Chad Brown has a pair in the Athenia on Saturday at Belmont at the Big A

By NY Hot List staff | Friday, September 23, 2022

Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Athenia at Belmont at the Big A drew a field of five older fillies and mares on the turf. Chad Brown sends out Love and Thunder and the German-bred Kalifornia Queen in the feature that is scheduled as race 3 on an 11-race card.

The Brown-trained duo are the top two choices in the morning line. Kalifornia Queen, who has a class edge in this field, is 6-5. After a troubled trip at Saratoga, Love and Thunder is 5-2.

The rest of the field includes In a Hurry (5-2), Evvie Jets (5-1), and longshot Tass at 12-1. Post time for the Athenia is 2:15 p.m. ET.

The $175,000 Athenia (G3) – Belmont at Aqueduct, Saturday, Race 3.

(3) Love and Thunder (A) is the first runner for Chad Brown. She was assigned Hot List status after she was blocked down the stretch and had to alter course in the De La Rose at Saratoga. She got up for third once she found running room. (5) Kalifornia Queen will make her 2022 debut for Brown after facing graded stakes company last year when she hit the board three times at three different tracks. Last seen on the track, Kalifornia Queen was a third in the E.P. Taylor (G1) at Woodbine in October and in Germany, she was a Group 2 winner.  (4) Tass is projected to be on the lead in the Athenia after a win in a stakes race at Colonial Downs last time. Rider Jose Lezcano excels on the turf with speedy runners. (1) In a Hurry won the All Along at Pimilco just two weeks ago with a front-end effort for Shug McGaughey after training at Fair Hills recently.

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