La Mehana may be considered a grizzled veteran at age 6, but her 8 3/4-length domination of the $250,000 Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course July 27 indicated she may just be reaching her best.
"It's rare to have a horse hitting top form as a 6-year-old," trainer Miguel Clement said of the mare bred in France by S.A. Haras de Mezeray. "Maybe she's like French wine where she's getting better with age."
The daughter of Al Wukair out of the Dansili (GB) mare Oceanie (FR) won at the listed level three times in her native country before running third in the 2023 Prix de Royallieu (G1).
Following that start, she was entered in the 2023 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale, where she caught the eye of Clement's late father, Christophe. He purchased her on behalf of LSU Stables for $430,503.
Winner of the Waya Stakes (G3T) at Aqueduct Racetrack last fall, La Mehana has finished off the board just three times in 12 stateside starts while never finishing worse than 3 1/2 lengths behind the winner.
"When Christophe bought her for us at the end of 2023, he told us, 'This is a special horse, you're going to do really good with her,'" recalled LSU Stable's Randy Sarf. "We've had lots of fun with her. ... She's a great horse, she tries hard all the time."
Exiting a confidence-boosting Aqueduct allowance victory after a string of four losses, jockey Flavien Prat worked out a perfect ground-saving trip for Sunday's 1 1/2-mile Glens Falls from his rail position. Content to track pacesetting Long Ago through fractions of :24.04, :48.77, and 1:13.99, Prat inched forward around the far turn and had nothing but open space before him in the stretch.
Long Ago put up a fight, but the race was clearly in La Mehana's favor by the eighth pole. She stopped the clock in 2:30.54 and paid $7.00 to win.
"She's a very efficient mover, very light on her feet," Clement said. "It's not often that you win graded stakes like that by open lengths, so it's very rewarding for the whole team."
The favorite and Clement-trained stablemate Bellezza, who defeated La Mehana in the May 2 Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G3T) at Aqueduct, rallied on for second over a yielding course Clement said was not her best surface.
"I promise you she might be better on firmer turf," Clement said of the runner-up.
Long Ago would stay on for third.
With $641,922 in the bank, both Clement and Sarf made no secret in the winner's circle that it's on to the $500,000 Flower Bowl Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Aug. 30 over 1 3/8 miles. That race is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, offering a "Win And You're In" berth to the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) at Del Mar Nov. 1.
Clement and LSU are off to a strong and emotional start to the Saratoga meet following the May 25 death of Christophe Clement, pairing to win the July 12 Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) with Far Bridge. Miguel Clement also added a stakes win in the July 10 De La Rose with Ozara and took the June 8 Manhattan Stakes (G1T) with Deterministic during the Belmont at Saratoga meet.
"Personally, (the meet has) been very tough," Clement said, "but professionally, the horses are running great and the whole team's there and backing up. I'm very lucky."
"The Clement team is as strong as with the man (Christophe) up there as he is being here," Sarf said, pointing at the sky. "It's special to have good horses and win up in Saratoga."
