Rymska Rolls to Victory in the Athenia
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Photo: Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Rymska wins the Athenia Stakes at Belmont Park
Sheep Pond Partners, Alain Jathiere, Thomas Coleman, and Elayne Stables' Rymska, the 4-1 third choice in a field of seven older fillies and mares, rolled to a 2 1/2-length score over stablemate New Money Honey Oct. 21 at Belmont Park in the Athenia Stakes (G3T). The 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course went in 1:41.59.
Both Rymska and New Money Honey are trained by Chad Brown. Indian Blessing finished another 2 1/2 lengths back in third. Group 1-placed Hawksmoor came in fourth.
The $200,000 Athenia drew a better field than the typical grade 3 event. The winner was already a two-time grade 3 winner coming into the race and New Money Honey was the 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner. Irish bred Hawksmoor came into the event with a pair of grade 2 wins on her ledger, along with group 3 winner Indian Blessing, and grade 2 winner On Leave.
Rymska, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, broke on top from the rail over the inner turf, but Hawksmoor quickly established the lead with Manny Franco up. Hawksmoor opened up a daylight lead early, for an opening quarter-mile fraction of :23.95 while Pas de Soucis gave chase. Rymska and On Leave trailed the field.
Moving down the backstretch, Hawksmoor maintained her advantage while Pas de Soucis, Inflexibility, and New Money Honey sat just off the leader through a half-mile in :48.03 and three-quarters in 1:11.92.
In the stretch New Money Honey advanced to the lead, but was quickly overhauled by Rymska and Ortiz as they came with a wide move to sweep to the lead after a mile in 1:35.59. New Money Honey, with Javier Castellano aboard, was a clear second.
"I got a perfect trip," Ortiz said. "She broke well and put me in a great position. I just waited and waited, and when I asked her just before the quarter-pole she was there for me. Chad has done a great job with her and she was ready today. I've been riding her a lot and she's a nice filly.
"In her last race, she made the lead late in the stretch and she hung a little bit at Saratoga (Aug. 31) to get beat by a nose. Today I was moving slowly and smooth. I didn't want to move too early and when I asked her she responded well."
The winner returned $10, $5, and $2.80. New Money Honey paid $4 and $2.50, while Indian Blessing paid $3.30 to show.
Rymska was bred in France by Eric Feutet out of Foreign Raider, by Lend a Hand.The 4-year-old Le Havre filly now has six wins from 10 starts with two seconds and a third. She has earned $488,394.
"Irad gave her a great ride and she showed a great turn of foot," Brown said. "Unfortunately she's had some gaps in her racing due to some minor injuries here and there, but the ownership group has been very patient every time we've rested her to get her right. When she is right, she's very good."
She came into the Athenia off a nose loss to Candy Store in an Aug. 31 allowance optional-claiming event at Saratoga Race Course. Last fall she captured the Commonwealth Oaks presented by the Virginia Equine Alliance and the Virginia HBPA (G3T) at Laurel Park and earlier last year took Gulfstream Park's Sweetest Chant Stakes (G3T). At 2 she was fifth behind New Money Honey in the Breeders' Cup event at Santa Anita Park.The win was the fourth in the last six years for Brown, and third in a row. His other winners were Off Limits (2017), Roca Rojo (2016), and Pianist (2014).