Edict Returns to Aqueduct in Search of Best Form

The Argentine champion will run in Sunday’s Athenia Stakes (L), with her team expecting an upward step in performance

Edict Returns to the Track Where She Finished Second in the Beaugay Stakes / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

SOUTH OZONE PARK, New York (Special for Turf Diario).- Argentine champion Edict, a two-time G1 winner at San Isidro before heading to the United States, will be back in action this Sunday in the Athenia S. (L, $150,000). The 1 1/8-mile turf contest on Belmont’s inner course will feature a large, competitive field as part of the autumn meeting that began Thursday and runs through November 2.

The Il Campione filly is trained by David Donk and will be ridden by Kendrick Carmouche from post one. This is not her first appearance in the race, as she debuted in the event in 2024 with a fifth-place finish before closing that campaign with a sixth in the Forever Together S. (L).

Edict returned in May with a runner-up effort in the Beaugay S. (G3), finishing just half a length behind subsequent G1 winner Dynamic Pricing (Night of Thunder). Since then, she has not quite matched that level but remained competitive, leading early in the New York S. (G1), facing a tough field in the De La Rose S. (L), and most recently finishing fifth in the Ballston Spa S. (G2) at Saratoga.

Her trainer remains optimistic about this assignment. “She’s in great shape, matured a lot, and I hope we can get her back on track here. The switch from Saratoga to Aqueduct should suit her, because she’s run well here before,” Donk said.

Donk also noted that the bustling environment at Saratoga didn’t favor the filly. “Saratoga was a bit tricky for her. She’s a somewhat nervous filly and didn’t handle the paddock and pre-race parade well with all the activity. At Aqueduct we don’t have that, and she handled it fine in the spring,” he explained.

The Athenia S. shapes up as a demanding test. Among the main rivals is Awesome Czech, trained by Barry Schwartz, who comes off a win in the Yaddo S. (L) at Saratoga and is considered one of the key references. Schwartz views this race as an ideal stepping stone toward the Ticonderoga, highlighting the versatility of the Mendelssohn filly. Also in the field is Whiskey Decision (Into Mischief) for Chad Brown, who will be aiming for his tenth win in the race and sixth consecutive.

The lineup is rounded out by other familiar competitors in this type of contest, including Moonage Daydream (Candy Ride), Spinning Colors (Hard Spun), Dreaming of Abba (Fast Anna), Flowers for Me (West Coast), and Lady Firefoot (Temple City), creating a deep and competitive group.

Relying on Aqueduct’s calmer setting to allow her best form to return, Edict will aim to reestablish her presence in the United States and continue building her distinguished international campaign.