Penn National connections invade for Park Avenue
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A year ago this weekend, the owner-trainer team of Peter Kazamias and Dimitrios Synnefias won the Times Square division of the New York Stallion Stakes for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct with the maiden Kazmike. Sunday, that same owner-trainer duo – based at Penn National – will look to win the $200,000 Park Avenue division of the NYSS with the 3-year-old filly Athena Beach.
The Park Avenue, contested at 6 1/2 furlongs, drew a field of 10 and will go as race 8 on a nine-race program.
Unlike Kazmike, Athena Beach comes in with an unblemished 2-for-2 record, flashing her early speed, shrugging away pressure, and drawing clear to win both of her starts at Penn National by a combined 10 3/4 lengths. Some horses out of those races have come back to win, but mostly in claiming races.
“She’s a really good filly. I don’t think it really matters, a good horse runs good everywhere,” Kazamias said of Athena Beach, a daughter of Bank Heist. “She galloped in both races. I just feel she fits in New York. We prepped her for this race. I think she’ll run big.”
This owner-trainer tandem has had mixed results when shipping to New York. Over the last three years, they are 4 for 31 with a $4.49 ROI, helped in large part by a 28-1 victory from Kaz’s Beach, the older half-sister to Athena Beach, in a statebred allowance here in 2021.
In 2015, they sent in Behrnik’s Bank off two flashy Penn National wins only to get beat at 1-5 in a NYSS race.
For Athena Beach, Kazamias went shopping for a big-name rider and was able to land Ricardo Santana Jr., who hasn’t ridden at Aqueduct since December 2017. Speaking of Santana, he will reunite with agent Ruben Munoz when the Churchill Downs meet opens next weekend. Santana has recently been represented by Jimmy Riccio Jr.
Like Athena Beach, Honest Banker is 2 for 2, having won a maiden $40,000 claimer in December and then a $50,000 starter/optional claimer on March 30. Both races were at Aqueduct.
“I think she’s progressed from her first to her second start. She had a couple of minor setbacks,” trainer Rob Atras said. “She’s a little filly with a big heart, so hopefully she takes another step forward.”
Before the race closed, Atras said he was hoping for an outside draw, and his wish was granted as Honest Banker landed in post 10, one slot outside of Athena Beach.
Les Bon Temps, a two-time stakes winner, and Midtown Lights finished one-two in the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS going seven furlongs in the mud in December. Les Bon Temps, trained by Linda Rice, has since come back to finish third and second, respectively, in a pair of New York-bred stakes, while Midtown Lights, trained by Brad Cox is coming off an allowance win last out.
Clover Street, Little Linzee, Hypnocurrency, Dream on Cara, Maggie T, and Our Rosie Diamonds complete the field.
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