Call Me Love facing easier in Athenia but needs her A game

ELMONT, N.Y. – The past performances of Call Me Love are littered with some of the top turf fillies and mares in training. The names Rushing Fall, Mean Mary, and Starship Jubilee do not appear in the past performances of Sunday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Athenia Stakes at Belmont Park where Call Me Love makes her next start.

Call Me Love is one of eight fillies and mares entered to run 1 1/16 miles in the Athenia, the featured event on a 10-race card that begins at 12:40 p.m.

In four starts this year in the United States, all for trainer Christophe Clement, Call Me Love has run second to Rushing Fall in the Grade 3 Beaugay and second to Starship Jubilee in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa. In between those two races, Call Me Love finished a non-threatening fourth to Mean Mary in the Grade 2 New York. Most recently, she was last behind Rushing Fall and Mean Mary in the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga.

“When she’s right she can actually run with the best of the division, she has not been as consistent as expected and I’m not exactly sure why,” Clement said. “But I’m very happy with the way she’s trained. I think it’s probably a softer spot on paper than what she’s been meeting so far and I’m excited to see her run.”

Joel Rosario rides Call Me Love from post 2.

:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Belmont Clocker Report

Clement, a four-time Athenia winner, also sends out Feel Glorious, who has a win and two thirds from four starts this year. She ran seventh in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel here Sept. 26, but came out of that race with sore feet, Clement said.

“I think we have that under control,” Clement said. “Until that day, she never ran a bad race.”

Junior Alvarado rides Feel Glorious from post 3.

Sweet Bye and Bye, second in the Athenia last year, is coming out of a third-place finish behind Viadera in the Noble Damsel last out. She chased a very hot pace that day and did well to hold third. Trainer Tony Dutrow doesn’t see that same kind of hot pace developing Sunday. Though Dutrow thought Sweet Bye and Bye preferred a very firm course, he was encouraged by the mare’s workout over yielding turf Sunday.

“Her workout over that softer course was just phenomenal, she was fantastic to watch do it, and the rider was extremely happy with her,” Dutrow said. “We can sit a little kinder in the race this time, and although I think it’s completely wide open I do feel good about her running another good performance for us.”

Jose Lezcano rides from post 6.

Trainer Chad Brown, a four-time Athenia winner, sends out She’s Got You and Altea, separated by a neck when first and second in the Violet Stakes on Sept. 25 at Monmouth Park. Brown also has Tapit Today, most recently third in the Ladies Turf Stakes at Kentucky Downs.

Mitchell Road, second in the Ladies Turf, and Story Time complete the field.