Trainer Christophe Clement sends out a strong trio of contenders in defending winner Mutamakina, graded stakes winner La Dragontea, and graded stakes-placed, stakes-winning Sorrel in the 64th running of $400,000 Long Island Stakes (G3T) Nov. 27 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Clement, a three-time winner of the 1 1/2-mile turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, notched the exacta last year when Mutamakina slid up the rail and collared pacesetting stablemate Traipsing in the last strides to the wire.
En route to Saturday's engagement, Mutamakina captured a pair of graded stakes triumphs at Woodbine in Canada at 1 1/4 miles.
Following a prominent score in the Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T) Aug. 22 over firm ground, Mutamakina squared off against La Dragontea in the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) Oct. 17, fending off a late confrontation from her stablemate to win by a neck.
Al Shira'aa Farms' Mutamakina, a 5-year-old mare by Nathanial, has been training forwardly since her last victory according to Clement, logging a four-furlong move in :50.10 over the Belmont turf.
"She's been training very well. I'm very happy with her," Clement said. "She's a top-class mare. She's never trained so well than when she came back from Canada. Her last couple of works have been remarkable and I'm excited to run her back."
Since finishing second to Mutamakina in the E.P. Taylor, La Dragontea was sold to Rosemont Stud at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Mixed Sale for $1,375,000 but has remained in Clement's barn.
"I'm delighted that she's back in the barn. She'll go to Australia next year; we'll try to do the best we can with her," Clement said.
La Dragontea made up considerable ground in the E.P. Taylor, where she was last at the top of the stretch before weaving her way through traffic and coming up just shy of victory. Prior to her last start, the 4-year-old Lope de Vega dark bay filly shipped to Woodbine and displayed stalking tactics when capturing her first stakes win in the Canadian Stakes Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T) Sept. 18 over good going.
Rounding out Clement's contingent is Sorrel, who makes her first start since a troubled third to subsequent grade 1 winner War Like Goddess in the Orchid Stakes (G3T) March 27 at Gulfstream Park. The comebacking 4-year-old Dansili dark bay races for owners George Strawbridge Jr.'s Augustin Stable and James Wigan.
Other entrants include Orglandes, Harajuku, Summer in Saratoga, Candy Flower, and Luck Money.
The Long Island is slated as race 9 on Saturday's 10-race program, which also features the $150,000 Discovery Stakes, the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship, and the $100,000 Central Park Stakes.
Speaker's Corner , Bourbonic, and Miles D lead a short field in the Discovery at 1 1/8 miles on dirt, while Arrest Me Red, Turned Aside, and Value Proposition head a deep field in the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship over six furlongs.
Awad 1-2 finishers General Ken and Geno head the Central Park with Sy Dog, a four-length maiden winner on debut. The Central Park is for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, November 27, 2021, Race 7Entries: Central Park S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1General Ken (KY) Dylan Davis 122 Chad C. Brown 8/5 2 2Geno (NY) Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. 120 David G. Donk 4/1 3 3Sy Dog (KY) Luis Saez 120 H. Graham Motion 5/2 4 4Trust Daddy (KY) Manuel Franco 120 Jeremiah O'Dwyer 20/1 5 5Grand Sonata (KY) Jose Lezcano 120 Todd A. Pletcher 8/1 6 6Ohtwoohthreefive (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 120 George Weaver 8/1 7 7Maseta (NY) Eric Cancel 120 Linda Rice 12/1 8 8Wish Me Home (MD) Trevor McCarthy 120 Phil Schoenthal 15/1
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, November 27, 2021, Race 8Entries: Discovery S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Ridin With Biden (KY) Nik Juarez 118 Robert E. Reid, Jr. 30/1 2 2Bourbonic (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 124 Todd A. Pletcher 5/1 3 3Speaker's Corner (KY) Junior Alvarado 120 William I. Mott 4/5 4 4Manor House (FL) Romero Ramsay Maragh 118 Michelle Hemingway 20/1 5 5Vindictive (KY) Luis Saez 118 Todd A. Pletcher 8/1 6 6Miles D (KY) Manuel Franco 118 Chad C. Brown 9/5
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, November 27, 2021, Race 9Entries: Long Island S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Summer in Saratoga (KY) Luis Saez 126 Joe Sharp 6/1 2 2Orglandes (FR) Eric Cancel 124 Chad C. Brown 5/1 3 3Harajuku (IRE) Junior Alvarado 122 H. Graham Motion 8/1 4 4La Dragontea (GB) Javier Castellano 126 Christophe Clement 7/2 5 5Candy Flower (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 122 Michael J. Maker 30/1 6 6Luck Money (KY) Trevor McCarthy 122 Arnaud Delacour 5/1 7 7Mutamakina (GB) Dylan Davis 126 Christophe Clement 3/1 8 8Sorrel (IRE) Manuel Franco 122 Christophe Clement 9/2
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, November 27, 2021, Race 10Entries: Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Maxwell Esquire (NY) Trevor McCarthy 120 Christophe Clement 10/1 2 2Chewing Gum (KY) Eric Cancel 120 William I. Mott 8/1 3 3Arrest Me Red (KY) Paco Lopez 124 Wesley A. Ward 3/1 4 4Omaha City (KY) Junior Alvarado 118 Amzadali Jehaludi 30/1 5 5Pulsate (KY) Manuel Franco 124 Robert Ribaudo 6/1 6 6Turned Aside (KY) Dylan Davis 120 Mark E. Casse 6/1 7 7Value Proposition (GB) Luis Saez 124 Chad C. Brown 5/2 8 8Big Package (NY) Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. 122 David G. Donk 15/1 9 9Backtohisroots (KY) Jose Lezcano 120 John P. Terranova II 12/1 10 10Grateful Bred (MD) Nik Juarez 124 Madison F. Meyers 12/1 11 11Voodoo Zip (KY) Javier Castellano 122 Christophe Clement 15/1 12 12Cucina (FL) Kendrick Carmouche 120 Michael J. Maker 30/1 13 13Happy Farm (FL) Rider TBA 120 Wayne Potts 4/1 14 14Chateau (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 126 Rob Atras 8/5 15 15Foolish Ghost (NY) Rider TBA 124 Raymond Handal 5/1
