Ward Takes Astoria With Athens Queen
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Athens Queen wins the Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park
It's not that trainer Wesley Ward has a niche. It's just that he does one thing far better than anything else.
Continuing an incredible streak of juvenile success in the first half of the year, Ward scored the $150,000 Astoria Stakes for fillies by a neck June 7 at Belmont Park with James Reiley McDonald's homebred Athens Queen.
One of two Ward entries—along with Don Alberto Stable's Wonder Stone—who won their debut runs during the trainer's dominant meet for juvenile runners at Keeneland, Athens Queen got the benefit of an outside post in the 5 1/2-furlong Astoria.
With a stalking trip behind Wonder Stone—who set a pace of :22.06 through the first quarter—and even-money favorite Tijori, Athens Queen went by the two frontrunners in the stretch and held off an inside closing effort from Lady Apple to finish the distance in 1:05.37 under jockey Albin Jimenez.
"She's learning a lot, and she surprised me in the end when she kept going and got away," Jimenez said. "My plan was to break and go, but it didn't work that way. But she seemed comfortable being behind."
In her debut win, the daughter of Majestic Warrior set the pace at Keeneland and held on late to win by a neck in the 4 1/2-furlong sprint.
"She was always a nice filly from day one, (when) we started breezing her over at Turfway (Park) in March, and she showed a lot of talent," Ward said. "She wasn't at this level like she was today, so it looks like she's getting better."
Lady Apple, who finished second in her debut at Keeneland in April, appeared to be loaded with run in the Belmont turn and made her bid on the rail in the stretch, but she may have been intimidated by the tight quarters inside of the tiring Wonder Stone. Once she got clear in the late stages, the Curlin filly nearly got to Athens Queen at the wire.
"She's a very nice filly," said Lady Apple's trainer, Steve Asmussen. "Obviously pleased to have the opportunity to train her, and I think she's going to be very nice in the future."
Eyeinthesky made a wide bid outside of Athens Queen but couldn't get to the eventual winner and finished third. She was followed by Tijori, Wonder Stone, and Six Pack Gal.
Bred in Kentucky out of the Belong to Me mare Mine All Mine, Athens Queen has $123,000 in earnings from her two starts.