In a nail-biting finish at Aqueduct Racetrack, the Irish homebred mare Be Your Best, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., emerged victorious in the Grade 3 Long Island Stakes. Ridden by the legendary Frankie Dettori, the 4-year-old Muhaarar bay held off a late charge from the Graham Motion-trained No Show Sammy Jo to secure the coveted graded stakes triumph.

A Determined Effort Pays Off for Be Your Best

Pacesetting Perfection

Dettori's masterful ride was the key to Be Your Best's success, as he guided the mare from post position 7 to take early command of the 1 3/8-mile inner turf test. Maintaining a steady pace through the early fractions, Be Your Best kept her rivals at bay, with Whatlovelookslike tracking in second and Blush recovering from early traffic troubles to occupy third.

A Nail-Biter to the Finish

As the field approached the final turn, Be Your Best's lead began to dwindle, but the mare responded when asked by Dettori, lengthening her advantage once more. However, the post-time favorite No Show Sammy Jo, ridden by Flavien Prat, was making a powerful late charge down the center of the course, quickly closing the gap in the final sixteenth of a mile.

A Nose-Biting Victory

In a thrilling photo finish, Be Your Best held on to win by the narrowest of margins, edging out No Show Sammy Jo by a nose. Immensitude rallied to finish third, just 2 1/2 lengths behind the winner, in a three-way photo for show honors. The victory marked a significant milestone for Be Your Best, who had previously hit the board in four graded stakes events, including a pair of Grade 1s in California last year.

Dettori's Masterful Ride

Dettori, who had won the Long Island Stakes in 1991 aboard the Luca Cumani-trained Shaima, praised the training efforts of Saffie Joseph Jr. and his ability to dictate the pace. "Especially on the inner track, if you are able not to get taken on, then you are always very hard to catch," Dettori said. "I was going the pace that I wanted to. She wasn't going slow, but she wasn't going flat out. She had a good rhythm, she was pricking her ears, and like I said, no one bothered me up front and when I stole those two lengths of the stretch, I was hard to catch."

A Promising Future for Be Your Best

The victory marked Be Your Best's first win since taking the listed P.G. Johnson Stakes as a juvenile at Saratoga. With the $165,000 winner's purse, the Irish-bred mare improved her record to 16: 3-3-2, showcasing her consistent and competitive nature. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and the connections of Be Your Best will undoubtedly be looking to build on this success and target more graded stakes events in the future, as the mare continues to prove her mettle against top-level competition.