Way to Be Marie adds distance in G3 Long Island

Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables’ Way to Be Marie will stretch out in distance for Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Long Island, an 11-furlong inner turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

Trained by Rob Atras, the 4-year-old Not This Time bay contested her longest race to date last out when second in the 1 5/16-mile Grade 3 Ladies Marathon on September 6 at Kentucky Downs. Way to Be Marie was pre-entered for the 11-furlong Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, but placed last on the also-eligible list in the oversubscribed field and instead pointed to the Long Island at the same distance. 

“She ran really well last time at Kentucky Downs,” Atras said. “We pointed towards that race with the added ground. It was the plan to stretch her out a little bit. We thought she’d be a little more effective with more ground, and she really showed up that day and ran great.” 

Way to Be Marie previously landed fifth in a division of the one-mile restricted De La Rose in July at Saratoga Race Course and the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Gallorette in May at Pimlico. Her prior three efforts came at the latter distance at Fair Grounds, including a 1 1/4-length score in the Listed Albert M. Stall Memorial in February. 

“This distance was a main reason to go to this spot,” said Atras. 

Way to Be Marie [post 9, Manny Franco] breezed a half-mile in 52.23 seconds on November 1 over the Belmont Park dirt training track in preparation for this race. 

“She worked really good,” Atras said. “She’s maintained her fitness, so we weren’t looking to do too much. We just gave her a half-mile with a nice gallop-out. I was really happy with her work. She did it really well.” 

Way to Be Marie is three-time graded stakes-placed among her 14-3-5-2 record with $753,200 in earnings, including a third in the local one-mile Grade 3 Pebbles last November. 

Lawrence Goichman’s Alluring Angel [post 7, Kendrick Carmouche] enters from a one-length third in the Grade 3 Waya over course and distance on October 5. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 5-year-old Fastnet Rock bay was vying for position in the lane with runner-up and returning rival Beach Bomb in the event won by Village Voice, who was off-the-board in Saturday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. 

The British-bred Alluring Angel was making her longest start to date in the Waya, her 12-3-1-2 record including juvenile stakes placings for trainer Jorge Abreu in the one-mile Tepin here and the 6 1/2-furlong Untapable at Kentucky Downs. 

Mott will also send out Wathnan Racing’s Group 3-winner Immensitude [post 6, Junior Alvarado]. The 5-year-old Lawman dark bay wired a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on October 2 here for her first win since the Group 3 Prix Bertrand de Tarragon in September 2023 in her last start for conditioner Stephane Wattel in France. 

The French-bred Immensitude boasts a 20-4-4-5 record, including a third in this event last year to eventual Grade 1-winner Be Your Best and a close second to La Mehana prior to that in the local Grade 3 Waya, both over course and distance. 

Trainer Graham Motion will also send out a pair of contestants, including the aforementioned Beach Bomb [post 3, Javier Castellano] and No Show Sammy Jo [post 1, Jorge Ruiz]. 

Cayton Park Stud’s multiple graded/group-winner Beach Bomb was a neck second last out in the Grade 3 Waya, finishing three-quarter-lengths ahead of Alluring Angel. The 5-year-old Lancaster Bomber bay was a dual Group 1-winner in her native South Africa and in her fourth stateside outing, Beach Bomb set the pace in the 11-furlong Grade 3 The Very One on March 1 at Gulfstream Park en route to a one-length victory over Immensitude and exited to win the Grade 3 Orchid there. 

Bridlewood Farm and Madaket Stables’ No Show Sammy Jo stretches out in distance from a nose score to defend her title in the nine-furlong All Along on September 13 at Laurel Park. The 5-year-old Lope de Vega bay was defeated by that same margin by Be Your Best in last year’s Long Island with Immensitude landing 2 1/2 lengths back in third. 

Rounding out the field is a trio for trainer Chad Brown including Grade 2-winner Grayosh [post 2, Flavien Prat], Group 3-placed Fun With Flags [post 10, Dylan Davis], and two-time winner Alimara [post AE11, Jose Lezcano]; Grade 2-placed Amber Cascade [post 8, Nik Juarez] for trainer Mike Maker, four-time winner Lady Firefoot [post 5, Luis Rivera, Jr.] for trainer Melanie Giddings and stakes-winning New York-bred Brocknardini [post 4, John Velazquez, blinkers ON] for trainer George Weaver.

Bernietakescharge and Purloin are entered for the main track-only

The Long Island is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 10-race card, which features the Grade 2 Mother Goose [Race 9], Grade 3 Hill Prince [Race 7], Listed Dwyer [Race 3] and rescheduled Listed Pumpkin Pie [Race 4]. First post is 11:40 a.m. Eastern.

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