Love And Thunder deserves a look in Athenia off turbulent trip at Saratoga
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trip handicappers probably have multiple stars next to Love And Thunder’s name following her troubled third-place finish in the De La Rose Stakes at Saratoga last month. Whether those handicappers want to bet her back in a nine-furlong race is something to grapple with when analyzing Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Athenia Stakes at Aqueduct.
Love And Thunder was one of just five fillies and mares entered for turf in the Athenia, a 1 1/8-mile race that needed three supplemental entrants to fill. A sixth horse, W W Fitzy, is entered for the main track.
Love And Thunder had trouble early and often in the one-mile De La Rose, in which she was ultimately beaten only 1 1/2 lengths. Under Irad Ortiz Jr., Love And Thunder steadied entering the first turn while racing in the back of the field. She was steadied entering and around the far turn. In the stretch, Ortiz got shut off trying to rally along the rail, worked his way four paths wide before splitting horses and getting up for third.
Love and Thunder has never run 1 1/8 miles and finished second the only time she ran as far as 1 1/16 miles.
“I think as she’s gotten older she can stretch a bit,” Chad Brown, the trainer of Love And Thunder, said. “She did have a brutal trip last time. Hopefully, she gets a better trip.”
Jose Ortiz rides Love And Thunder from post 3.
Brown is also running Kalifornia Queen, who has not been out since she finished third, beaten a half-length in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor 11 months ago at Woodbine. Prior to that, Kalifornia Queen was also beaten a half-length when third in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga and second in the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth Park.
“That filly needed some time off and it took a bit longer than we had hoped to get her back,” Brown said. “She had a very late start to the season, but she’s training well. She might be a work or so short, but it’s a spot to get her started.”
While Kalifornia Queen is returning off an 11-month layoff, In a Hurry is wheeling back two weeks after she won the All Along Stakes at Pimlico on Sept. 10. Trainer Shug McGaughey wasn’t necessarily planning on running In a Hurry back so soon, but when this race came up light numbers-wise he opted to enter and take a look.
“It came up where it looks like she belongs,” McGaughey said. “She came out of her race down there fine. I thought it was worth taking a shot.”
Tass, winner of the Nellie Mae Cox Stakes going 1 1/16 miles at Colonial Downs on Sept. 7 and Evvie Jets, a winner two back of a second-level allowance at Belmont Park, were also supplemented to the race.
The Athenia was carded as the third of 11 races on a program that begins at 1 p.m.
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