La Mehana Set to Make Title Defense in $125,000 Via Borghese
At 0h02, on December 22, 2025 • By Gulfstream Park
Seven weeks after going through the auction ring, Dixiana Farms’ multiple graded-stakes winner La Mehana is set to represent her new connections as the defending champion in Wednesday’s $125,000 Via Borghese at Gulfstream Park.
The 10th running of the Via Borghese for fillies and mares 3 and up, scheduled for 1 3/8 miles on the grass, anchors a special nine-race Christmas Eve program that begins at 12:20 p.m.
Purchased for $500,000 at Keeneland’s November breeding stock sale and moved to trainer Brad Cox, La Mehana can become just the second horse to repeat as winner of the Via Borghese following Always Shopping in 2020 and 2021.
Mehana had four wins and $508,850 in purse earnings from 14 starts since coming to North America last spring and racing for LSU Stables, late trainer Christophe Clement and his son, Miguel after being Group 1-placed in her native France.
The 6-year-old mare was last seen finishing fifth in the 1 3/8-mile Waya (G3) on the Aqueduct turf Oct. 5. La Mehana was sold the following month and soon joined Cox’s South Florida string at Payson Park.
“The race is there [and] it looks like a decent spot. She’s been tuned up and ready to go as far as breezing her and preparing for this race,” Cox said. “We’re going to give her a run.”
La Mehana shows four timed works over Payson’s main track since Thanksgiving, the most recent a half-mile move in 50.40 seconds Dec. 17. She has never raced on dirt, with nine wins and six thirds from 25 turf starts including graded victories in the 2024 Waya and July 27 Glens Falls (G2), the latter going 1 ½ miles.
“We don’t really know that much about her, just what she’s done in regard to her form. I’m actually surprised she works as well as she does on the dirt there at Payson considering she’s a marathon grass horse,” Cox said. “[We’re] excited about it.”
Rated second choice on the morning line at 5-2 and to be ridden first time by Irad Ortiz Jr. from Post 6 in a field of eight, La Mehana is stablemates with millionaire 3-year-old filly Fionn, a Grade 1 winner that was bred by William and Donna Shively of Dixiana Farms.
