Aqueduct Racetrack | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mutamakina Ends Her Career On A High Note With Long Island Win

Trainer Christophe Clement expressed pride and satisfaction in saddling Al Shira'aa Farms' Mutamakina to victory in the final start of her career when capturing Saturday's $400,000 Grade 3 Long Island at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The 5-year-old daughter of Nathaniel defended her title in the Long Island, which she won last year when collaring stablemate Traipsing up the rail in the final strides. Mutamakina saw some added ground in this year's Long Island which was moved from 11 to 12 furlongs.

“I'm still enjoying the win,” Clement said. “I'm very grateful for the owner and hopefully we can be lucky again.”

Previously trained in France by Carlos Laffon-Parias, Mutamakina achieved modest success overseas, including a Group 2 placing behind subsequent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass at Longchamp in Paris, France. She finished a distant eighth to eventual Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Audarya in her final start in France in August 2020.

Her career reached new heights when transferred to Clement in New York, finishing a troubled third in last year's Zagora at Belmont over yielding turf en route to her first Long Island score to close out her 4-year-old campaign.

Following three losses at Belmont at stakes level to launch her 2021 season, including a second in the G2 Sheepshead Bay and a third in the River Memories, Mutamakina went on a three-race tear, traveling to Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, to capture the G2 Dance Smartly and G1 E.P. Taylor ahead of this year's Long Island.

“She had a real career in the States. It was a great decision on their part to send her here because she improved her resume by coming here,” Clement said. “When things work out with staying fillies like her, these things happen. She's talented and an above-average horse and, like most horses, she got better as she got older.”

Dylan Davis, undefeated aboard Mutamakina, piloted the mare to all four of her triumphs in North America. She provided Davis with his first Grade 1 win by besting stablemate La Dragontea by a neck in the E.P. Taylor in October.

“I got aboard her because Kieran Lalor, the racing manager for Al Shira'aa Stud, really wanted me to ride her after I rode her in last year's Long Island,” Davis said. “She had different riders in between then, but once I got back up on her this summer, we hooked back up. She was my first Grade 1 winner, I went 4-for-4 on her. How much better can you get than that? I'm going to get a nice big picture of her and put it in my house.

“She's pretty straightforward,” Davis continued. “She was actually a little more on edge at Woodbine. She'd be more on it those first couple of jumps out of the gate. After that, she would settle down, but over here she was more relaxed.”

Mutamakina is slated to ship to Ireland for a broodmare career, where she will be bred to Dubawi.

Bred in Great Britain by Widgham Stud, Mutamakina is out of the Danehill broodmare Joshua's Princess. Her fourth dam is 1995 European Horse of the Year Ridgewood Pearl, who captured that year's G1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Mutamakina closed out her career with a record of 17-6-3-3 with purse earnings of $854,066.

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Independence Hall Breezes Ahead Of Saturday’s Cigar Mile

Independence Hall breezed a bullet half-mile in :46.80 Saturday, Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., in his final piece of work for the $750,000 Grade 1 Cigar Mile presented by NYRA Bets at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

“I'm very happy with the way he worked,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “We wanted to go ahead and put a little air in his lungs and that's definitely what we got. A race like the Cigar Mile doesn't come around very often and we wanted to make sure we're nice and sharp.”

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, WinStar Farm, Kathleen Verratti, and Robert Verratti, the 4-year-old Constitution colt boasts a 2-for-2 record at the Big A that includes a 12 1/4-length score in the 2019 G3 Nashua and a four-length win in the 2020 Jerome, both at a one-turn mile for his former conditioner Michael Trombetta.

Independence Hall made his first start for McCarthy in November 2020 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., winning a 6 1/2-furlong optional-claiming sprint ahead of a fifth in the seven-furlong G1 Malibu in December 2020 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

The dark bay demonstrated class while chasing the victorious Knicks Go with a third-place effort in the nine-furlong G1 Pegasus World Cup in January at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., and a pressing second in the nine-furlong G3 Lukas Classic in October at Churchill Downs.

McCarthy said Independence Hall has benefitted from the addition of blinkers three starts back when fifth off a four-month layoff in the G1 Pacific Classic in August at Del Mar

“The blinkers have helped him focus a little bit and dial him in a little more,” McCarthy said. “The Pacific Classic was unfortunate coming off of a long layoff and going a mile and a quarter. It just didn't seem like he was as tight as he could have been but as you can see it certainly moved him forward.”

Last out, Independence Hall romped to a 7 1/4-length score over Cigar Mile-rival Code of Honor in the nine-furlong G2 Fayette contested over a sloppy track on October 30 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

McCarthy confirmed Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will retain the mount aboard Independence Hall, who will ship to New York on Monday.

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Brown Contemplating Big Targets For Miles D In 2022

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown said Peter Brant and Robert V. LaPenta's Miles D, an impressive winner of Saturday's $150,000 Discovery at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., could point to the $20 million Group 1 Saudi Cup in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“I'm not one to send my horses to other continents to run. I like to stick to my circuits. But that race has been on my mind with the right style of horse,” Brown said. “This might be the kind of horse that fits for me trying one of those races. Although he's had a couple of hard races, he is lightly raced. If you look at his record, he hasn't had that many starts. He didn't have to do battle in the Triple Crown, and he doesn't have a ton of miles on him.”

A son of multiple champion producing stallion Curlin, Miles D collared heavy favorite Speaker's Corner in the stretch drive of the Discovery, a nine-furlong test for sophomores, registering a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure. The win followed a hard-fought first-level allowance score against older company on October 24 going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Miles D sports a consistent ledger of 6-3-1-1, including a stakes placing in his sire's namesake race on July 30 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., en route to a third in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers on August 28.

Brown said Miles D is not likely to target the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup on January 29 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., a race expected to attract reigning Breeders' Cup champions Knicks Go [Classic] and Life Is Good [Dirt Mile].

“I have to talk to the owners about it. I'm not really sure,” Brown said. “I'm not so much interested in the Pegasus against those two horses. I'll get him down there and see. There's definitely a pace scenario to consider as well. If I race in big races in the wintertime, it's horses that are lightly raced. With horses that have had long campaigns, I don't care how much money they offer me at any track. I don't really run them too much. This horse, there's a possibility that we keep on going with him.”

Brown said Miles D could be a force to be reckoned with next year in the older horse division.

“If he takes another step forward next year, runs in all the handicap races, and has success in one or more of them, he has a lot of stallion potential. Races like the Whitney or the Jockey Club are ones that would matter to me quite a bit,” Brown said.

Miles D was fourth on debut last October at Belmont in what turned out to be a key maiden race, finishing behind Speaker's Corner as well as subsequent stakes winners Caddo River and Greatest Honour.

Brown credited both his team and owners for allowing a patient approach with the horse.

“It's taken a lot of patience by our team and our two owners. They never questioned giving him a little time,” Brown said.

Named after the late influential jazz musician Miles Davis, Miles D is out of the unraced Bernardini broodmare Sound the Trumpets, whose first dam is multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire My Flag and second dam is undefeated Hall of Fame champion Personal Ensign. Miles D was acquired for $470,000 from the Denali Stud consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Brown went on to report that Klaravich Stables' Forced Ranking will not make this Saturday's Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct after spiking a temperature. He will still, however, saddle Jeff Drown's maiden winner Zandon, who breezed a half-mile in :49.82 Sunday over the Belmont dirt training track.

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Arrest Me Red Goes Gate To Wire In Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship

Lael Stable's homebred Arrest Me Red made every pole a winning one, staving off an inside rally from Pulsate to prevail in Saturday's $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Arrest Me Red was scratched out of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on November 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., which was won by his stablemate Golden Pal. Re-routed to the Big A, the sophomore son of Pioneerof the Nile turned back older company with a game display in the six-furlong outer turf test.

“He did great. He ran very, very professional,” Ward said. “I just feel bad that he had a minor foot issue, otherwise he would have had a good run in the Breeders' Cup.”

Arrest Me Red, with Paco Lopez up, marked off splits of :22.69 and :45.60 over the firm going with defending race winner Turned Aside tracking in second and Backtohisroots pressing three-wide in third.

Pulsate, with Manny Franco up, settled into fourth position as Arrest Me Red took the field to the turn with Backtohisroots advancing with purpose. Arrest Me Red opened up a one-length lead at the stretch call and kicked for home with a ground-saving Pulsate trying to surge up the rail.

Lopez kept to task aboard Arrest Me Red and the talented bay held on for a neck win in a final time of 1:09.43. Pulsate completed the exacta by 1 3/4 lengths over the late-running Chewing Gum.

Lopez, aboard Arrest Me Red for the first time, said he was impressed by the colt's winning efforts in the Mahony in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and the G3 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., last out on October 2.

“I saw his last couple races and knew he was fast,” Lopez said. “There wasn't much speed today. I broke and put my horse in the race and waited for competition. I saw the horse coming to the inside [Pulsate] and I put a little pressure. That horse is a very good horse. Wesley knows what he is doing.”

Franco said Pulsate, who he guided to victory in the Lucky Coin in September at the Spa, was timid when asked to pass along the hedge.

“I had the room to go through, but my horse just hesitated a little bit,” Franco said. “He was coming the last sixteenth of a mile. When I rode him to the wire, he responded to me. He just got a little bit tired. He ran well though.”

Backtohisroots, Value Proposition, Big Package, Maxwell Esquire, Omaha City, and Turned Aside completed the order of finish. Grateful Bred, who broke through the gate ahead of the race, was scratched.

Bred in Kentucky by his owners, Arrest Me Red banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to five wins from seven starts. He paid $6.50 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a 10-race card featuring the $150,000 Autumn Days in Race 7, the $200,000 G3 Fall Highweight in Race 8, and the $100,000 Tepin in Race 9. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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