La Dragontea | 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.

The post Mutamakina Ends Her Career On A High Note With Long Island Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Mutamakina Repeats In Long Island At Aqueduct

Mutamakina (GB) found herself behind horses coming out of the final turn as Candy Flower seemed on the precipice of taking the field gate to wire in the Grade 3 Long Island at Aqueduct Racetrack. A late move to the outside by jockey Dylan Davis and a driving surge in the race's final furlong gave the 5-year-old mare everything she needed for her second victory in the Long Island and her third straight graded stakes victory.

In the 1 1/2-mile stakes over firm turf, the daughter of Nathaniel (IRE) lingered toward the back of the pack, with Candy Flower running easily on the lead a length ahead of Sorrel and Harajuku. For the first mile, Mutamakina saved ground, running in fifth behind fellow Christophe Clement trainee La Dragontea. Through fractions of :24.20, :50.02, and 1:15, Candy Flower looked poised to take the field all the way, her lead 1 1/2 lengths as they hit the stretch at the Ozone Park, N.Y. track.

Entering the stretch, Mutamakina had traffic in front of her, so Davis tipped her out four-wide from the rail to find a clear lane. Running on the outside of La Dragontea, Mutamakina quickly made up ground, her late surge in the final furlong shortening Candy Flower's lead and then catching her just before the wire to win by a half-length. La Dragontea was third, with Luck Money fourth.

The final time for the 1 1/2 miles was 2:28.08. Find this race's chart here.

Mutamakina paid $6.60, $4.10, and $2.90. Candy Flower paid $15.60 and $6.80. La Dragontea paid $2.60.

Bred in England by Widgham Stud, Mutamakina is out of the Danehill mare Joshua's Princess (GB). She is owned by Al Shira'aa Farms. She was consigned by New England Stud and purchased by Shawn Dugan, agent, for $137,225 at the 2017 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. With her win in the G3 Long Island, Mutamakina has three wins in six starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in 17 starts and career earnings of $854,509. Her win gives trainer Christophe Clement his fourth win in this graded stakes.

The post Mutamakina Repeats In Long Island At Aqueduct appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Mutamakina, La Dragontea Meet Again In Long Island

Trainer Christophe Clement sends out a strong trio of contenders in defending winner Mutamakina, graded-stakes winner La Dragontea and graded-stakes placed Sorrel in Saturday's 64th running of Grade 3, $400,000 Long Island at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Clement, a three-time winner of the 12-furlong inner 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 Racetrack in Canada going 10 furlongs.

Following a prominent score in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly on September 24 over firm ground, Mutamakina squared off against La Dragontea in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor on October 17 fending off a late confrontation from her stablemate to win by a neck.

Mutamakina has been training forwardly since her last victory according to Clement, logging a four-furlong move in 50.10 seconds Saturday 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.”

Owned by Al Shira'aa Farms, Mutamakina is out of the Danehill mare Joshua's Princess whose second dam was 1995 European Horse of the Year and Breeders Cup Mile winner Ridgewood Pearl.

Dylan Davis is 3-for-3 aboard the 5-year-old Nathaniel bay mare, who will break from post 7.

Since finishing second to Mutamakina in the E.P. Taylor, La Dragontea was sold to Rosemont Stud at the Keeneland November Sale for $1,375,000 but has remained in Clement's barn. She is slated to shuttle to Australia next year.

“I'm delighted that she's back in the barn. She'll go to Australia for 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 Grade 2 Canadian on September 18 over good going.

A two-time winner on the NYRA circuit this season, La Dragontea made her North American debut a winning one in a 1 ¼-mile Belmont allowance on May 7, leading through every point of call under little urging in the stretch drive. She was a troubled sixth in her next effort cutting back to 1 1/16 miles five weeks later at Belmont.

“She was very impressive in her debut in America winning her allowance at Belmont,” Clement said. “We were very unlucky the time after that getting boxed in. She's a very good filly and she never stops improving.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will ride from post 4.

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 Grade 3 Orchid on March 27 at Gulfstream Park.

Owned by George Strawbridge, Jr.'s Augustin Stable and James Wigan, the 4-year-old Dansili dark bay secured three straight victories for English conditioner Sir Michael Stoute overseas prior to transferring to Clement.

“She ran very well that day, she could have won with a better trip,” Clement said of her Orchid effort. “We gave her plenty of time and she's come back well.”

Breaking from post 8, Sorrel will be ridden by Manny Franco.

Trainer Chad Brown will send out Orglandes, who recaptured her winning form last out when taking the Zagora on November 7 at Belmont. The 5-year-old daughter of Le Havre ended 2020 on a winning note when making up a dozen lengths to win the Grade 3 Red Carpet last November at Del Mar.

Brown eyes his third Long Island score, having previously saddled Goldy Espony [2015] and Lady Paname [2018].

Eric Cancel will ride Orglandes from post 2.

Four-time Long Island winning trainer Graham Motion sends out Flaxman Holdings' Harajuku, who will seek redemption following a seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 Sands Point at nine furlongs on October 16. The effort was the first under Motion's tutelage for the daughter of Deep Impact, who previously raced in France for trainer Andre Fabre. She made her North American debut when third in the 11-furlong Jockey Club Oaks Invitational in September at Belmont.

“She just got run off her feet a bit,” Motion said of her last effort. “I had questioned shortening her up a bit and obviously the result wasn't what we were looking for. This distance is more of what she wants to do.”

Harajuku will leave from post 3 under Junior Alvarado.

Completing the competitive field is Summer In Saratoga [post 1, Luis Saez] – a last out winner of the Grade 3 Dowager at Keeneland, stakes-placed Candy Flower [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche], and multiple graded-stakes paced Luck Money [post 6, Trevor McCarthy].

The Long Island is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 10-race program, which also features the $150,000 Discovery, the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship, and the $100,000 Central Park. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

The post Mutamakina, La Dragontea Meet Again In Long Island appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Clement Gives Pizza Bianca A Freshening, Prepares Mutamakina, La Dragontea For Long Island Next

Trainer Christophe Clement returned to his primary thoroughbred division at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., earlier this week in victorious fashion, having thwarted a winless record in the Breeders' Cup World Championships when Pizza Bianca captured the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Owned and bred by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, Pizza Bianca arrived at the Juvenile Fillies Turf off a good second in the G1 Natalma on September 19 at Woodbine.

The daughter of Fastnet Rock, expertly piloted by Jose Ortiz in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, found a seam in between horses in upper stretch and collared European invader Cachet in the final furlong to win by a neck over late-rallying Malavath.

Clement said Pizza Bianca will be freshened with an eye towards NYRA's filly division of the Turf Triple series, which kicks off with the G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational.

“It was very nice,” Clement said of the Breeders' Cup victory. “She's having a break at the moment, and we'll bring her back next year. She could be one that will eventually be a candidate for the Turf Triple series.”

The following day, Clement saddled Otter Band Stables' Gufo to a 10th-place finish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf, which was won by Jockey Club Derby Invitational winner Yibir.

The effort was a first off-the-board finish for the 4-year-old Declaration of War chestnut, who captured the G1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Clement mentioned the possibility of shipping Gufo to the Middle East, targeting races like the Neom Turf Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia and the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.

“He's at Payson Park having a break at the moment,” Clement said. “There are races in Saudi and Dubai or the [Grade 1] Man o' War [at Belmont Park]. They're all great choices.”

Clement said Gufo, who was headstrong in his third-place finish in the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic last month at Belmont, could remove blinkers for his next start.

“The main question is whether or not we keep the blinkers on him,” Clement said. “He was a bit aggressive in the middle of the race here and I thought about taking the blinkers off for the Breeders' Cup. Because the Breeders' Cup was in California, I felt that I would be better off to have him a touch more on the bridle than off the bridle. If the Breeders' Cup were elsewhere with a more kinder turf course I would probably have taken them off. We'll just have to think about it.”

Gufo brags a consistent record of 14-7-2-4 with earnings in excess of $1.2 million. In addition to the Sword Dancer, Gufo also captured the G1 Belmont Derby Invitational last year as well as three other stakes races.

On Sunday morning, Al Shira'aa Farms' Mutamakina breezed an easy half-mile in :52.22 over the Belmont inner turf in preparation for the $400,000 G3 Long Island on November 27 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The 5-year-old Nathaniel mare defeated stablemate La Dragontea last out in the G1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine Racetrack, following a triumph in the G2 Dance Smarty on August 22 at the Toronto oval.

“She had a nice work. She'll work once more next week,” Clement said.

Clement said La Dragontea, winner of the G2 Canadian on September 18 at Woodbine, and graded stakes-placed Sorrel are also possible candidates for the 12-furlong stamina test.

“Mutamakina for sure will run. The other two, we'll see how they train next week and go from there,” Clement said.

Sorrel, an Augustin Stable and James Wigan homebred, was last seen finishing third in her North American debut to War Like Goddess in the G3 Orchid in March at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. The daughter of Dansili went a half-mile in :52.34 over the Belmont inner turf on Sunday morning.

“If the ground is on the firmer side, I'll run her in the Long Island. If it's too soft, I don't think I will,” Clement said.

Manzanita Stables' Tap the Faith, who broke her maiden at first asking on Sunday going a one-turn mile at Belmont, is a possible candidate for the $250,000 G2 Demoiselle on December 4 at Aqueduct.

“Today was her first day back galloping and she looks great,” Clement said. “We'll work her next weekend and decide what to do with her. I really like the filly, and if she's training great and doing great, we'll go for it.”

By Tapit, Tap the Faith is out of Grade 1 winner Embellish the Lace.

The post Clement Gives Pizza Bianca A Freshening, Prepares Mutamakina, La Dragontea For Long Island Next appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post