Despite racing four-wide on the far turn, Juddmonte Farms’ Pocket Square took control in the homestretch and pulled away to win the G3 Athenia Stakes by two-and-a-half lengths at Belmont Park 25 September.
The four-year-old filly by Night Of Thunder led home a trifecta of fillies by Darley stallions with Miss Teheran (Teofilo) finishing second and Lake Lucerne (Dubawi) coming in third. Pocket Square also provided trainer Chad Brown with his 100th Graded Stakes winner at Belmont Park.
A compact field of five went to the post in the Athenia, and it was outsider Stand for the Flag that went to the front and set the pace. Pocket Square raced in fourth through the early stages of the race, just three lengths behind the leader.
Pocket Square began to close on the leader on the far turn, swinging four-wide to get a clean run at the leader. The chestnut filly quickly put away Stand for the Flag and began to draw off, eventually crossing the wire two-and-a-half lengths in front.
Owned and bred by Juddmonte, Pocket Square is out of the Stakes-placed Dansili mare Shared Account, a full sister to G1 winner Zambezi Sun. Pocket Square’s three-year-old half-sister, Yesyes (by Camelot), won the Listed Chester Stakes this season and was recently third in the G2 Park Hill Stakes.
Night Of Thunder is the sire of 2021 G1 winners Thundering Nights (G1 Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland) and Kukeracha (Australia’s G1 Queensland Derby). He is also the sire of star sprinter Suesa (G2 King George Stakes), Royal Ascot winner Highfield Princess (Listed Queen Charlotte Fillies’ Stakes) and Rumbles Of Thunder (Listed Premio Merano in Italy).
