Clement has three for Long Island

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Christophe Clement trains three of the 14 horses entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Long Island Handicap at Aqueduct, the last graded turf stakes for fillies and mares to be run this year on this circuit. Only 12 will be permitted to run in the 1 1/2-mile race.

Clement entered Aigue Marine, sixth as the 8-5 favorite in last year’s Long Island, Maximova, and Tabreed.

Aigue Marine, who will break from the rail under John Velazquez, won the Robert G. Dick Memorial in July before finishing fifth, beaten four lengths by Irish Mission, in the Grade 3 Glens Falls. Last year, she came into this race off a six-month layoff.

“The layoff worked against her a little bit,” Clement said. “She’s a fit horse now.”

Maximova, who breaks from post 4, will be trying a marathon distance for the first time. Tabreed, who drew post 3, is winless in three starts this year.

The Long Island attracted the European-based Hellenistic, trained by Dermot Weld. Hellenistic, a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of English Channel, is a half-sister to Geri, who won graded stakes on multiple surfaces, and A.P. Arrow, a multiple graded stakes winner on dirt.

Viva Rafaela, who has lost eight consecutive races but ran third in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational, is the starting highweight at 119 pounds.