Mutamakina ended her racing career on a winning note Saturday at Aqueduct, becoming only the fourth horse ever to win $400,000 Long Island S. (G3) twice.
The five-year-old mare turned in a strong stretch kick to catch Candy Flower by a half-length after that rival set a modest pace of :24.20, :50.02, 1:15, 1:39.32, and 2:03.53. Under Dylan Davis, Mutamakina covered 1 1/2 miles on firm ground in 2:28.08 and paid $6.60 as the 2-1 favorite.
“She’s a very good horse,” said Christophe Clement, who was winning the Long Island for the sixth time and trains the daughter of Nathaniel for Al Shira’aa Farms. “She’s top class. This will be her last race and she’ll go back to Ireland and become a broodmare.”
Candy Flower had a 2 1/4-length margin over the Clement-trained La Dragontea. Luck Money, Sorrel, Harajuku, and Orglandes completed the order of finish.
Mutamakina joins the mares Hush Dear (1982-83) and Criticism (2008-09) as dual winners of the Long Island. Grass champion Parka (1964-65) also won the race twice when it was open to males.
A stakes winner and multiple Group 2-placed in France prior to her importation, Mutamakina landed the E.P. Taylor (G1) and Dance Smartly (G2) at Woodbine in her two starts preceding the Long Island, which puts her in line to be named champion turf mare of Canada for 2021. She goes to the paddocks with a record of 17-6-3-3, $854,066.
Bred in Great Britain by Widgham Stud, Mutamakina is out of Joshua’s Princess, by Danehill. Her third dam was the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner Ridgewood Pearl.
Discovery S.
Miles D outstayed odds-on favorite and long-time leader Speaker’s Corner to win the $145,500 Discovery S., the long-standing fixture for three-year-olds over 1 1/8 miles on the main track.
Ridden by Manny Franco for owners Peter Brant and Robert LaPenta, Miles D covered one lap of the Aqueduct oval in 1:52.44 and paid $7.20. Speaker’s Corner had three-quarters of a length on Vindictive, while Wood Memorial (G2) winner Bourbonic was a distant fourth.
This was the first stakes win for Miles D, who previously finished second in the Curlin S. and third in the Travers (G1), both at Saratoga.
“I always thought he was a solid mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter horse,” trainer Chad Brown said of Miles D. “He got started late and wasn’t able to get on the Derby trail and such, but it is what it is. He’s bred to get better and I’m appreciative of the win today.”
The Kentucky-bred Miles D is a son of Curlin and out of the Bernardini mare Sound the Trumpets. Miles D’s second dam was multiple Grade 1 winner My Flag, and his third dam the undefeated Hall of Famer Personal Ensign. His record now stands at 6-3-1-1, $335,380.
Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship
A late scratch from the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) earlier this month, Arrest Me Red earned a consolation prize Saturday with a wire-to-wire victory in the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship under Paco Lopez.
The winning margin was a neck over Pulsate, with Chewing Gum 1 1 3/4 lengths behind in third. The top three had finished in that exact order in the Oct. 2 Belmont Turf Sprint (G3), too.
A homebred racing for Mr. and Mrs. Roy Jackson’s Lael Stables, Arrest Me Red sped six furlongs in 1:09.43 and paid $6.50.
Trained by Wesley Ward, the three-year-old Arrest Me Red has now won three consecutive stakes and four overall. Victorious last season in the Atlantic Beach S. at Aqueduct, he most recently added the Mahony S. at Saratoga and the aforementioned Belmont Turf Sprint. His record now stands at 7-5-0-0, $343,800.
“I just feel bad that he had a minor foot issue, otherwise he would have had a good run in the Breeders’ Cup,” Ward said. The vets out there erred on the side of caution, and he came back around really well.
“I’ll get with Doug Cauthen and Roy Jackson and we’ll make some future plans. Right now, we might think about going to Saudi Arabia or Dubai. He’s certainly high caliber sprinting on the turf.”
The Kentucky-bred Arrest Me Red is by Pioneerof the Nile and out of Maraschino Red, a Medaglia d’Oro half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Spun Sugar.
Central Park S.
In the $100,000 Central Park S., for two-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, 19-10 favorite Sy Dog was up in the final strides to defeat Ohtwoohthreefive by a nose, thus remaining undefeated from two starts.
A four-length maiden winner at Belmont Park on Oct. 24, Sy Dog returned $5.80 after completing the course in 1:43.42 under Luis Saez. Sy Dog is a homebred raced by Head of Plains Partners and Madaket Stables.
“I think we’ll get him down to Florida now. I’m not in a hurry to get him back but the Gulfstream stakes for three-year-olds on the grass make the most sense,” said winning trainer Graham Motion.
The Kentucky-bred Sy Dog is by Slumber and out My Love Venezuela, by Scat Daddy.
