La Mehana set for title defense in G3 Waya

LSU Stables’ La Mehana will attempt to defend her title in Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Waya, a 1 3/8-mile inner turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Miguel Clement, the 6-year-old Al Wukair bay won this event last October and has had another strong year since, including an 8 3/4-length trouncing of the Grade 2 Glens Falls going 1 1/2 miles two starts back on July 27 at Saratoga Race Course. There, La Mehana proved much the best over next-out Grade 2 Flower Bowl-winning stablemate Bellezza over yielding footing. 

La Mehana exited her dominant win to run a last-out 3 1/4-length fourth to Bellezza in the Flower Bowl over 11 furlongs of firm Spa turf on August 30. She earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure in defeat, previously posting a career and field-best 104 in winning the Glens Falls.

“La Mehana can handle any ground,” said Clement. “If there’s rain in the forecast, that is fine because she is a remarkably efficient mover. She can handle anything thrown at her.” 

La Mehana [post 5, Manny Franco] landed third in three consecutive Grade 3s earlier this year at Gulfstream Park, including the Orchid and the The Very One to returning rival Beach Bomb, as well as the La Prevoyante. She made her first 12 starts in her native France, including a third in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu traveling about 1 3/4 miles right-handed over good-to-soft green in September 2023 at Longchamp.

Clement also entered Robert S. Evans’ Grade 3-placed Youknownothing [post 11, Jose Lezcano] off a two-length second to Stellify in a 1 1/2-mile optional claimer on August 28 at Kentucky Downs. Stellify wheeled back to win the Grade 3 Ladies Marathon on September 6 there. 

Youknownothing has made two graded stakes attempts including a nine-length second in the Grade 3 Bewitch in April at Keeneland. The 4-year-old Candy Ride chestnut boasts a record of 11-2-4-2 with a second in an optional claimer over course and distance last October.  

Resolute Racing’s Village Voice [post 4, Dylan Davis] will make her stateside and barn debut for five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown after being purchased for $1,727,463 at the 2024 Tattersalls December Mare Sale. 

Brown has won the Waya a record seven times, including with Goldy Espony [2015], Guapaza [2016], Fools Gold [2019], My Sister Nat [2020-21], Rocky Sky [2022] and McKulick [2023]. 

In 12 starts for conditioner Jessica Harrington, the 5-year-old Zarak bay landed four wins and four group placings. Village Voice’s victories were highlighted by the 1 1/2-mile Listed Prix des Tourelles last September at Saint-Cloud and the Group 3 Prix de Flore going 1 5/16 miles in October 2023 there. The mare has not started since a fourth in the 1 7/16-mile Group 1 British Champions Fillies and Mares last October at Ascot. 

Brown also entered First Row Partners’ Alimara [post 3, Joel Rosario] for her stakes debut. The 4-year-old The Grey Gatsby gray is a two-time winner in eight starts, including a rallying two-length score over the Waya distance in an optional claimer last out on August 24 at the Spa. That race’s runner-up, the Clement-trained National Archive, returned to win an 11-furlong optional claimer on September 26 here.

The French-bred Alimara has hit the board in 7-of-8 starts, her lone effort over course and distance was a deep-closing one-length second to Tour Jete in June with returning Hall of Famer Joel Rosario aboard.  

Cayton Park Stud’s Beach Bomb [post 2, Javier Castellano] was a last-out sixth in the 1 5/16-mile Grade 3 Ladies Marathon on September 6 at Kentucky Downs. Trained by Graham Motion, the 5-year-old Lancaster Bomber bay is 6-2-2-0 this year including aforementioned wins in the The Very One and Orchid, as well as seconds in the local Grade 3 Sheepshead Bay over course and distance in May and Grade 1 New York presented by Rivers Casino in June at Saratoga. 

Beach Bomb made her first eight starts in her native South Africa for trainer Candice Leigh Bass-Robinson, including a win in last year’s Group 1 Paddock at Kenilworth, earning a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf where she landed a 3 1/2-length eighth for her current trainer. 

Motion, who won this event in 2013 with Qushchi, will also send out Jayne McGivern’s dual Group 3-placed Sirona [post 9, Jaime Rodriguez]. The 5-year-old Soldier Hollow bay was defeated a nose last out by stablemate No Show Sammy Jo when making her barn debut in the nine-furlong All Along on September 13 at Laurel Park.

The German-bred Sirona previously made nine stakes outings overseas for conditioner David Menuisier including Group 3 seconds versus males in the 7 1/4-furlong John Of Gaunt last June at Haydock and the one-mile Prix Perth last October at Saint-Cloud. 

Rounding out the field is Group 1-placed American Sonja [post 10, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] for trainer Brendan Walsh; Group 3-placed Noir [post 6, Samuel Marin] for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher; dual stakes-placed Alluring Angel [post 7, Kendrick Carmouche, blinkers ON] for Hall of Famer Bill Mott; four-time winner Lady Firefoot [post 1, Chris Elliott] for conditioner Melanie Giddings; and three-time winner Big Beautiful [post 8, Eric Cancel] for trainer Anthony Dutrow. 

Amanda’s Folly and Midtown Lights are entered for the main track-only. 

The Waya is slated as Race 6 on Sunday’s nine-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

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