Athenia Stakes

The Athenia Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age three-years-old and older run over at a distance of a mile and an eighth on the turf held annually in October at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event offers a purse of US150,000.

Athenia Stakes

Class	Listed
Location	Belmont Park Elmont, New York, United States
Inaugurated	1978 (as Athenia Handicap)
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Website	NYRA
Race information
Distance	1+1⁄8 miles
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Fillies & Mares, three-year-olds and older
Weight	Base weights with allowances: 4-year-olds and up: 126 lbs. 3-year-olds: 122 lbs.
Purse	US150,000 (2023)

History

The Athenia Stakes is named in honor of Hal Price Headley's filly Athenia, who won in 1946 the Ladies Handicap over the distance of 1+1⁄2 miles as well as the Misty Isle Handicap and Artful Handicap at Washington Park Race Track in Chicago.^[1] Athenia also was the granddam of Sir Ivor, the 1968 Horse of the Year in the United Kingdom and Leading broodmare sire in Britain & Ireland in 1983.

The inaugural running of the event was on 13 September 1978 as The Athenia Handicap for three-year-old fillies at 1+1⁄4 miles in distance and was won by the Terpsichorist who was trained by the US Hall of Fame trainer Woody Stephens and ridden by Michael Venezia in a time of 2:031⁄5.^[2] The event continued to be restricted to three-year-old fillies until 1983.

In 1980 the event was classified as Grade III.^[3] In 2005 the event was moved to the main track due to the inclement weather and consequently was downgraded.^[3]

The race has been held at Aqueduct Racetrack several times with the last such running in 2004.^[4]

The event was raced in split divisions in 1982 and 2001.^[5]

The event has been contested at various distances over its history with the current distance of 1+1⁄8 miles being reinstated in 2021.^[3]

The event in 2022 was moved to Aqueduct Racetrack due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at Belmont Park.^[6]

In 2023 the event was downgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to Listed status^[7]

Records

Speed record:

• 1+1⁄16 miles: 1:39.94 – Pianist (2013)
• 1+1⁄8 miles: 1:47.11 – Rapid Selection (1997)
• 1+1⁄4 miles: 2:00.40 – Love Sign (1980), De La Rosa (1981)
• 1+3⁄8 miles: 2:13.20 – Capades (1989)

Margins:

• 20 lengths – Rose Crescent (1983)

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)
• 2 – Juddmonte Farms (1991, 2021)

Most wins by a jockey:

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

Most wins by a trainer:

• 9 – Chad C. Brown (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
At Aqueduct – Athenia Stakes
2024	Child of the Moon (FR)	4	Manuel Franco	Chad C. Brown	Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, & Louis Lazzinnaro	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.63	$150,000	Listed	[8]
2023	Technical Analysis (IRE)	5	Jose L. Ortiz	Chad C. Brown	Klaravich Stables	1+1⁄8 miles	1:49.20	$150,000	Listed	[9]
2022	Love And Thunder (IRE)	5	Jose L. Ortiz	Chad C. Brown	John D. Gunther & Tanya Gunther	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.07	$169,750	III	[10]
At Belmont Park
2021	Pocket Squares (GB)	4	Jose L. Ortiz	Chad C. Brown	Juddmonte Farms	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.19	$194,000	III	[11]
2020	Tapit Today	5	Jose L. Ortiz	Chad C. Brown	William H. Lawrence & Bradley Thoroughbreds	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.56	$100,000	III	[12]
2019	Xenobia (IRE)	5	John R. Velazquez	Jonathan Thomas	Augustin Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.21	$200,000	III	[13]
2018	Rymska (FR)	4	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Chad C. Brown	Sheep Pond Partners, Alain Jathiere, Thomas Coleman & Elayne Stables	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.59	$200,000	III	[14]
2017	Off Limits (IRE)	5	Joel Rosario	Chad C. Brown	Martin S. Schwartz	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.73	$200,000	III	[15]
2016	Roca Rojo (IRE)	4	Javier Castellano	Chad C. Brown	Sheep Pond Partners, Newport Stables & Bradley Thoroughbreds	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.20	$200,000	III	[16]
2015	Stellar Path (FR)	4	Joel Rosario	Christophe Clement	Trevor C. Stewart	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.41	$200,000	III	[17]
2014	La Tia	5	Joel Rosario	Armando De La Cerda	Salvador Hernandez	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.36	$200,000	III	[18]
2013	Pianist	4	Jose L. Ortiz	Chad C. Brown	Hidden Brook Farm & Dan Zucker	1+1⁄16 miles	1:39.94	$200,000	III	[19]
2012	La Cloche	5	Junior Alvarado	James J. Toner	Phillips Racing Partnership	1+1⁄16 miles	1:45.15	$150,000	III	[20]
2011	Denomination	5	Joe Bravo	Christophe Clement	Ghislaine Head	1+1⁄16 miles	1:44.17	$100,000	III	[21]
2010	Eye of Taurus	4	Eddie Castro	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	Harvey A. Clarke	1+1⁄16 miles	1:47.04	$100,000	III	[22]
2009	Belle Allure (IRE)	4	Ramon A. Dominguez	Christophe Clement	Ronchalon Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.30	$106,500	III	[23]
Athenia Handicap
2008	Sunshine for Life	4	Channing Hill	Richard E. Schosberg	Jane M. Schosberg	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.55	$110,300	III	[24]
2007	Criminologist	4	John R. Velazquez	Claude R. McGaughey III	Stuart S. Janney III & Phipps Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:45.09	$109,100	III	[25]
2006	Pommes Frites	4	Jose A. Santos	William I. Mott	Haras Santa Maria de Araras	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.95	$112,300	III	[26]
2005	Asti (IRE)	4	Jorge F. Chavez	H. Allen Jerkens	H. Joseph Allen	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.57	$111,300	Listed	Off turf[27]
At Aqueduct
2004	Finery	4	Pablo Fragoso	William H. Turner Jr.	Althea D. Richards	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.73	$115,700	III	[28]
2003	Caught in the Rain	4	Richard Migliore	Guadalupe Preciado	Heiligbrodt Stable & Walter L. New	1+1⁄16 miles	1:47.00	$113,000	III	[29]
2002	Babae (CHI)	6	Jorge F. Chavez	Frank A. Alexander	Joseph Platt Jr.	1+1⁄16 miles	1:44.90	$116,700	III	[30]
At Belmont Park
2001	Verruma (BRZ)	5	John R. Velazquez	Angel A. Penna Jr.	Earle I. Mack & Jael Barros	1+1⁄16 miles	1:40.40	$137,875	III	Division 1[31]
	Babae (CHI)	5	Jorge F. Chavez	Frank A. Alexander	Joseph Platt Jr.		1:42.09	$137,875		Division 2[32]
At Aqueduct
2000	Wild Heart Dancing	4	Jorge F. Chavez	Eugene F. Brajczewski Jr.	My Jo Lee Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.40	$112,500	III	[33]
1999	Antoniette	4	Jorge F. Chavez	Joseph P. Schlich	Calumet Farm	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.89	$111,400	III	[34]
1998	Tampico	5	Joe Bravo	Barclay Tagg	Ronald G. Cullis	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.90	$85,350	III	[35]
At Belmont Park
1997	Rapid Selection	4	Joe Bravo	Linda L. Rice	Clyde D. Rice	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.11	$109,900	III	[36]
1996	Sixieme Sens	4	Jerry D. Bailey	Robert J. Frankel	Three Plus U Stable	1 mile	1:37.80	$111,100	III	[37]
At Aqueduct
1995	Caress	4	Robbie Davis	H. Allen Jerkens	Harbor View Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:54.18	$113,900	III	Off turf[38]
1994	Lady Affirmed	3	Jorge F. Chavez	H. Allen Jerkens	Harbor View Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.66	$87,076	III	[39]
At Belmont Park
1993	Trampoli	4	Mike E. Smith	Christophe Clement	Paul de Moussac	1+3⁄8 miles	2:17.16	$90,000	III	[40]
1992	Fairy Garden	4	Julie Krone	Roger L. Attfield	Michael J. Ryan	1+3⁄8 miles	2:13.62	$86,700	III	[41]
1991	Flaming Torch (IRE)	4	Pat Valenzuela	Robert J. Frankel	Juddmonte Farms	1+3⁄8 miles	2:13.99	$93,000	III	[42]
1990	Buy the Firm	4	Jerry D. Bailey	Jose A. Martin	Thomas Mara	1+3⁄8 miles	2:18.20	$87,750	III	Off turf[43]
1989	Capades	3	Angel Cordero Jr.	Richard O'Connell	Poma Stable	1+3⁄8 miles	2:13.20	$90,800	III	[44]
1988	High Browser	3	Pat Day	MacKenzie Miller	Rokeby Stables	1+3⁄8 miles	2:18.60	$96,300	III	[45]
1987	Lead Kindly Light	4	Julio Molina Pezua	Angel A. Penna Jr.	Cynthia Phipps	1+3⁄8 miles	2:23.80	$94,800	III	[46]
1986	Dawn's Curtsey	4	Eddie Maple	John M. Veitch	Darby Dan Farm	1+3⁄8 miles	2:16.00	$92,400	III	[47]
1985	Videogenic	3	Jean Cruguet	Gasper S. Moschera	Albert Davis	1+3⁄8 miles	2:15.40	$101,700	III	[48]
1984	Key Dancer	3	Angel Cordero Jr.	William J. Hirsch Jr.	Oxford Stable	1+3⁄8 miles	2:14.80	$94,500	III	[49]
1983	Rose Crescent	3	Robbie Davis	MacKenzie Miller	Rokeby Stables	1+3⁄8 miles	2:22.00	$57,300	III	[50]
At Aqueduct – for 3YO fillies
1982	Mintage (FR)	3	Jean-Luc Samyn	Philip G. Johnson	Meadowhill	1+3⁄8 miles	2:17.80	$54,650	III	Division 1[51]
	Middle Stage	3	Jimmy J. Miranda	John P. Campo	Buckland Farm		2:17.40	$54,650		Division 2[52]
At Belmont Park – for 3YO fillies
1981	De La Rose	3	Eddie Maple	Woodford C. Stephens	Henryk de Kwiatkowski	1+1⁄4 miles	2:00.40	$85,200	III	[53]
1980	Love Sign	3	Ruben Hernandez	Sidney J. Watters Jr.	Stephen C. Clark Jr.	1+1⁄4 miles	2:00.40	$84,150	III	[54]
1979	Poppycock	3	Jorge Velasquez	Woodford C. Stephens	Claiborne Farm	1+1⁄4 miles	2:03.60	$87,450		Off turf[55]
1978	Terpsichorist	3	Michael Venezia	Woodford C. Stephens	Hickory Tree Stable	1+1⁄4 miles	2:03.20	$55,500		[2]

Legend:
  Dirt   Turf

:See also

• List of American and Canadian Graded races