Arcangelo gives trainer Antonucci historic win in Belmont Stakes

Jun 10, 2023 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Thirty years after Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone became the first and thus
far only female jockey to win a Triple Crown race when guiding Colonial Affair
in the 1993
Belmont S. (G1), the 'Test of the Champion' yielded another first when
Arcangelo gave Jena Antonucci the distinction of becoming the first woman to
train a U.S. classic winner in the 1 1/2-mile fixture on Saturday.

Under a ground-saving ride by Javier Castellano, Arcangelo bid inside of
Preakness
(G1)-winning pacesetter National Treasure approaching the quarter pole, grabbed
the lead opened up through the stretch while drifting out, and held off mild
bids from the Todd Pletcher-trained pair of Forte and Tapit Trice to win by
1 1/2 lengths.

'It's the horse and I am so grateful,' Antonucci said. 'I will forever be
indebted to his honesty to us, his heart, and he is why you get up seven days a
week. I didn't get a lot of sleep the last few nights, I'm not going to lie. I'm
so grateful.'

This was the first Belmont win for jockey Javier Castellano, who won the
Kentucky
Derby (G1) for the first time last month with Mage, who was not entered in
the Belmont after running third in the Preakness.

Arcangelo, who was coming off of a hard-fought head victory in the
nine-furlong Peter Pan (G3) at Belmont on May 13, covered one lap of Belmont in
2:29.23 over a fast track and paid $17.80 as the fifth choice in a field of
nine.

Forte, the 2-1 favorite, ran a terrific race for second, given he had not
raced since winning the Florida Derby (G1) 10 weeks earlier. He nabbed second by
a nose over stablemate Tapit Trice, who endured a wide trip. 

'I knew we were asking a lot coming off the 10-week layoff,' Pletcher said. 'He
got shuffled back a little bit and once he got him outside in the clear, he was
still making impact at the end but he just ran out of time getting there. Tapit
Trice got the trip we wanted. He got out in the clear and made that move and
then he kept steadily grinding away. I was super happy with both efforts.'

There was a
dead heat for fourth between Hit Show and Angel of Empire. Completing the order
of finish were National Treasure, Il Miracolo, Red Route One, and Tapit Shoes.

Owned by Blue Rose Farm, Arcangelo has now won three of five starts. Second
and fourth in his first two starts, in December and January at Gulfstream,
respectively, Arcangelo graduated on March 18 by 3 1/2 lengths going one mile at
the South Florida oval. He then followed up with the aforementioned score in the
Peter Pan around one turn at Belmont.

Arcangelo is a ridgling son of the late 2016 champion three-year-old Arrogate
and the mare Modeling, a Tapit half-sister to Grade 1 winner Streaming. His
third dam was Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour, who reared Rags to
Riches, the last filly winner of the Belmont in 2007, as well as 2006 Belmont
winner Jazil.

Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation, Arcangelo sold for $35,000 at
Keeneland September.