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Front-running La Tia just holds on in Athenia

La Tia reached for the wire just in front of Byrama (center) and the wide-trip Overheard (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Salvador Hernandez's homebred La Tia proved just how dangerous she can be on the front end with a gutsy, wire-to-wire decision in Sunday's Grade 3, $200,000 Athenia Stakes at Belmont Park. Under a well-judged ride by Joel Rosario, the Armando De La Cerda mare posted tepid splits on the yielding inner turf, spurted clear in midstretch, and was all out to hold Byrama and Overheard in a desperate three-way finish. Shipping in from her home state of Illinois, La Tia ranked as the 3-1 second choice in her New York debut. The daughter of City Place took up her customary role and got away with fractions of :25 1/5, :48 4/5, 1:12 3/5 and 1:36 4/5. Her nearest pursuers in the early going, It's My Time and Baffle Me, both gave way in the stretch. Inside the final sixteenth, however, the pacesetter began to look vulnerable. Byrama, who had never been more than a couple of lengths back, steadily erased the deficit, and Overheard launched a huge move from far back despite fanning out very wide. Those two were gaining fast in the final strides, but La Tia was all heart. She just lasted by a neck from Byrama, with Overheard a scant nose away in third, in a final time of 1:43 1/5 for 1 1/16 miles. "They pushed her too much in the last race," De La Cerda said, referring to La Tia's tiring third in the September 14 Canadian at Woodbine. "I was a little concerned with it having rained here, but she ran well on a good course last time, and when I saw the (other) speed horse (Nashly's Vow) was scratched, I felt better."

"They pressured me last time," Rosario said. "The stretch in Woodbine is longer than here, and that day they finished up very strong. She ran a good race and got beat by some very good horses. I was very confident with her today and knew she was going to give me 100 percent."

Cushion checked in fourth, followed by her stablemates from the Christophe Clement barn, even-money favorite Annecdote and Maximova. Embarr, Baffle Me, It's My Time and Julie's Love rounded out the order of finish. Nashly's Vow and the main-track-only Teen Pauline were withdrawn.

La Tia was recording her fourth career score at the Grade 3 level, but her biggest victory on turf, and she rewarded her backers with $8.70 to win. Her prior Grade 3 laurels had come on Polytrack in the 2012 Arlington Oaks as well as the May 24 Arlington Matron and the July 26 Ontario Matron. She also boasts Polytrack stakes wins in Woodbine's La Lorgnette and Arlington's Purple Violet for Illinois-breds, both in 2012.

Although her only prior turf stakes success came in last year's state-bred Lincoln Heritage at Arlington, La Tia has performed well on the surface. Her four stakes placings include the 2013 Modesty and the Canadian last time out, and she was beaten all of 1 1/2 lengths when fourth in the Beverly D. two back. She has compiled a mark of 22-9-1-5, $803,326.

"She may run one more time this year, but I don't know where," De La Cerda offered.

La Tia was produced by the Sky Classic mare La Adelita, who is herself a half-sister to Group 1-placed Private View and to stakes winner Jungle Pioneer. This is the family of multiple Group 3 hero and Grade/Group 1-placed Tazeez, multiple Group 1-placed stakes scorer Kierkegaard, and further back, Group 1 star Dactylographer and influential sire Never Bend.

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