Clement to Saddle Two Graded Winners in River Memories
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Mutamakina wins the 2020 Long Island Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle group/graded stakes winners Call Me Love and Mutamakina in the July 11 $150,000 River Memories Stakes, a 12-furlong Widener turf test for older fillies and mares that highlights closing day of the spring/summer meet at Belmont Park.
R Unicorn Stable's Call Me Love, a 5-year-old Sea The Stars mare, won an allowance optional claiming event at Belmont last out May 23 traveling 1 1/16-miles over firm turf under Junior Alvarado.
The chestnut won the Premio Lydia Tesio (G2) and the Premio Verziere Memorial Aldo Cirla (G3) in Italy during the fall of 2019 for former conditioner Alduino Botti. Transferred to Clement for a 4-year-old campaign, Call Me Love was winless in five starts all against graded company last year, completing the exacta in the 1 1/16-mile Beaugay Stakes (G3T) at Belmont along with a narrow neck defeat to multiple grade 1 winner Starship Jubilee in the 1 1/16-mile Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course.
Clement said he expects a prominent effort from Call Me Love, who will exit post 4 under Alvarado.
"We'll stretch her out and she'll be on the pace. She ran very well in the Ballston Spa," said Clement. "She's doing very well at the moment."
Al Shira'aa Farms' Mutamakina, a 5-year-old daughter of Nathaniel , launched her career in France with former conditioner Carlos Laffon-Parias, placing in a pair of group 2 events in 2019.
Mutamakina joined the Clement stable last year, capturing the 11-furlong Long Island Stakes (G3T) over good turf in November at Aqueduct Racetrack.
She has made a pair of starts this season at Belmont, including a runner-up effort in the 11-furlong Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G2T) May 1 and a sixth last out in the 10-furlong New York Stakes (G2T) over yielding turf June 4.
"I thought she was a bit unlucky last time. She had a very wide trip," said Clement. "This should be an easier race. She looks well. She's training well."
Joel Rosario has the call on Mutamakina from post 2.
Allen Stable homebred Civil Union , a 6-year-old War Front mare, will look to defend her River Memories title and earn her first win of the year after off-the-board efforts in the Beaugay May 8 and the New York last out.
Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Civil Union flourished last fall with back-to-back wins over My Sister Nat in the Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) in September at Saratoga and the Flower Bowl Invitational (G1T) in October at Belmont.
Civil Union will emerge from post 6 under Jose Ortiz.
Peter Brant's Virginia Joy , a 4-year-old German-bred daughter of Soldier Hollow , captured the Mehl-Mulhens Trophy (G3) last year for former trainer Marcel Weiss.
Virginia Joy was transferred to the care of four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown for her current campaign and the group 1-placed filly responded with a three-quarters-length score in a 10-furlong allowance optional claimer April 23 on the Belmont turf. Last out, she finished a close fourth in the New York.
Manny Franco will pilot Virginia Joy from post 5.
Rounding out the field are Pallas Athene , Luck Money , and Delta's Kingdom . Thankful is entered for the main track only.
Belmont Park, Sunday, July 11, 2021, Race 8Entries: River Memories S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Pallas Athene (KY)
Jose Lezcano
118
Eric R. Reed
30/1
2
2Mutamakina (GB)
Joel Rosario
124
Christophe Clement
3/1
3
3Luck Money (KY)
Javier Castellano
122
Arnaud Delacour
5/1
4
4Call Me Love (GB)
Junior Alvarado
118
Christophe Clement
6/1
5
5Virginia Joy (GER)
Manuel Franco
124
Chad C. Brown
9/5
6
6Civil Union (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
124
Claude R. McGaughey III
9/2
7
7Delta's Kingdom (KY)
Luis Saez
118
William I. Mott
6/1
8
8Thankful (KY)
Luis Saez
122
Todd A. Pletcher
4/5
