Oct 25, 2017
Chelsea Durand Photo
Time and Motion looking to get back in stride in G3 Athenia
by NYRA Press Office
Phillips Racing's multiple graded stakes winner Time and Motion will try to regain her best form in a competitive edition of the Grade 3, $200,000 Athenia for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the Widener turf on Saturday at Belmont Park, carded as Race 7 and one of four stakes on the card.
A 4-year-old filly by Tapit, Time and Motion has struggled to get back to the winner's circle since posting a head victory in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland in October of 2016, but has notched back-to-back third-place finishes against Grade 3 company in the Beaugay in May and the Modesty Handicap in July. Last time out, she weakened late to finish fourth to Off Limits in the Noble Damsel on September 23, checking in a half-length behind runner-up Sassy Little Lila, but trainer Jimmy Toner said he's confident she's back in top form.
"We missed some time with her. She had some foot issues, so it wasn't like we were exactly geared up to run, but we wanted to get her back in the game," said Toner. "So, we did run her and she ran well. She just got a little tired in the last part of it. She needed a race.
"Otherwise, I would've had to wait another month and a half [for the Athenia], so I felt like if I could just get her back in the game, get a race into her and be able to come back into the Athenia, we would be in good shape," he added. "And it's worked out well, she's come out of the race well and she's had several nice breezes in the interim. She's back on her game, she's doing great, so we're looking forward to running her."
Time and Motion has recorded a pair of bullet works since the Noble Damsel, including a five-furlong breeze on the turf in 59 seconds on October 22, the fastest of 10 at the distance.
"We've just been trying to get her back on track," Toner said. "It's been a tough year to keep her going in the right direction with everything. It's been one thing or another that's thrown us off schedule. This is the first race that we're going into this year that I feel like we've got her back in stride and hopefully she gets the job done."
Time and Motion will be reunited with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who has been aboard the filly for all five of her career victories. The pair will break from post 5.
Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey will saddle Stuart S. Janney III's homebred My Impression, who rebounded from a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Diana this summer to register a 1 ½-length victory in the One Dreamer on September 6 at Kentucky Downs.
The 4-year-old Sky Mesa filly has five wins from nine tries at the Athenia's 1 1/16-mile distance, including a half-length score in the Winter Memories last November and a 3 ¼-length victory in the Christiana in July 2016 at Delaware Park.
"She couldn't be doing any better from all sides," said McGaughey. "She really has trained well. She came off that race so well I could've run her back if there was any place to run her. I didn't like her at Keeneland, and there really just wasn't the right place to run her, so we waited for this."
My Impression will leave from post 3 with Jose Ortiz aboard.
Also on tap for the Athenia are a trio of Chad Brown trainees in Elysea's World, Penjade and Noble Damsel winner Off Limits; 2016 Grade 1 American Oaks heroine Decked Out shipping from California for trainer Keith Desormeaux; Westit, a British-bred daughter of Tapit making her North American debut for trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias; Firsthand Report, a gate-to-wire winner of the Alphabet Soup last time out for Todd Pletcher; Steve Pini Memorial winner Puca from the Hall of Fame barn of Bill Mott; Michael Matz-trained Queen Caroline, winner of the Brookmede on September 30; and Juno, a Grade 1 winner in her native Brazil, exiting a fourth-place finish in the All Along for trainer Neil Drysdale. Conquest Tizfire is also eligble.
McGaughey will also send out Lane's End Racing's first-out winner War Chest on Saturday in the $100,000 Awad for juveniles at a mile on the Widener turf, which will close out Saturday's card as Race 10.
A $500,000 yearling purchase, the War Front colt earned a field-high 77 Beyer Speed Figure for his late-closing, one-length victory at a mile on the grass on September 23.
"I was very impressed the way he ran here the other day," said McGaughey. "Being a War Front, he might want [the ground] pretty firm, so we'll just have to see what happens, but I think the weather's supposed to be OK. He's done well, so we'll just have to see."
Also among the 10-horse field for the Awad are Laurel Futurity winner Therapist for trainer Christophe Clement; Empirically, who crossed the wire first in his debut at Saratoga before being disqualified and went on to finish eighth in the Grade 2 Summer for owner-trainer Roy Lerman; Way Early, a two-length winner in his debut from the barn of George Weaver; Looking Ready, fourth in the Grade 3 Pilgrim last time out for Bruce Levine; V. I. P. Code, a recent allowance winner for Phil Schoenthal; and maiden winners Bourbon Currency, Lone Sentry, Way Early, and Devine Entry.
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