Arcangelo, with Javier Castellano riding, held off a host of challengers led by Forte (far left) to win the 155th Belmont Stakes June 10 at Belmont Park. (Eclipse Sportswire)
Blue Rose Farm’s Arcangelo fended off a gallant rush by Forte by a length and a half. Forte, last year's champion 2-year-old male, was competing in the mile-and-a-half Belmont off a 10-week layoff after being scratched the day of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve with a bruised foot. Tapit Trice, from the barn of Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher as is Forte, lacked an explosive kick but rallied for third.
Antonucci, who operates a small stable in Florida, was only the 11th woman to saddle a horse in the “Test of the Champion” and the first since 2011. And she did it with a former $35,000 yearling, a May foal that is a son of the late Arrogate.
So much of life is about opportunity. Antonucci was quick to express her gratitude to Jon Ebbert, owner of Blue Rose Farm. “He gave a girl a shot,” she said.
Beyond that, Ebbert stuck with the horse and stuck with Antonucci. He said he rejected many lucrative offers after Arcangelo broke his maiden authoritatively going one mile on March 18 at Gulfstream Park in his third career start. He then followed that with a valiant head victory in the May 13 Peter Pan Stakes, the traditional Belmont prep.
Ebbert indicated it was a no-brainer to stay the course with the horse and with the trainer. “She just has the best team. She is an amazing person,” Ebbert said. “She will try her best for each owner. In bigger barns, I don’t think it’s the same.”
Castellano and Antonucci celebrate. (Eclipse Sportswire)
Arcangelo represents Antonucci’s first starter in a Triple Crown race since she struck out on her own in 2010. She hung in there for six years before Doctor J Dub provided her first graded-stakes score in the Grade 3 Turf Monster Stakes at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa. Her biggest horse before this had been Five Star Momma, who placed in three graded events and earned more than $300,000 while in her barn. Arcangelo’s earnings ballooned to $1,067,400 with his Belmont victory.
Antonucci became emotional at various times during her post-race news conference as she reflected on her remarkable rise. She knows she will now become a role model to girls who will aspire to follow her trailblazing path.
Her message to them was simple. “Surround yourself with great people. Learn from every mistake,” she said. “Just learn. Be a student of life.”
To some degree, Arcangelo was bred for success in the mile-and-a-half Belmont. Better Than Honour, his third dam, produced Belmont winners Jazil (2006) and Rags to Riches (2007). Rags to Riches remains only the third filly to prevail in the final leg of the Triple Crown.
Ebbert mentioned his hopes for the Belmont to Castellano in the winner’s circle after his ridgling’s maiden victory in Florida.
“What about the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness?” the jockey asked.
Ebbert reiterated his belief that he had the ideal Belmont horse.
As much as Antonucci is a model for the value of perseverance, so is Castellano. The jockey had gone winless with 15 mounts in the Kentucky Derby before breaking through this year with Mage. He had taken the Preakness Stakes twice, and the Hall of Famer now has his personal Triple Crown.
“This is a dream come true for me,” said Castellano, 45. “To win two Triple Crown races in the same year, it’s amazing. Everything worked out good. There’s always something to shoot for, but I’m just going to keep working hard. But this is so special.”
Castellano made the decisive move when he spotted a crease inside and Arcangelo, showing tremendous bravery in only his fifth career start, squirted through. “It was a tiny hole and he went through,” the savvy veteran said. “After that, he did it on his own.”
Arcangelo completed the exhausting distance in 2:29.23. He returned $17.80 for a $2 win wager.
Even in defeat, Pletcher was heartened by the iron will that Forte displayed under difficult circumstances. “I knew we were asking a lot coming off the 10-week layoff,” he said. “He got shuffled back a little bit and once he got him outside in the clear, he was still making an impact at the end. But he just ran out of time getting there.”
Pletcher was denied his fifth Belmont victory on an afternoon when a more significant chapter in history would be written.
2023 Belmont S. Presented by NYRA Bets June 10th, 2023
