Simply Breathless may hold edge in Athenia

ELMONT, N.Y. – Handicappers could find themselves in a quandary Sunday at Belmont Park when there will be a graded turf stakes run for fillies and mares and trainer Chad Brown is not represented.

The Grade 3, $200,000 Athenia – which Brown has won the last three years – did draw a field of nine, with the California-based Simply Breathless perhaps the one to beat in the 1 1/16-mile inner turf stakes.

Simply Breathless, trained by Neil Drysdale, was entered in the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland on Oct. 5 but was scratched when the race was deemed too tough. The Brown-trained Uni set a course record winning the First Lady.

In her most recent start, on Sept. 7, Simply Breathless finished third in the Grade 3 Ladies Turf Stakes at Kentucky Downs. Ms. Bad Behavior and Mitchell Road basically ran 1-2 around the track while Simply Breathless, under Florent Geroux, had to wait for running room along the inside.

“She got stuck on the inside at Kentucky Downs. By the time she got loose it was too late,” Drysdale said. “It was very speed favoring all day long that day. Everything won on the lead.”

Simply Breathless won a listed stakes at Golden Gate and the Grade 3 Wilshire at Santa Anita. In the Wilshire, Simply Breathless beat Ollie’s Candy, who came back to win the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch on dirt.

“I think that stamps her form,” Drysdale said.

Joel Rosario rides Simply Breathless from the rail.

Drysdale is hoping for some speed in the Athenia, and with Sweet Bye and Bye and Xenobia in the field there should be some.

Sweet Bye and Bye, a daughter of Sky Mesa trained by Steve Klesaris, is coming off a second-level allowance win here on Sept. 22.

“She’s finally come around the way we were expecting,” Klesaris said. “She had surgery in the fall of last year. Up at Saratoga, she started training really, really well. Unfortunately, we entered her twice and couldn’t get in. We got that nice prep race into her at Belmont.”

Jose Ortiz rides Sweet Bye and Bye from post 3.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas and owned by George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable, Xenobia makes her third start in the U.S. After breaking poorly and finishing fourth here in June, Xenobia showed good speed and was beaten just a half-length in a high-class allowance here on Sept. 15.

“I liked having her a bit more forward,” Thomas said. “She doesn’t seem to possess a wicked turn of foot.”

Thomas said he’s liked what he’s seen from Xenobia in her two most recent workouts on turf.

“As the weather’s gotten cooler and the turf is getting softer it’s waking her up a little bit,” Thomas said.

Trainer Christophe Clement, a three-time Athenia winner, has Victorine and Candy Store in this year’s renewal. Andina Del Sur, Matty’s Magnum, Arabella Bella, and Pepper Sprout complete the field.

The Athenia goes as race 9 on a 10-race card that begins at 12:45 p.m.