OZONE PARK, NY – Al Shira’aa Farms’ Mutamakina led the Christophe Clement barn’s exacta finish in Saturday’s $100,000 Long Island Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct.
While Mutamakina and jockey Dylan Davis settled into a ground-saving stalking position early on, fellow Clement representative Traipsing set a measured tempo under Kendrick Carmouche.
Skimming up the rail in the stretch, Mutamakina shot underneath her stablemate and flew past in the late stages to win the 1 3/8-mile good inner turf route by 3/4 of a length in 2:21.08.
“I didn’t think I was going to get there at first because I saw Kendrick pull away a bit, but she does take a little bit of time to get running,” Davis said after piloting the 9/5 favorite. “When she started moving, I knew it was over. Within the last 1/8 of a mile, she was just getting into stride and I was just staying out of her way and keeping her happy. She was able to get up, which was nice.”
Delta’s Kingdom headed Eliade for third and Theodora B. was a 1/2-length past the third Clement trainee Wegetsdamunnys for fifth.
English Affair, With Dignity, Beau Belle, Pretty Point, Hungry Kitten, and Siberian Iris completed the order of finish. Lovely Lucky was scratched.
Mutamakina’s win was her first since taking the Prix Madame Jean Couturie at the French track Vichy in July 2019 and improved her overall record to 11-3-2-2 with $180,845 earned. The British-bred 4-year-old Nathaniel filly made her stateside debut last time out in the Zagora Stakes at Belmont Park; she finished third by just a 1/2-length.
“Dylan gave a great ride,”Clement said. “He wasn’t a long way off the pace and she was travelling well down the backstretch. … I thought she was extremely unlucky last time at Belmont Park. I was delighted to see her win. She deserved a graded stakes win.”
Mutamakina returned $5.90 to win, $3.80 to place, and $2.80 to show. Traipsing brought back $17.40 to place and $11 to show, while Delta’s Kingdom paid $7.70 to show.
