| Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Contact: Sean Morris smorris@nyrainc.com
Clement trio take aim at G3 Long Island
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - A full field is expected to contest the Grade 3, $200,000 Long Island for fillies and mares at 1 ½ miles on turf on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack, led by a trio from the barn of trainer Christophe Clement.
The Clement-trained Aigue Marine sports the best marathon form of the triumvirate. The 5-year-old daughter of Galileo has a win and two second-place finishes through five starts this year, all at distances of 1 3/8 miles and greater. Two starts ago, the bay mare earned her lone victory of the year in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park, settling near the back of the pack and unleashing a strong late run to prevail by 1 ¾ lengths.
Aigue Marine, who has not run since finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Glens Falls on August 31 at Saratoga Race Course, will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez from the rail. She is owned by Haras du Mezeray and Skymarc Farm, and sits at 5-1 on the morning line.
Clement's Tabreed, owned by the China Horse Club, has also shown an affinity for marathon distances. The 5-year-old mare was second in last year's Long Island, and finished a closing third in the 1 5/16-mile Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon Stakes in her most recent outing. Despite a string of solid performances, the daughter of Sakhee has yet to register a win this year.
Tabreed, 10-1 on the morning line, drew post 3 and will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez.
Maximova gives away experience to the other two Clement runners, but the 4-year-old filly has flashed potential while compiling a record of four wins from nine starts. In her latest start, the daughter of Danehill Dancer finished sixth in the Grade 3 Athenia on October 12 at Belmont Park.
Maximova, who has yet to run beyond 1 1/8 miles in her career, is listed at 15-1 on the morning line. Manny Franco takes the mount from post 4.
Despite being winless in 2014, the Todd Pletcher-trained Viva Rafaela is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line, by virtue of a narrow defeat in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational on September 27. The Stud TNT color-bearer led for much of the way in the 1 ¼-mile Flower Bowl, but yielded late to Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf runner-up Stephanie's Kitten and Abaco to finish third, beaten 1 ½ lengths. One race prior, the daughter of Know Heights finished second in the Glens Falls in the same manner, leading the field until being passed in deep stretch by Irish Mission.
Joe Bravo has the mount from post 2.
Invading Humor will look to rebound off an eighth-place finish in the Ticonderoga on October 18 at Belmont while trying a marathon distance for the first time in her career. The 4-year-old filly, trained by Bruce Levine for Bloodlines Racing Partnerships, had a four-race win streak snapped in the Ticonderoga that dated back to July 13 at Belmont. During the streak, in which she faced predominantly New York-bred competition, she won at distances of six furlongs, one mile, 1 1/16 miles, and 1 1/8 miles.
The improving filly will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 8. She sits at 20-1 on the morning line.
Rounding out the field are Danza Cavallo and Hellenistic, who will be making their North American debuts at morning line odds of 3-1 and 4-1, respectively; Giant Shadow, a winner of three straight for trainer Edward Graham; Meri Shika, eighth in the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor in her latest start; Auld Alliance, most recently ninth in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon for celebrity chef Bobby Flay; Embarr, seventh in the Grade 3 Athenia when last on the track; and Angegreen, third-place finisher in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon.
Songoficeandfire and Bohemian Dance are also eligible.
The field for the Grade 3, $200,000 Long Island:
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