Jena Antonucci

Seven Days: Many Indicators of Success

In the European edition we really shouldn't be overstepping our boundary to encroach on the territory of our American colleagues who did such a fine job in conveying the stories from Belmont Park last week. Racing faces different problems in different jurisdictions and, from an outsider's perspective, it is hard to get fully behind racing in America when a number of its major participants remain overly reliant on medication. But if you read Cynthia Holt's wonderful account of being at Belmont 50 years ago to bear witness to arguably the...

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The Week in Review: Triple Crown, Let's Talk…

Well, Triple Crown, now that the book has been closed on your 2023 campaign, it's time for your annual performance review. Yes, I realize you're not a tangible, actual entity, and that your entire being is really just a concept based around the sequence of three historic horse races conducted over a five-week span every spring. As such, perhaps you think you're above a little constructive criticism. But we're living in a new era of accountability and I know you want to do your part to remain the focal point...

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Team Arcangelo Enjoying Belmont Victory

The team around Arcangelo (Arrogate) was still basking in the glory of his GI Belmont S. victory Sunday morning, even as trainer Jena Antonucci admitted no future plans had been mapped out for the gray colt who was taking a power nap nearby. "There is zero idea," Antonucci said of a potential next start for Arcangelo. "We know what the calendar is and what's where, so we'll let him come out of this and tell us. [The Aug. 26 GI Travers] is on our radar, but the stakes schedule is...

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Letter to the Editor: Amanda Luby

I didn't realize how badly I wanted Jena Antonucci to win the GI Belmont S. Saturday until Arcangelo slipped up the rail and drove past National Treasure under a perfect ride by Javier Castellano and I started screaming at the TV and feverishly clapping the horse onto the wire. It wasn't until Arcangelo crossed the wire first and Javier pumped his fist in the air that I started jumping up and down, tears streaming down my face, that I realized how much it mattered to me, a nearly 50-year-old woman...

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Arcangelo Makes History For Antonucci In the Belmont

ELMONT, NY - There wasn't a Triple Crown on the line in Saturday's 155th renewal of the GI Belmont S., but the sunsplashed crowd of 48,089 still witnessed a piece of history. Trainer Jena Antonucci became the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race when the lightly raced Arcangelo (Arrogate) delivered a decisive victory at 7-1 in the 1 1/2-mile Classic. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to champion Forte (Violence), favored at 2-1, who nosed out his Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Tapit Trice (Tapit) for second. A former...

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Arcangelo Tunes Up for Belmont

Blue Rose Farm's Arcangelo (Arrogate), last-out winner of the GIII Peter Pan S., worked five furlongs in 1:02.81 (2/5) at Belmont Park Wednesday in preparation for the June 10 GI Belmont S. New York Racing Association clockers caught the grey galloping out six-furlongs in 1:15 4/5 and seven-furlongs in 1:28 4/5. Javier Castellano was in the irons. "He's a nice, beautiful-moving horse and he did it easy. He's a good work horse. In the morning, you can work him :59 if you wanted," Castellano said. "We all know that [the...

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