How to bet the 2025 Athenia Stakes

Eight fillies and mares are entered for the lawn in the Sunday feature at Aqueduct, the $150,000 Athenia S. The 1 1/8-mile grassy tilt on the green attracted five black-type winners in a competitive field in what appears to be an attractive betting endeavor. 

Athenia Wagers

• $20 win #5 Moonage Daydream ($20)
• $10 exacta box 4-5 ($20)
• $2 trifecta 4,5 with 3,4,5 with 3,4,5 ($8)

#5 Moonage Daydream had her three-race win streak snapped when second in the Yaddo S. at Saratoga most recently, but I think that she has a big shot to get back to her winning ways in this tilt. Trained by Jorge Abreu, the Candy Ride mare had every reason to be a little bit short last time in her first run off the 10-month absence, and the five-year-old loves this surface with a 7-5-0-1 lifetime line at Aqueduct. The versatile New York-bred will sit close while third or fourth on the back side prior to being asked for her winning run beneath Joel Rosario. 

Grade 3 vixen #4 Whiskey Decision rallied to be fourth in the deep Ballston Spa S. (G2) at Saratoga in her second run off the shelf and could be the one with a forward move third time off the bench. Chad Brown trainee is back to her best form after missing the board in her final trio of outings to close out 2024, and her turn of foot should play well in this field, where the pace will be honest at the very least. Flavien Prat to stay atop the daughter of Into Mischief.

If #3 Spinning Colors can rate some in the early stages of the race, then I feel that the Mark Hennig pupil will be a major factor in the latter portion of the tilt. The stakes-winning daughter of Hard Spun has excellent current form; she has finished second in both appearances on this course, and the five-year-old also has Johnnie V in the silks, as well. The price figures to be solid, too. 

I tabbed #8 Awesome Czech for success in her stakes triumph at Saratoga last time out to move her mark to two-for-two since having blinkers added, but I’m not in love with her from this post or on this surface. I’ll let the Mendelssohn filly beat me on this occasion.