Athena Reigns Supreme in Belmont Oaks

Forget the difference a day can make. For the hearty traveler that is Athena, she has packed a season's worth of growth—and air miles—into less than three weeks.

Named for a goddess and with regal blood in her frame, high expectations have always been part of the equation where the daughter of Camelot is concerned. So even after taking seven tries to break her maiden, no time was wasted putting the Aidan O'Brien-trained filly into higher company.

On June 21, she finished fourth in her Royal Ascot debut. On July 1, she was back in Ireland for her first top-level test. Six days and one trip across the pond later, Athena was justifying the unyielding faith that had followed her throughout.

The Belmont Park crowd got to witness firsthand the wizardry of O'Brien July 7 when Athena uncorked a massive rally on the far outside to capture the $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) by 2 1/2 lengths over Thewayiam in her North American debut.

Owned by Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Athena arrived at Belmont Park this week following a third-place finish in the Juddmonte Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) July 1 at the Curragh. Considering she didn't earn her first career win until prevailing at Fairyhouse May 31, shipping across the ocean on short rest was nothing short of a bold move from the powerhouse Ballydoyle stable.

Hindsight shows it was also a sign of confidence. After rating third from last in the 10-horse field through much of the 1 1/4-mile race, Athena looked like very much like a distaff star in the making as she powered to the front under Ryan Moore, leaving a depth-laden bunch in her wake.

"I don't think it was a surprise, really, because she traveled here well and (jockey) Donnacha (O'Brien) wasn't hard on her when she ran last week at the Curragh," said T. J. Comerford, head traveling lad for Aidan O'Brien. "Six days later, a mile and a quarter on hard ground is probably her trip. She can probably go a bit farther as well, but it's great to get her going at a mile and a quarter, and she can go a mile and a half in time. She's won over a mile and a quarter, and she does it impressively. She didn't look like she was stopping."

Sent off at 10-1 odds, Athena was a patient partner for Moore as three of the top race choices stayed within striking range of each other.

La Signare successfully made all the running when she defeated Significant Form in the June 7 Wonder Again Stakes (G3T), and the bay Brian Lynch trainee was out front again in the Belmont Oaks, cutting fractions of :23.88 and :48.26, with fellow graded stakes winner Toinette tracking second and 3-1 favorite Significant Form third.

Significant Form set her sights on the pacesetter coming off the final turn, but at that moment, Moore was rousing Athena and getting everything and then some out of the bay filly.

"There was no real plan, to be honest. She's a very straightforward filly," Moore said. "She's taken her racing very well. I rode her before the start of the year, and all she's done is improve tremendously."

As Athena drew clear for her second win in 10 starts, Thewayiam was slipping by Significant Form to get up for place money—her third consecutive runner-up effort.

Chipolata was third, with Significant Form settling for fourth. La Signare faded to last in the field, with Toinette ninth.

"I don't really have any excuse other than I think we found out today she probably doesn't want to run that far," said Chad Brown, trainer of Significant Form. "As evidenced by her not being able to hold on for second in the deep stretch, it was clear who the winner was going to be—it was a matter of who was going to finish second. Her being unable to do that was the most telling part about her distance limitations."

The final time was 1:58.71 over a course rated firm.

Bred in Ireland by Roncon & Chelston, Athena is a half sister to group 1 winner Bracelet. She is out of the Green Desert mare Cherry Hinton, who herself is out of the brilliant race mare and blue hen producer Urban Sea and is a half sister to leading sire Galileo and Sea The Stars.

"These Camelots seem to be coming into themselves now. He's had a lot of very good horses very quickly," Moore said of Athena. "She couldn't have done better."

Video: Belmont Oaks Invitational S. (G1T)