Obstacles mount for Annecdote in Athenia Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. – Annecdote will have to overcome a terrible draw, the high weight, and several strong competitors – including two from her own barn – to win Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Athenia Stakes at Belmont Park.
Annecdote, who showed a devastating late kick to win the Grade 3 Noble Damsel here Sept. 13, will have the outside post in what figures to be an 11-horse field in the Athenia, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf course. Twelve were entered, but Teen Pauline was entered for dirt only.
On paper, it appears that Annecdote will get a legitimate pace to run at in the Athenia, but trainer Christophe Clement has concerns about the course condition.
“I don’t think she will like it too soft,” Clement said. “We got to see how much rain we got Friday into Saturday. She seems a better filly on firm or good than she would be on soft.”
At 123 pounds, Annecdote is the co-highweight with Overheard. Both will be spotting 3 to 7 pounds to the field.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 12 Annecdote. Trainer Christophe Clement is 24-1-4-4 with a $1.16 ROI over the past five years with last-out winners in turf route graded stakes in the second start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Clement also will send out Cushion and Maximova, neither of whom drew particularly well. Cushion, who is in post 11 of 12, won an allowance race going 1 1/8 miles here in June before finishing 10th in the Waya Stakes going 1 1/2 miles at Saratoga.
Maximova, a New York-bred, is coming off an open-company third-level allowance win.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 9 Maximova. Trainer Christophe Clement is 12-3-2-2 with a $5.93 ROI over the past five years with last-out winners in turf route graded stakes. Click for more details. – Dan Illman
Key contenders
Annecdote (Last Beyer: 96)
* Showed a strong late foot in winning the Grade 3 Noble Damsel at a mile here Sept. 13.
* In addition to some of the obstacles mentioned above, Annecdote will be racing beyond a mile for the first time.
“I would prefer to run her seven-eighths or a mile, but that race does not exist at the moment,” Clement said.
Cushion (Last 2 Beyers: 72-85)
* Returns to Belmont and shortens up after a disastrous 10th-place finish as the 3-1 favorite in the 1 1/2-mile Waya Stakes at Saratoga.
“She was very rank, and I ran her going long in Saratoga. It was a mistake,” Clement said. “She’s back short. I could have run her in a two-other-than, but I want to run in a stakes at some stage. We don’t have many stakes left.”
Maximova (Last 3 Beyers: 86-84-50)
* A New York-bred who has never faced statebred competition, Maximova won twice over this turf course last year. Comes off a third-level allowance win at Saratoga.
“She moves up on soft turf,” Clement said. “Every time we’ve run her with cut in the ground, she’s run very nice. She ran a very good race at Aqueduct in the fall of last year. It might be a bit ambitious, but the ground might move her up.”
Overheard (Last 3 Beyers: 86-92-90)
* Was compromised by a slow pace when second in the Grade 3 Violet Stakes at Monmouth in August. Took advantage of legitimate pace to win the Grade 2 Dance Smartly at Woodbine in July.
“She just needs pace,” trainer Malcolm Pierce said. “She’s been compromised by slow paces a couple of times this year and has come flying at the end. I’m hoping there’s a good, honest pace and she can make her run the last three-eighths of a mile.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Overheard. Trainer Malcolm Pierce is 19-5-2-3 with a $2.45 ROI over the past year in turf route graded stakes. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan