 1/16-mile Jenny Wiley in April at Keeneland and the nine-furlong Gamely in May at Santa Anita Park.
The British-bred No Show Sammy Jo went 3-for-4 last year with a victory in the nine-furlong All Along at Laurel Park ahead of a nose defeat in the 11-furlong Grade 3 Long Island 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 the Exceed And Excel mare Shomaria. Her second dam is Group 3-winner Shemima and her third dam is Group 1-winner Shemaka. Motion has captured this event with Humaita [2004], Rosinka [2007] and Mrs. Sippy [2019].
Chris Nolan’s Long Ago [post 5, Jose Ortiz] will look to go from claim-to-fame for trainer William Morey. The 5-year-old Roaring Lion chestnut was a three-quarter-length third to Pin Up Betty in the nine-furlong Anchorage last out on June 29 at Churchill Downs when making her barn debut.
Long Ago was haltered for $80,000 in her prior outing when capturing an 11-furlong optional claimer on the front end earlier that month there for trainer Brendan Walsh. The British-bred spent her first three seasons running in Europe, winning 3 times out of 12 outings, good for a career ledger of 16-5-2-3 with $147,803 in earnings.
Rounding out the field are Group 3-winner Immensitude [post 8, Junior Alvarado] for Hall of Famer Bill Mott; four-time winner Lady Firefoot [post 4, Chris Elliott] for conditioner Melanie Giddings; and three-time winner Dazzlin’ Dictator [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] for trainer Rodolphe Brisset.
Bernietakescharge is entered for the main track-only.
The Glens Falls is slated as Race 7 on Sunday’s 10-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
