Athenia Stakes Picks

Several recent European imports highlight a strong field for the Athenia. #5 Three Priests (7/2) for trainer Graham Motion is cross-entered in a stakes race Sunday at Keeneland, but if the five-year-old daughter of Deep Impact runs here, I think she has a nice chance to win. She is only 1-12 in her career winning but came out of the respected barn of Roger Varian overseas and has been running against good competition. She debuted in North America last time out at Kentucky Downs where she earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure while finishing third in the Ladies Marathon (G3). However, Motion now takes over training duties and cuts her back slightly. Her deep closing style should appreciate the shorter distance, and she might get more pace than she did going longer overseas. The two horses she lost to last time out (Neecie Marie and Vergara) have combined for six stakes victories and are two of the more consistent runners in the division. Motion calls upon jockey Joel Rosario for the mount and few are better than coming from the back on the grass than the Hall of Famer.

#6 Prerequisite (3/1) is your tepid morning line favorite making her second start after a 13-month absence. She was one of Brown’s top three-year-old fillies last year winning the Wonder Again (G2) and finishing second to European invader Aspen Grove in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1). Something clearly went awry after the Lake Placid (G2) where she finished fifth, but she came back on closing weekend at Saratoga last month to make a successful front-running return against optional claiming company under the ride of Flavien Prat to draw off and win as the favorite. It is notable that she was running with Lasix for that race and is switching back off it for Saturday, but she matched her career-best Beyer Speed Figure (85) in her return and should continue to move forward. She’s dangerous due to connections and the fact she’s been working well coming off that return effort.

If you’re going to take a flier with a horse at a big price, #3 Edict (12/1) might be the horse. The Argentinian import is making her North American debut for trainer David Donk having not run since last December. However, she is a multiple Grade 1 winner going 10 furlongs down in the Southern Hemisphere and has no issues handling the distance. The quality of her competition can certainly be questioned and how she runs off a long layoff is another concern. The fact jockey John Velazquez is picking up the mount for Donk is notable. In recent years we have seen Argentinian horses having great success in North America with the likes of Didia, Mustafa, and even Nanda Dea who just impressed in her North American debut at Keeneland on Thursday.

The always deadly “Other Chad” angle is alive and well for #4 Child of the Moon (5/1) who picks up jockey Manny Franco as her regular jockey, Flavien Prat, opted to ride Prerequisite. The daughter of The Grey Gatsby came over to North America after a 13-month layoff and nearly won in debut before picking up her first stateside win in her next start at Saratoga. She is more of a closer and will require some pace, but you should get a nice price, and she draws a better post position to save ground unlike her first two races where she was hung wide. She showed good progression in her second start on this side of the Atlantic and could continue to progress, which would make her very hard to handle in this spot.