Not long after Mehmas' daughter Malavath had realised €3.2 million in Deauville, Mehmas was back in the news again on Saturday, this time on the other side of the Atlantic thanks to the success of Turn On The Jets in the Stormy Liberal Stakes at Del Mar.
The three-year-old lived up to his name, quickening smartly under Juan Hernandez to fly home over two lengths to the good of Whatmakessammyrun.
Turn On The Jets is another Mehmas star to be trained in California by Philip d'Amato, also the handler of his star Grade 1-winning daughter Going Global.
"He just slid right up the rail," said d'Amato. "We were looking to run him in an allowance race, but it didn't go so this was the only spot and it worked out well. He's a horse we always thought highly of. He was a little unlucky at Santa Anita [when third last time out] but he proved best today."
Turn On The Jets was a winner at Dundalk for Jack Davison this time last year, after which he headed to California. Successful first time out at Del Mar for his new connections, the gelding was subsequently placed in a pair of allowance optional claimers. With Sunday's win under his belt, he has boosted his earnings to approximately $150,000.
Turn On The Jets was bred by David Byrne out of the winning Chiclet, by Dandy Man.
He continues the amazing success enjoyed by Mehmas' stock in the US, joining a list that also includes Going Global, Quattroelle and Chez Pierre. And it didn't end with Turn On The Jets either on Sunday, with Decorated My Life running a fine second in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes, also at Del Mar. It was the American debut for the Simon Callaghan-trained filly, who won a Navan maiden on her final start for Fozzy Stack. She was bred here at Tally-Ho Stud out of the Creachadoir mare Doris Marie.
