La Tia Goes Gate to Wire in Athenia Stakes
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Front-running La Tia, under extreme pressure in the final sixteenth from the onrushing Byrama and Overheard, rebuffed her challengers for a neck victory in the $200,000 Athenia Stakes (gr. IIIT) on a yielding turf course Oct. 12 at Belmont Park.
Byrama was second by a nose in the blanket finish, with Overheard third. Annecdote, the 11-10 favorite in the field of 10 older fillies and mares, finished an even fifth. The final time was 1:43.36 for the 1 1/16-mile distance over the inner grass course.
Salvador Hernandez's Illinois homebred La Tia, trained by Armando De la Cerda, earned her third grade III victory of the year with Joel Rosario aboard. The winning 5-year-old daughter of City Place was coming off a third-place finish in the Canadian Stakes (Can-IIT) at Woodbine Sept. 14, and was sent off as the 3-1 second choice in the Athenia.
Rosario opened up a length advantage early with La Tia, who got away with an opening quarter mile in :25.22 before picking up the pace with It's My Time and Baffle Me chasing. Byrama raced fourth as the half mile went in :48.83 and progressed into third as La Tia completed six furlongs in 1:12.70 while leading by 1 1/2 lengths.
La Tia cut the corner into the stretch and was in command at the furlong mark by 2 1/2 lengths over the stalking Byrama, ridden by John Velazquez, with Overheard and Javier Castellano charging from sixth on the turn. La Tia had to dig in from there as the challengers threatened before coming up just short at the wire.
"They pressured me last time," said Rosario, who rode La Tia for the first time in the Canadian. "The stretch in Woodbine is longer than here, and that day they finished up very strong. She ran a good race and got beat by some very good horses. I was very confident with her today and knew she was going to give me 100%."
The victory was the ninth in 22 races for La Tia, who boosted her career earnings to $803,326. She won the Ontario Matron (Can-III) July 26 and the Arlington Matron (gr. III) May 24, both on Polytrack, by identical 6 1/4-length margins.
Hernandez bred La Tia out of the Sky Classic mare La Adelita.
Carrying 117 pounds, six fewer than the co-highweights Overheard and Annecdote, La Tia paid $8.70, $5, and $3.60. Byrama, winner of last year's Vanity Stakes (gr. I) before transferring to the Bill Mott barn for the 2014 season, returned $10.20 and $5.90 in her best effort of the year. The exacta was worth $88.50. Overheard paid $3.50 to show.
Cushion was fourth, with the British-bred Annecdote, Maximova, Embarr, Baffle Me, It's My Time, and Julie's Love following. Nashly's Vow scratched, while Teen Pauline was entered for the main track only.