'A Chance' Was All Antonucci Needed With Arcangelo

Jena Antonucci become the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race when Arcangelo won the June 10 Belmont Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, but she said it was owner Jon Ebbert of Blue Rose Farm, that helped make it possible.

"This crazy guy gave the girls a chance," she said at the post-race press conference, referring to her female staff that includes Katie Miranda, Fiona Goodwin, and Teona Rodriguez.

Offers to buy the promising colt this spring were plentiful, many under the condition that Arcangelo would move into the barn of a buyer's existing trainer. "Give it to the guys," she said, describing a common theme. 

Instead, Ebbert declined. He gave his trainer a chance and a classic win was delivered, with patience shown along the way.

Antonucci did not debut the late bloomer until December of his 2-year-old season, and it was not until the third start that he emerged victorious, winning a race in fast time in March at Gulfstream Park. His trainer then sent him north to Belmont for the Peter Pan Stakes (G3), a race he grittily won that propelled him into Saturday's classic.

Antonucci became the 11th female trainer to run a horse in racing's third jewel of the Triple Crown, with the prior best finish coming from the Dianne Carpenter-trained Kingpost, who ran second in 1988.

The 47-year-old Antonucci has spent a lifetime around equines, first as a rider of show horses as a young girl and teenager, before breaking and training Thoroughbreds. A 4 1/2-year stint as an equine veterinary assistant is also part of her experience and she eventually launched her training career in 2010.

Wins were initially slow to come. She won two races from just nine starts in 2010-11 before more opportunities arose. She now has 162 winners from 1,916 starters. Arcangelo's $900,000 payday Saturday boosted her stable's earnings to over $7.2 million.

Ebbert, who only met Antonucci the day before he purchased the Arrogate ridgling for the bargain price of $35,000 at the 2021 September Yearling Sale at Keeneland, considers Antonucci and her staff to be his friends.

"She has the best team," he said Saturday of a group that also includes exercise rider Robert Mallari and groom Giovanni Flores.

"Every owner is her friend," he added. "She treats them all with the highest respect and gratitude."

She showed as much during the press conference, thanking Ebbert, while overcome with joy at times.

"They say there is no crying in baseball, but they never said it about horse racing," she said through tears.

The day after the Belmont, her emotions were more subdued, standing in the shedrow of her barn while meeting with reporters and photographers.

She appreciated the congratulations of a Saturday maiden claiming win from Pure Bred Funding and Stephen Douthit's Rock the Weekend  at Gulfstream Park, where racing was overshadowed by the happenings at Belmont Park.

"Homebreds matter, too," she said, smiling.