Owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher now have many long-term options for their promising juvenile Mentee after the son of City of Light easily took to the grass and won the $175,000 Futurity (G3) by 3 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct on Friday.
But first, Mentee could contest next month’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) at Del Mar, for which the historic, six-furlong Futurity was a “Win and You’re In” Challenge prep.
“Some of the City of Lights handle the grass and we thought he had good action that would maybe take to it. We breezed him on it and it looked like he really enjoyed it,” said Pletcher of Mentee, who broke his maiden by a nose on dirt and later finished a troubled sixth in the Hopeful (G1). “We felt the timing and the distance of this race suited him well, and it put us in a position to do about anything from here.”
The 4-1 second choice in a field of seven, Mentee pressed pacesetter Epitaph through the opening half-mile, took over in upper stretch, and drew off to a convincing victory under John Velazquez.
Mentee covered the course in 1:08.82 over ground rated firm and paid $10.20. Gate to Wire, favored at 1.85-1 and also trained by Pletcher, rallied for second, nosing out Epitaph.
Bred in Kentucky by Repole, Mentee is a full brother to last year’s juvenile champion Fierceness, who will be among the favorites in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) next month. Both were produced by Nonna Bella, a daughter of Stay Thirsty.
Pletcher also didn’t rule out the one-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) for Mentee. That race is expected to be the target for Futurity runner-up Gate to Wire.
La Mehana won for the first time in four U.S. attempts, edging fellow 9-1 chance Immensitude by a neck in the $200,000 Waya (G3), an 11-furlong grass test for fillies and mares.
Third in the Orchid (G3) and Sheepshead Bay (G3) prior to a dead-heat fifth in the Robert G. Dick Memorial (G3), La Mehana overcame a dawdling pace and a 9 1/2-length deficit to win under Kendrick Carmouche.
“She’s never showed that good of a kick before,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “So, I guess when you wait, she shows a better kick.”
Beautiful Love finish third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Immensitude, while 7-10 favorite McKulick finished fifth in the field of six.
Owned by LSU Stables, La Mehana paid $21.20 and covered the course in 2:17.64.
A five-year-old daughter of Al Wukair, La Mehana was a three-time stakes winner in France and also placed in last year’s Prix de Royallieu (G1).
“She’s never run a bad race in the states,” Clement said. “She ran very well [at Gulfstream] — she got unlucky; she stumbled that day. She has a small issue with the gate, but maybe she’s too old now to change anything. She stumbled really badly at Delaware.”
Clement said the Nov. 10 Long Island (G3) at Aqueduct would be a logical next spot for La Mehana.
