Starship Athena rallied from well off the pace to win the $100,000 George Rosenberger Memorial Stakes by a half-length at Delaware Park Sept. 12.
It was the first Stakes victory for the lightly-raced four-year-old Street Sense filly, who improved her record to three in six starts.
At the start it was favored Souper Williwaw (Hard Spun), winner of Monmouth Park’s Violet Stakes in her previous start, that went to the front to set the pace. Starship Athena, under Daniel Centeno, was settled off the pace in fourth, about four lengths behind the leader.
Starship Athena continued to track the leaders from fourth down for much of the 8.5-furlong turf contest, until swinging out four-wide at the top of the stretch so she’d have a clear run at the leaders. Set down for the drive by Centeno, Starship Athena closed steadily through the stretch, eventually reeling in Souper Williwaw to earn the half-length victory.
Starship Athena was bred in Kentucky by Forging Oaks Farm LLC and is out of the multiple Stakes-winning mare, Callmethesqueeze (Awesome Again). She is a half-sister to G1 Alabama Stakes winner/multiple Graded Stakes winner, Power Squeeze (Union Rags), Graded Stakes winner Fulleffort (Liam’s Map), and Stakes winner Call On Mischief (Into Mischief).
Street Sense is the sire of five Stakes winners in 2026, led by the duo of Bella Ballerina (G2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes) and Proctor Street (G2 Canadian Stakes). The stallion is also represented by Street Beast, winner of the Leonatus Stakes and Judo, winner of the R.J. Speers Stakes.
