Arcangelo Blitzes Five Furlongs in Saratoga Workout

Breezing for the first time since his victory in the June 10 Belmont Stakes (G1), Blue Rose Farm's Arcangelo  recorded a swift five-furlong workout in :58.49 July 5 at Saratoga Race Course.

"He was delightfully sparkling today," trainer Jena Antonucci said with a laugh after first describing her mood as delightful. "Yes, he was good. It was a nice work. Just wanted to let him go and do what he wanted to do today. And that's the result."

The breeze under exercise rider Robert Mallari was the fastest of four at the distance Wednesday morning at the upstate New York track, which will open for its prestigious summer meet July 13. The three other main-track works at the distance ranged from 1:00.29 to 1:01.54.

"Obviously, the main track right now is pretty snappy. And so, I'm not hugely concerned about the speed of the breeze, everything breezed kind of quick over here today," Antonucci said. "He carried along on his own pretty well and everyone was happy with how he came out (of the breeze). He was pretty pleased with himself. He was looking to do some work."

Arcangelo was given a breather after the 1 1/2-mile Belmont, which Antonucci described as a "big ask" coming in his fifth start and after a victory in the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan Stakes (G3) May 13 at Belmont Park and a maiden victory two months before the Peter Pan at Gulfstream Park. The Arrogate  3-year-old ridgling is 3-1-0 with earnings of $1,067,400.

Following the Belmont, "We gave him about a week off afterward in a round pen, let him hang out, then shifted him to Saratoga and let him settle into the new digs up there."

Good morning everyone! Happy Tuesday. Here's your #Arcangelo viewing for the day. pic.twitter.com/M7s61D8kCm

— Jena (@jenaantonucci) June 27, 2023

Assistant trainer Fiona Goodwin has played a key role in overseeing Arcangelo, with Antonucci also training a division of horses in Florida as well as her stable in New York.

The colt's ultimate summer goal remains the Aug. 26 Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, with concrete plans before and after that race unsettled, Antonucci said. The July 29 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) is a local prep race in which many Saratoga-based horses compete prior to the Travers.

"We honestly are still really focused on a 4-year-old career for him," she said. "And so, we're not looking to go into the well too many times through the rest of this year and just continuing to space things out responsibly with the focus of next year."

The Travers is also a target for Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage , among other division leaders such as Florida Derby (G1) winner and Belmont Stakes runner-up Forte .

Javier Castellano has been the rider of Mage and Arcangelo and an eventual showdown between the two classic winners could force the Hall of Fame jockey to make a difficult decision regarding his choice of mount.