How to bet the 2021 Athenia Stakes

A compact, but talented, field of six fillies and mares, with one being a main-track only entrant, will travel nine furlongs on the Belmont Park inner lawn in Saturday’s $200,000 Athenia S. (G3). Trainer Chad Brown will saddle two main contenders in the field, led by Group 3 heroine #4 Pocket Square with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the silks.

The Juddmonte homebred was a smart juvenile overseas, and following an unplaced effort in her lone outing at three, the Night of Thunder filly came to the States where she has been impressive. Pocket Square dominated allowance foes at Keeneland in her U.S. debut, and following two even performances at the Grade 1 level, the four-year-old blitzed an allowance cast at Saratoga when registering a robust 109 Brisnet Late Pace number.

The chestnut has tactical speed to secure a good trip in the affair, and her late kick will be too much to handle in the stretch as the favorite. She seems poised to have a fine second half of the season for her connections.

#1 Lake Lucerne lacks consistency, but she is capable of running big on her best day for trainer Brendan Walsh. The Godolphin homebred earned a lifetime best 99 Brisnet Speed figure for her game allowance tally at Saratoga last time out, which was also the first time that she was involved in a race from the break.

The four-year-old Dubawi filly will be first or second in the early stages of this test, and she will get the jump on the deeper closers in the affair from the rail. I like her chances to hang around to complete the exacta with Jose Lezcano in the stirrups.

Brown’s #2 Miss Teheran has been first or second in five of her six 2021 assignments, with her lone unplaced showing when she finished fourth by a length in the Hillsborough S. (G2) at Tampa Bay Downs. The Teofilo mare is an obvious top-three inclusion in her current form cycle. Manny Franco will take the reins.

Athenia Stakes Wagers

• $30 exacta 4 with 1 ($30)
• $10 trifecta key 4 with 1,2 with 1,2 ($20)