History may be at hand for Jena Antonucci as she bids to become the first female trainer to capture the Belmont Stakes (G1) with Peter Pan Stakes (G3) winner Arcangelo . She is not viewing it that way.
"I think that's the secondary part to all of this," she said. "If that happens, it's an amazing accomplishment. But considering that I'm not going to be out there running and I'm not going to be the one out there riding, I'm just the benefactor of, hopefully, all the stars aligning."
That Antonucci is represented in the nine-horse Belmont Stakes field is an accomplishment in itself. She will become only the 11th woman to saddle a Belmont runner in the 155-year history of the race. Sarah Lundy was the first to break new ground when her Minstrel Star finished 11th in 1984. Kathy Ritvo was the most recent female trainer to take a shot at the famed "Test of the Champion." Her Mucho Macho Man took seventh in 2011.
That history would appear to show how far women have come—and how far they have to go. After all, 2011 feels like eons ago.
"There is probably a shift that is happening. It's going to be a slow shift. It always is. But I think it's across the board," said the Florida-based Antonucci. "This industry tends to be a bit behind the mainstream corporations and the media and whatnot. So, it's shifting, but it's going to take time and perseverance by the women."
Antonucci started riding before she was 3 years old. While she always had a passion for horses, it was not necessarily for training them.
"I wasn't a little girl getting older and saying, 'Gosh, I can't wait to go train racehorses.' That wasn't the case at all," she said. "I just backed into it through the natural evolution of my life."
She has worked with horses in many different capacities. She has been an equine veterinary assistant. She gained valuable experience while she was part of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas' operation.
Jon Ebbert, whose Blue Rose Farm purchased Arcangelo for a relatively modest $35,000 as a yearling, has worked with Antonucci for the past two years and thoroughly enjoys the association.
"She's a great trainer," Ebbert said. "She cares about her owners. She cares about her horses."
Ebbert pointed to a relative lack of communication from some of his previous trainers, noting that he rarely heard from them other than when bills were sent. He described Antonucci as being "very connected to her owners."
Arcangelo, a gray son of the late, great Arrogate, has come to hand nicely for Antonucci. The May foal was given ample time before he debuted with a runner-up effort on a sloppy Gulfstream Park surface in a six-furlong contest Dec. 17. He flattened out late at a mile and settled for fourth in his 3-year-old debut Jan. 14 at Gulfstream but has blossomed since then.
He broke his maiden by 3 1/2 lengths at one mile March 18 at Gulfstream, then displayed a brave heart in outdueling Bishops Bay by a head in the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan May 13 at Belmont Park. He is attempting to become the first Peter Pan winner to add the Belmont to his resume since Tonalist in 2014.
Although the Peter Pan is a traditional prep race for the final leg of the Triple Crown, Antonucci did not immediately commit Arcangelo to the mile-and-a-half Belmont.
"We wanted to give the horse the breathing room and space he needed leading up to it and allow him to check the boxes and do the breezes and come out of the race well," she said. "He needed that breathing room to make sure the noise wasn't going to sway the commitment and the decision. As much as it might have seemed like wavering, it was more just allowing the horse the space he needed to speak up."
Arcangelo will break from post-position 3 and is listed at 8-1 on the morning line. Javier Castellano, aboard for the two wins, will attempt to add to his 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) triumph with Mage . Florida Derby (G1) winner Forte (post six, 5-2) and Blue Grass Stakes (G1) victor Tapit Trice (post 2, 3-1), both trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, head the field.
The big question with Arcangelo involves how he will handle his first try around two turns, not to mention the marathon distance that is the ultimate test of stamina and heart for every runner.
That aspect, though, does not worry Antonucci.
"The distance really isn't a concern. It never has been," she said. "It likely could be the most friendly of two turns because potentially it isn't going to be a rocket opening eighth because it is a mile and a half.
"It's a friendly environment to go two turns for the first time. There are so many other things that make races hard. I don't think the two-turn situation for him going a mile and a half is it."
Antonucci is not thinking past the Belmont with Arcangelo. Experience taught her that.
"It's a tough industry. We grind it out," she said. "I find it most healthy to stay in the present and enjoy the now."
And perhaps the near future holds a breakthrough moment for her.
