La Cloche winning the 2012 Athenia Stakes
La Cloche winning the 2012 Athenia Stakes
October 13, 2012
There were two Grade 3 stakes on the turf at Belmont on Saturday before 4,003 fans under clear skies and temperatures in the low 50's. With 3 weeks to go before the Breeders' Cup, these races could be used as preps for the Breeders' Cup Mile, Breeders' Cup Turf, or the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
The $150,000 Athenia Stakes (G3) featured a field of 8 older fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course.
Ruthenia was sent off as the 6-5 favorite off fourth place finishes in the Eatontown (G3) and Ballston Spa (G2) after winning the Violet (G3). In to challenge her included 5-2 second choice Laughing, 8th in the Canadian (G2) after winning the Matchmaker (G3), and 9-2 third choice La Cloche, 6th in the Noble Damsel (G3) last out.
Jockey Rajiv Maragh sent 33-1 longest shot The Underling to the lead through fractions of 25.16, 50.27, and 1:15.29 while stalked by 14-1 Thundering Emilia and 23-1 Law of the Range. Entering the stretch, The Underling tired and faded to last, allowing Law of the Range to inherit the lead. Law of the Range tired through the final furlong as La Cloche, 6th early, closed 4 wide to win by 1 1/4 lengths over 24-1 Embarr in 1:45.45 over the good inner turf course. It was 3/4 length back to Laughing third, and a neck more to favorite Ruthenia fourth.
Results chart
La Cloche in the winner's circle
Winning trainer Jimmy Toner said, "John (Phillips, owner) will be thrilled about the graded stakes win. That's all we've heard, ‘Gotta get a graded stakes, gotta get a graded stakes, gotta get a graded stakes!' Thank God, maybe she can get out of her (half) sister's (Winter Memories) shadow for a change. We're really happy for her." Junior rode a great race. He really did. He just waited and waited and tipped her outside.
She's got to get outside, and she exploded at the end. This filly is difficult to ride; you have to know her. If everything goes right for her, she can get the job done."
Jockey Junior Alvarado said, "I just was waiting for my chance to move outside because she never runs one step on the inside. That was pretty much what I was trying to work out first. She was able to swing outside by the quarter pole, and after that I won't say it was really easy, but she took off. She really helped me and gave me a nice kick at the end."
Second place finisher Embarr
24-1 shot Embarr was last early under jockey Pablo Morales then rallied late to get second. She improved her record to 6 wins, 1 second, and 0 thirds in 14 starts, earning $173,484 for owner-trainer Susan Cooney.
Third place finisher Laughing
5-2 second choice Laughing settled in fourth under jockey Cornelio Velasquez, then passed the tiring pacesetter to get third beaten 2 lengths. The Alan Goldberg trainee improved her record to 4 wins, 1 second, and 2 thirds in 10 starts, earning $228,855 for owner Richard Santulli.
Fourth place finisher Ruthenia
6-5 favorite Ruthenia was 7th early under jockey Jose Lezcano, came out five wide for the drive to finish fourth beaten 2 1/4 lengths. The Christophe Clement trainee improved her record to 4 wins, 3 seconds, and 1 third in 3 starts, earning $250,635 for owner-breeder Virginia Kraft Payson LLC.
Boisterous winning the 2012 Knickerbocker Stakes
An hour after the Athenia, a field of 7 older horses went 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf in the $150,000 Knickerbocker Stakes (G3). Last year's winner Boisterous was sent off as the even-money favorite off a ninth place finish in the Arlington Million (G1) after finishing a close second in the Arlington Handicap (G3). In to challenge him included 3-1 second choice Sky Blazer, third in the Bernard Baruch (G2), and 5-1 third choice Stormy Lord, winner of the PTHA President's Cup at Parx.
Jockey Junior Alvarado sent Stormy Lord to the lead first time by and he set fractions of 24.72, 49.37, and 1:13.98 while pressed by 7-1 Bombaguia and 27-1 Tune Me In. Entering the stretch, Stormy Lord continued to lead, getting 1 mile in 1:38.16, but tired in the final furlong. Favorite Boisterous, fourth early, came out 5 wide into the lane and closed strongly to win going away by 2 lengths over 23-1 See Tobe in 1:50.28 over the good course. It was just a nose back to Tune Me In third.
Results chart
Boisterous in the winner's circle
Buzz Tenney, assistant to winning trainer Shug McGaughey said, "He runs good over this course. He's been third in two Grade 1s here, and this is four races he's won over this course. Jose got him in a good position early in the race, and I think that's the key with him. I think he likes to get in position early, be patient, and find a hole to finish through."
Jockey Jose Lezcano said, "He broke very good and I got the position I wanted.
In the middle of the turn when everybody moved, I still had a hold. I didn't get shuffled back; I let them go. I didn't want to move yet. When I swung out, he gave me the kick I expected him to give me. He finished very good."
23-1 shot See Tobe was last early under jockey Julian Pimentel, then closed late to nose out Tune Me In for second place money. He improved his record to 4 wins, 5 seconds, and 1 third, earning $200,461 for owner-trainer Gary Capuano.
27-1 longest shot Tune Me In stalked the pace in third early under jockey Rajiv Maragh but could not improve, finishing third beaten 2 lengths. The Bruce Alexander trainee improved his record to 5 wins, 7 seconds, and 5 thirds in 22 starts, earning $364,845 for owner Patricia Generazio.
October 13, 2012
There were two Grade 3 stakes on the turf at Belmont on Saturday before 4,003 fans under clear skies and temperatures in the low 50's. With 3 weeks to go before the Breeders' Cup, these races could be used as preps for the Breeders' Cup Mile, Breeders' Cup Turf, or the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
The $150,000 Athenia Stakes (G3) featured a field of 8 older fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course.
Ruthenia was sent off as the 6-5 favorite off fourth place finishes in the Eatontown (G3) and Ballston Spa (G2) after winning the Violet (G3). In to challenge her included 5-2 second choice Laughing, 8th in the Canadian (G2) after winning the Matchmaker (G3), and 9-2 third choice La Cloche, 6th in the Noble Damsel (G3) last out.
Jockey Rajiv Maragh sent 33-1 longest shot The Underling to the lead through fractions of 25.16, 50.27, and 1:15.29 while stalked by 14-1 Thundering Emilia and 23-1 Law of the Range. Entering the stretch, The Underling tired and faded to last, allowing Law of the Range to inherit the lead. Law of the Range tired through the final furlong as La Cloche, 6th early, closed 4 wide to win by 1 1/4 lengths over 24-1 Embarr in 1:45.45 over the good inner turf course. It was 3/4 length back to Laughing third, and a neck more to favorite Ruthenia fourth.
Results chart
La Cloche in the winner's circle
Winning trainer Jimmy Toner said, "John (Phillips, owner) will be thrilled about the graded stakes win. That's all we've heard, ‘Gotta get a graded stakes, gotta get a graded stakes, gotta get a graded stakes!' Thank God, maybe she can get out of her (half) sister's (Winter Memories) shadow for a change. We're really happy for her." Junior rode a great race. He really did. He just waited and waited and tipped her outside.
She's got to get outside, and she exploded at the end. This filly is difficult to ride; you have to know her. If everything goes right for her, she can get the job done."
Jockey Junior Alvarado said, "I just was waiting for my chance to move outside because she never runs one step on the inside. That was pretty much what I was trying to work out first. She was able to swing outside by the quarter pole, and after that I won't say it was really easy, but she took off. She really helped me and gave me a nice kick at the end."
Second place finisher Embarr
24-1 shot Embarr was last early under jockey Pablo Morales then rallied late to get second. She improved her record to 6 wins, 1 second, and 0 thirds in 14 starts, earning $173,484 for owner-trainer Susan Cooney.
Third place finisher Laughing
5-2 second choice Laughing settled in fourth under jockey Cornelio Velasquez, then passed the tiring pacesetter to get third beaten 2 lengths. The Alan Goldberg trainee improved her record to 4 wins, 1 second, and 2 thirds in 10 starts, earning $228,855 for owner Richard Santulli.
Fourth place finisher Ruthenia
6-5 favorite Ruthenia was 7th early under jockey Jose Lezcano, came out five wide for the drive to finish fourth beaten 2 1/4 lengths. The Christophe Clement trainee improved her record to 4 wins, 3 seconds, and 1 third in 3 starts, earning $250,635 for owner-breeder Virginia Kraft Payson LLC.
Boisterous winning the 2012 Knickerbocker Stakes
An hour after the Athenia, a field of 7 older horses went 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf in the $150,000 Knickerbocker Stakes (G3). Last year's winner Boisterous was sent off as the even-money favorite off a ninth place finish in the Arlington Million (G1) after finishing a close second in the Arlington Handicap (G3). In to challenge him included 3-1 second choice Sky Blazer, third in the Bernard Baruch (G2), and 5-1 third choice Stormy Lord, winner of the PTHA President's Cup at Parx.
Jockey Junior Alvarado sent Stormy Lord to the lead first time by and he set fractions of 24.72, 49.37, and 1:13.98 while pressed by 7-1 Bombaguia and 27-1 Tune Me In. Entering the stretch, Stormy Lord continued to lead, getting 1 mile in 1:38.16, but tired in the final furlong. Favorite Boisterous, fourth early, came out 5 wide into the lane and closed strongly to win going away by 2 lengths over 23-1 See Tobe in 1:50.28 over the good course. It was just a nose back to Tune Me In third.
Results chart
Boisterous in the winner's circle
Buzz Tenney, assistant to winning trainer Shug McGaughey said, "He runs good over this course. He's been third in two Grade 1s here, and this is four races he's won over this course. Jose got him in a good position early in the race, and I think that's the key with him. I think he likes to get in position early, be patient, and find a hole to finish through."
Jockey Jose Lezcano said, "He broke very good and I got the position I wanted.
In the middle of the turn when everybody moved, I still had a hold. I didn't get shuffled back; I let them go. I didn't want to move yet. When I swung out, he gave me the kick I expected him to give me. He finished very good."
23-1 shot See Tobe was last early under jockey Julian Pimentel, then closed late to nose out Tune Me In for second place money. He improved his record to 4 wins, 5 seconds, and 1 third, earning $200,461 for owner-trainer Gary Capuano.
27-1 longest shot Tune Me In stalked the pace in third early under jockey Rajiv Maragh but could not improve, finishing third beaten 2 lengths. The Bruce Alexander trainee improved his record to 5 wins, 7 seconds, and 5 thirds in 22 starts, earning $364,845 for owner Patricia Generazio.
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