On Leave Part of Diverse Athenia Field

Stuart S. Janney III's On Leave will look to notch her second consecutive stakes win when she competes against a talented nine-horse field in the $200,000 Athenia Stakes (G3T) for fillies and mares, 3 and older, Oct. 21 at Belmont Park.

The 41st running of the Athenia, contested at 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf, will see On Leave looking to build on her half-length score in the One Dreamer Stakes at one mile and 70 yards Sept. 1 at Kentucky Downs.

The 5-year-old War Front  mare has finished on the board in six of her last eight starts, including a second-place finish in the May 5 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T). On Leave has breezed four times at Belmont since September, including a four-furlong work in :48.44 on the main track Oct. 14 that encouraged Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

"She's looked better than ever," McGaughey said. "If we get a little luck with the weather and the course dries up somewhat, I think she'll be tough."

On Leave will have the services of jockey Joel Rosario out of post 9. McGaughey said he expects the Kentucky homebred to continue playing to her strength in coming off the pace.

"The distance will be fine for her," he said. "I think she'll sit off the lead. Rosario will ride her and he likes to do that, so I think it'll work out fine."

Lael Stables' multiple graded stakes winner Hawksmoor is coming off back-to-back runner-up efforts in graded stakes, finishing 1 3/4 lengths behind Quidura in the Aug. 25 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course and 3 3/4 lengths behind Uni in the Sept. 22 Noble Damsel Stakes (G3T) going one mile at Belmont.

Trainer Arnaud Delacour said the increase in distance could be beneficial, along with a return to Belmont, where Hawksmoor has two wins, including victories in last year's New York Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2T) and Beaugay Stakes (G3T).

"She's doing very well, and I think she ran a good race last time. I'm just not sure the mile is the optimal distance for her," Delacour said. "I'm very happy to see her go a mile and a sixteenth. She came back well and had two good breezes. She can adapt and has enough tactical speed where, if she doesn't make the lead, she can get in position."

The Irish-bred 5-year-old posted two group stakes victories in Europe before arriving in the United States as a 3-year-old.

Trainer Chad Brown will send out three formidable contenders in New Money Honey, Inflexibility, and Rymska.

New Money Honey, the winner of the 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T), will be looking for her first stakes win since the 2017 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T). Owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, the 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro  filly will be cutting back in distance after running second to Starship Jubilee in the Sept. 15 Canadian Stakes Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T) at Woodbine.

Inflexibility, third in the Canadian, will be running at Belmont for the first time since a second-place effort to stablemate A Raving Beauty in the May 12 Beaugay, while stablemate Rymska, winner of three of her last four starts, will return to stakes company after finishing second by a nose in an Aug. 31 optional claimer at the Spa off a nine-month layoff.