Belle Allure wins Belmonts Athenia October 22nd, 2009
Belle Allure, the 2-5 favorite, nipped Kristi With a K by a head Wednesday to win the $106,500 Athenia Stakes for fillies and mares on the turf at Belmont Park.
Trapped behind a wall of horses turning for home, Belle Allure and jockey Ramon Dominguez found an opening in the lane. Belle Allure, a 4-year-old trained by Christophe Clement, surged past Kristi With a K to get up in the nick of time. The Irish-bred filly improved to 4-for-13 with her first stakes victory in the U.S., having captured a Group 3 stakes in France last year.
Belle Allure ran the 1 1-8 miles in 1:43.30 on the course labeled good, paying $2.90, $2.20 and $2.10. Kristi With a K, the second choice at 5-1, returned $3.50 and $2.10. Cable paid $3.10 to show.
The Athenia was originally scheduled for last Saturday. It was postponed due to inclement weather that rendered the Belmont grass course unusable.