While Ruthenia and Laughing are co-highweights in the $150,000 Athenia Stakes (gr. IIIT) on Oct. 13 at Belmont Park, they do not figure to hook up until late in the 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares.
Laughing led at every call when she secured the first graded stakes victory of her career in the Taylor Made Matchmaker Stakes (gr. IIIT) July 29 on the turf at Monmouth Park. Ruthenia rallied from sixth when she secured her first graded stakes win, also at Monmouth, on May 28 in the Violet Stakes (gr. IIIT).
Both horses will look for better results on the inner turf at Belmont after finishing off the board in grade II stakes in their previous races.
Trained by Alan Goldberg for Richard Santulli, Laughing led early in the Canadian Stakes (gr. IIT) Sept. 16 at Woodbine before fading to eighth. Ruthenia rallied from eighth early in the Ballston Spa Stakes (gr. IIT) Aug. 25 at Saratoga, but settled for fourth.
Ten fillies and mares are entered in the Athenia, including Arena Elvira, who will only start if the race is moved to the main track.
$150,000 Athenia Stakes (gr. IIIT, Race 7, approximate post time 4:02 p.m. EDT) 3yo & up, f&m, 1 1/16m (turf)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. La Cloche (KY), J. Alvarado, 120, J. Toner
2. Ruthenia (KY), J. Lezcano, 123, C. Clement
3. Embarr (VA), F. Boyce, 120, S. Cooney
4. Laughing (IRE), C. Velasquez, 123, A. Goldberg
5. The Underling (KY), R. Maragh, 116, D. Duggan
6. Thundering Emilia (KY), E. Prado, 120, M. Matz
7. Dealbata (IRE), E. Castro, 120, C. Brown
8. Martita Sangrita (KY), A. Garcia, 120, L. Delacour
9. Law of The Range (GB), I. Ortiz Jr., 118, T. Albertrani
10. Arena Elvira (KY) (MTO), TBA, 123, W. Mott