Susie Raisher Photo

Child of the Moon shines in $150K Athenia

by Mary Eddy

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Louis Lazzinnaro’s Child of the Moon aced her first stakes test in Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Athenia, a nine-furlong inner turf route for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont at the Big A.

The 4-year-old daughter of The Grey Gatsby led an exacta for her four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, who picked up a record-extending ninth Athenia win while also earning a sweep of Saturday’s stakes action at the Big A after he took the Listed Awad with Valuation Metric.

Ridden to victory by Manny Franco, Child of the Moon emerged from post 4-of-8 and was guided to the rail to track near the rear of the field as Spirit And Glory led through splits of 23.82 seconds and 48.98 over the firm footing with Edict, a Group 1-winner in her native Argentina, sitting a close second in her stateside debut.

Papilio stalked in third in tandem with the Brown-trained post-time favorite Prerequisite and was full of run approaching the turn, but had to remain patient for racing room as Prerequisite had the better position to loom large in third after three-quarters in 1:13.64.

Franco had improved his charge to fourth midway through the turn and angled Child of the Moon four-wide and around the top trio to make his bid at the top of the lane. The rail finally opened for Papilio to advance along the inside, but Prerequisite overtook a tiring Spirit And Glory and was left with only her stablemate to handle.

Child of the Moon gained with every stride and was able to collar Prerequisite in the shadow of the wire for the neck victory in a final time of 1:48.63. Tufani rallied from seventh to finish another 1 3/4 lengths back in third with Papilio completing the superfecta.

Edict, Spirit And Glory, Thirty Thou Kelvin and Three Priests, who was pinched badly at the start, rounded out the order of finish. Main track-only entrants Evidencias, Movie Moxy and Amanda’s Folly were scratched.

Brown said Child of the Moon was professional as Franco executed their ground-saving plan perfectly.

"She has a great turn of foot. She trained super,” Brown said. “My team has done a great job and everyone that's touched her has really loved working with her. Manny followed instructions well. She covers well and has a good turn of foot if you can get her out in the clear. He followed our ‘Plan A’ to a ‘T’ and every step on the turf course was where we thought and hoped she'd be.”

Franco, aboard for the first time in the afternoon, was in agreement with Brown.

"She has a nice turn of foot. He told me before the race, 'try to get cover and try to get her to switch off, and when I make my move, try to be in the clear.' So I got the perfect trip,” Franco said. “By the five-sixteenths pole, I went between horses, but then I was able to go around his other filly. So, when she hit the clear, she just gave me a nice kick home. So, I was happy."

Bred in France by Patrick Chedeville, Child of the Moon was bought for $127,522 at the 2021 Arqana Deauville October Yearlings Sale and is out of the Group 3-winning American Post mare Ma Preference, dam of Grade 3-winning hurdler Flying Tiger. The bay filly adds to a 1 1/16-mile allowance score last out on September 2 at Saratoga Race Course when making her second stateside outing, and a fifth-out graduation last June at Compiegne.

Child of the Moon banked $82,500 in victory while returning $11 on a $2 win ticket.

Prerequisite entered from an optional claiming victory on September 2 at Saratoga that followed a more than one-year respite. Brown said the graded stakes-winning daughter of Upstart was not as fortunate in trip as her winning stablemate.

"A really good race but didn't have as good a trip - not a bad trip - just the other one saved a little more ground,” Brown concluded.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a 10-race card, featuring the Listed $150,000 Chelsey Flower in Race 3. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

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