The Tuesday earlier than the Belmont Stakes Introduced by NYRA Bets final 12 months, coach Jena Antonucci and proprietor Jon Ebbert watched trackside at Belmont Park as their 3-year-old Arcangelo turned in a breeze-like open gallop that signaled his readiness for the ultimate leg of the Triple Crown.
4 days later, he would show triumphant, defeating reigning 2-year-old male champion Forte by 1 ½ lengths earlier than a crowd of 48,089 at Belmont and earlier than tv viewership of greater than 3.8 million on FOX. Ebbert and Antonucci vaulted into the general public eye, Antonucci specifically, having entered the report books as the primary feminine coach to win a Triple Crown race.
A 12 months faraway from that historic Belmont, with Arcangelo retired to stud at Lane’s Finish Farm after a championship marketing campaign that additionally included a victory within the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, life has modified for Antonucci and Ebbert, notably with out such a star racehorse of their midst. That absence however, Antonucci has seen her steady increase by way of better-bred runners and with an lively division at Churchill Downs in 2024, whereas Ebbert’s horse involvement has moved extra into the breeding aspect of the game.
Nonetheless proudly owning what he mentioned was “a very good portion” of Arcangelo, Ebbert has supported his younger stallion with 5 mares he acquired late final 12 months that are actually in foal to him. Apart from that quintet, he owns two different mares, plus three unraced 2-year-olds with Antonucci in Ocala, Fla., and an unraced 3-year-old by Arduous Spun out of the stakes-winning, graded-placed Soar Star mare Maude S that simply joined Antonucci’s Saratoga barn.
“I’m on the lookout for that magical identify,” Ebbert mentioned.
The Pennsylvania resident is hoping for a repeat of a little bit of final 12 months’s magic. In 2023, he and Antonucci soared to the heights of the game with their star 3-year-old, whom Ebbert had purchased for a mere $35,000 on the 2021 September Yearling Sale at Keeneland.
A fairytale ending was to not be within the fall, when a bodily setback compelled Arcangelo to overlook the Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic at Santa Anita Park. He would later endure profitable surgical procedure for a left hind leg fracture earlier than becoming a member of the stallion lineup at Lane’s Finish.
“We did have that little downer on the finish of the 12 months,” Ebbert mentioned. “However that’s the game. You possibly can’t win ‘em all.”
Whereas Ebbert’s Blue Rose Farm has not been represented by a starter since Arcangelo within the Travers final 12 months, Antonucci has remained lively. This week, she has six horses entered by means of June 9 at Gulfstream Park, 4 throughout the four-day Belmont Stakes Pageant at Saratoga, and one other two at Churchill Downs.
Whatintheliteral, to be ridden by Arcangelo’s common jockey, Javier Castellano, is a starter for Antonucci within the June 6 Astoria Stakes at Saratoga.
Although she is reluctant to debate the variety of horses she trains – “I’m at all times tremendous cautious with (that) as a result of we don’t wanna be horse managers,” she mentioned – Antonucci plans to run extra horses in upstate New York this summer time.
“I believe now we have higher high quality that can match into this system higher up right here,” she mentioned by phone from Saratoga. “(Final 12 months) I believe we had in all probability a heavier program down south, on the lookout for the best firm for these kiddos. So, with having 2-year-olds perhaps popping out of the gross sales sooner and a few of these sorts of issues, we introduced up extra this 12 months to compete at Saratoga.”
She is aware of that bloodlines don’t at all times translate into success, saying, “The beauty of horses is that they’ll’t learn their pedigree.”
“On paper, now we have some horses which can be presupposed to go be good youngsters,” she added. “So we’ll give them their area to inform their story. Yeah, for certain, undoubtedly there’s a pedigree high quality. That’s a rise, and now we simply want them to point out the identical dedication and grit that they’re presupposed to have on paper on the racetrack.”
Arcangelo had that in spades, successful 4 of six begins and greater than $1.7 million. Along with the Belmont and Travers, he received the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park and a maiden race at Gulfstream – all in his ultimate 4 begins as a 3-year-old.
As memorable because the Travers was – Arcangelo’s defeat of Forte, Preakness Stakes winner Nationwide Treasure, Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve winner Mage and others basically clinched an Eclipse Award – Ebbert mentioned the Belmont was “in all probability probably the most superb half” of the marketing campaign. It got here simply three days earlier than his 40th birthday.
“Lots of people don’t even know who I used to be within the enterprise in all probability earlier than that race. I’m just a bit man within the enterprise,” he mentioned. “It form of modified all the pieces.”
For Ebbert and Antonucci, Arcangelo could now not be within the barn however he’s not out of their ideas or lives. Each have visited him at Lane’s Finish Farm in central Kentucky.
“I informed him (beforehand) if he ran good, he’d get to have that job,” Antonucci mentioned of stud responsibility. “So not less than I received to maintain my phrase on that.”
Arcangelo is a son of Arrogate, whose early loss of life at age 7 in 2020 from an obvious neurological sickness robbed the breeding trade of considered one of its most enjoyable younger stallions. Arrogate sons similar to Arcangelo and in the end 2024 Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Gray, who races in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, can proceed his bloodline at stud, Seize the Gray upon his eventual retirement.
Ebbert stories Arcangelo’s ebook of scheduled coverings of mares is full and his fertility charge excessive.
“I’ve seen him a few instances, so it’s at all times enjoyable to go go to,” Antonucci mentioned. “I really introduced his groom (Jovani Flores) with me to see him after we have been racing at Keeneland and that was simply actually cool to look at and see, simply figuring out the horse is aware of who he’s, and simply watching that connection was actually candy.”
Ebbert savors his journey with Arcangelo, which has not ended for him.
“Now having the ability to purchase mares and breed them to your stallion you raced,” he mentioned. “I’m trying ahead to subsequent 12 months for the infants. I imply, it’s simply all good, simply an incredible expertise.”
