Athenia Stakes

Athenia Stakes

Grade III race
Location	Belmont Park Elmont, New York, United States
Inaugurated	1978
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	Athenia Handicap history at Belmont Park
Race information
Distance	1 ^1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs)
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Fillies & Mares, three-year-olds & up
Weight	Assigned
Purse	US$200,000 added

The Athenia Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid October at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to fillies and mares, age three and older, it is contested on turf at a distance of a mile and a sixteenth (8.5 furlongs).

The Athenia Stakes is named in honor of Hal Price Headley's filly who won the 1946 Ladies Handicap.

Historical notes

From its inception in 1978 through 1982, the Athenia was restricted to three-year-old fillies.

The race was hosted by Aqueduct Racetrack in 1982, 1998–2000 and 2002-2004.

It was run on dirt in 1979 and again in 1990 and was raced in two divisions in 1982 and 2001.

Since inception it has been contested at various distances:

•  1 ¹⁄₄ miles : 1978-1981
•  1 ³⁄₈ miles : 1982-1993
• 1 mile : 1996
•  1 ¹⁄₈ miles : 1997
•  1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles : 1998–present

Records

Speed record: (at current distance of  1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles)

• 1:39.94 - Pianist (2013)

Most wins:

• 2 - Babae (2001, 2002)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 - Rokeby Stables (1983, 1988)
• 2 - Harbor View Farm (1994, 1995)
• 2 - Joseph Platt, Jr. (2001, 2002)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 6 - Jorge F. Chavez (1994, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 4 - Christophe Clement (1993, 2009, 2011, 2015)
• 3 - Woody Stephens (1978, 1979, 1981)
• 3 - H. Allen Jerkens (1994, 1995, 2005)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2015	Stellar Path	4	Joel Rosario	Christophe Clement	Trevor Stewart	1:43.41
2014	La Tia	5	Joel Rosario	Armando De la cerda	Salvador Hernandez	1:43.36
2013	Pianist	4	Jose L. Ortiz	Chad C. Brown	Hidden Brook Farm/Zucker	1:39.94
2012	La Cloche	5	Junior Alvarado	James J. Toner	Phillips Racing Partnership	1:45.15
2011	Denomination	5	Joe Bravo	Christophe Clement	Ghislaine Head	1:44.17
2010	Eye of Taurus	4	Eddie Castro	Kiaran McLaughlin	Harvey A. Clarke	1:47.04
2009	Belle Allure	4	Ramon Dominguez	Christophe Clement	Ronchalon Stable	1:43.30
2008	Sunshine for Life	4	Channing Hill	Richard Schosberg	Jane M. Schosberg	1:41.55
2007	Criminologist	4	John Velazquez	Claude R. McGaughey III	S. Janney III & Phipps Stable	1:45.09
2006	Pommes Frites	4	Jose A. Santos	William I. Mott	Santa Maria de Araras	1:42.95
2005	Asti	4	Jorge F. Chavez	H. Allen Jerkens	H. Joseph Allen	1:42.57
2004	Finery	4	Pablo Fragoso	William H. Turner, Jr.	Althea D. Richards	1:43.73
2003	Caught in the Rain	4	Richard Migliore	Guadalupe Preciado	Heiligbrodt Stable	1:47.00
2002	Babae	6	Jorge F. Chavez	Frank A. Alexander	Joseph Platt, Jr.	1:44.90
2001	Verruma	5	John Velazquez	Angel Penna, Jr.	Earle I. Mack & Haras J. B. Barros	1:42.09
2001	Babae	5	Jorge F. Chavez	Frank A. Alexander	Joseph Platt, Jr.	1:40.40
2000	Wild Heart Dancing	4	Jorge F. Chavez	Eugene Brajczewski	My Jo Lee Stable	1:43.40
1999	Antoniette	4	Jorge F. Chavez	Joseph Schlich	Calumet Farm	1:41.89
1998	Tampico	5	Joe Bravo	Barclay Tagg	Ronald G. Cullis	1:42.90
1997	Rapid Selection	4	Joe Bravo	Linda L. Rice	Clyde D. Rice	1:47.11
1996	Sixieme Sens	4	Jerry D. Bailey	Robert J. Frankel	Three Plus U Stable	1:37.80
1995	Caress	4	Robbie Davis	H. Allen Jerkens	Harbor View Farm	1:54.18
1994	Lady Affirmed	3	Jorge F. Chavez	H. Allen Jerkens	Harbor View Farm	1:48.66
1993	Trampoli	4	Mike E. Smith	Christophe Clement	Paul de Moussac	2:17.16
1992	Fairy Garden	4	Julie Krone	Roger Attfield	Michael J. Ryan	2:13.62
1991	Flaming Torch	4	Pat Valenzuela	Robert J. Frankel	Juddmonte Farms	2:13.99
1990	Buy The Firm	4	Jerry D. Bailey	Jose A. Martin	Thomas Mara	2:18.20
1989	Capades	3	Angel Cordero, Jr.	Richard O'Connell	Poma Stable	2:13.20
1988	High Browser	3	Pat Day	MacKenzie Miller	Rokeby Stables	2:18.60
1987	Lead Kindly Light	4	Julio Pezua	Angel Penna, Jr.	Cynthia Phipps	2:23.80
1986	Dawn's Curtesy	4	Eddie Maple	John M. Veitch	Darby Dan Farm	2:16.00
1985	Videogenic	3	Jean Cruguet	Gasper S. Moschera	Albert Davis	2:15.40
1984	Key Dancer	3	Angel Cordero, Jr.	William J. Hirsch, Jr.	Oxford Stable	2:14.80
1983	Rose Crescent	3	Robbie Davis	MacKenzie Miller	Rokeby Stables	2:22.00
1982	Middle Stage	3	Jimmy Miranda	John P. Campo	Buckland Farm	2:17.40
1982	Mintage	3	Jean-Luc Saymn	Philip Johnson	Meadowhill	2:17.80
1981	De La Rose	3	Eddie Maple	Woody Stephens	Henryk de Kwiatkowski	2:00.40
1980	Love Sign	3	Ruben Hernandez	Sidney Watters ,Jr.	Stephen C. Clark, Jr.	2:00.40
1979	Poppycock	3	Jorge Velasquez	Woody Stephens	Claiborne Farm	2:03.60
1978	Terpsichorist	3	Michael Venezia	Woody Stephens	Hickory Tree Stable	2:03.20

References

• The 2009 Athenia Stakes at the NTRA