Arcangelo is Don Alberto's First U.S.-Bred G1 Winner

Never judge a horse by its auction price and never ignore a pedigree that has produced elite racehorses generation after generation. These are the lessons relearned after Arcangelo  held off a cavalry charge to win the June 10 Belmont Stakes (G1).

Arcangelo was bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto, an international breeding and racing operation owned by Liliana Solari and her son Carlos Heller Solari, who expanded from their base in Chile in 2015 when they bought the former Vinery farm near Lexington. Because of an allegiance to pedigree, the farm is now celebrating its first grade 1 win in the United States with a U.S.-bred horse.

The 3-year-old son of Juddmonte Farms' late sire Arrogate was not highly regarded during the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale because he was on the small side and immature. Also at the time of the sale, Arrogate had not sired any stakes performers so buyers were still unsure how his stud career would unfold. Owner Jon Ebbert saw an attractive yearling that might need more time than usual and took him home out of Gainesway's consignment for $35,000. The ridgling is trained by Jena Antonucci.

Judged by pedigree, Arcangelo was a steal.

Arrogate, by Unbridled's Song, was a four-time grade/group 1 winner, those coming in the Travers Stakes (G1) where he set a Saratoga Race Course track record for 1 1/4 miles, Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), Dubai World Cup (G1), and the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1). He retired as the richest North America-based racehorse with $17,422,600 in earnings.

On the dam side, Arcangelo is out of the Tapit   daughter Modeling. Nagging minor injuries prevented her from proving her ability at the track, but her role as a broodmare was never in doubt. She is a half sister to Hollywood Starlet Stakes (G1) winner Streaming  (Smart Strike), to stakes winners Treasuring  (Smart Strike) and Cascading  (A.P. Indy), and to two other stakes-placed winners. More significantly, Modeling's second dam is 2007 Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour, who is the dam of 2006 Belmont Stakes winner Jazil ; 2007 Belmont Stakes winner and champion 3-year-old filly Rags to Riches ; group 1-placed, grade 2 winner Casino Drive ; and Breeders' Cup Marathon winner Man of Iron .

Because of this pedigree, Don Alberto went to $2.85 million to acquire Modeling at the 2014 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale out of Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency's consignment.

"He was very immature and Arrogate was in a place where people were not sure about him, even though he took our breath away and was one of the best racehorses of the last decade," said Reed Ringler, chief operating officer of Don Alberto's U.S. operations, about Arcangelo. "The world came to see him and judged him and physically, he was just behind.

"But we've heard it before that a good horse can come from anywhere, and here we go again," he continued. "We talk about this at the farm all the time. It is not always going to be the Peyton Mannings who are the stars, they are also the immature kids that just need a little time to grow up."

Peyton Manning was an NFL quarterback who was drafted as the No. 1 pick in 1998 and went on to win two Super Bowl titles with the Indianapolis Colts (2006) and Denver Broncos (2015).

Arcangelo is Modeling's first black-type performer. The mare's first foal, a gelding by Distorted Humor named Montmartre, is her only other winner so far. Modeling has not had a foal since she delivered Arcangelo in 2020 because of niggling health issues.

"She has been a project, but our broodmare manager Raul Garcia is phenomenal and has a sixth sense about the mares," Ringler said. "Right now, we are counting the days (to confirm pregnancy) on Munnings  . Also, Modeling has one daughter that we thankfully own, and we are counting the days on Uncle Mo   with her."

Modeling's sole filly is the Medaglia d'Oro   daughter Madison Square, who also did not start. Madison Square has a yearling colt by Malibu Moon, who will be offered at the Keeneland September sale, and produced a colt by Connect   this year.

"I think Arcangelo shows with these pedigrees if you can get a foal on the ground, special things can happen," Ringler said.

Don Alberto has enjoyed extraordinary success in Chile. Since 1994, the farm has bred 143 graded/group stakes winners of which 57 are grade/group 1 winners. The goal when opening the U.S. extension was to repeat its success in the sales ring and on the track.

In 2021, Don Alberto bred and sold the highest-price yearling sold in North America that year when M.V. Magnier bought a colt by Into Mischief   out of grade 1 winner Paola Queen  for $2.6 million. Gainesway consigned the colt at Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga select yearling sale.

Now, the farm has bred its first American classic winner.

"That has been the goal for 10 years. Liliana and Carlos want to win the big races and sell the big horses, but the degree of patience it takes for this to happen is just brutal," Ringler said. "(Arcangelo) earned his reputation in his first start. He was on our radar early, and he has progressed with every race. We are so thankful Jena was so patient with him. It's a huge milestone for the farm."