Tag: Forte

Team Arcangelo Enjoying Belmont Victory

The team around Arcangelo (Arrogate) was still basking in the glory of his GI Belmont S. victory Sunday morning, even as trainer Jena Antonucci admitted no future plans had been mapped out for the gray colt who was taking a power nap nearby.

“There is zero idea,” Antonucci said of a potential next start for Arcangelo. “We know what the calendar is and what's where, so we'll let him come out of this and tell us. [The Aug. 26 GI Travers] is on our radar, but the stakes schedule is there and if it's seven weeks until we run or 11 weeks until we run, we'll just back into it.”

Antonucci, who won her first Grade I and became the first woman to train a winner of a Triple Crown event, said she is still processing the scale of the accomplishment 12 hours later.

“Everything is still a little bit numb on some levels and I'm just trying to sort everything out,” Antonucci said. “I'm just grateful and appreciative of what he did for us yesterday and it's pretty cool.”

Arcangelo was a little more subdued than his trainer Sunday morning.

“He's taking a nap and that's normal for him,” said Antonucci. “He's a hard sleeper.”

The Travers is the likely summer target for Belmont runner-up Forte (Violence), as well as stablemate Tapit Trice (Tapit), who was third on Saturday. Trainer Todd Pletcher said the July 22 GI Haskell S. or July 29 GII Jim Dandy S. would be considered as prep races for both sophomores.

“I think both races would be possible with both horses targeting the Travers, just deciding what we're going to do leading up to the Travers,” Pletcher said. “We'll just give it a couple weeks, see how they come out of it, how they're training and go from there.”

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Arcangelo Makes History For Antonucci In the Belmont

ELMONT, NY – There wasn't a Triple Crown on the line in Saturday's 155th renewal of the GI Belmont S., but the sunsplashed crowd of 48,089 still witnessed a piece of history.

Trainer Jena Antonucci became the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race when the lightly raced Arcangelo (Arrogate) delivered a decisive victory at 7-1 in the 1 1/2-mile Classic. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to champion Forte (Violence), favored at 2-1, who nosed out his Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Tapit Trice (Tapit) for second.

A former equine veterinary assistant and employee of Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas before going out on her own in 2010, the 47-year-old's only other graded stakes winner prior to Arcangelo's win in the GIII Peter Pan S. was Doctor J Dub (Sharp Humor), winner of the GIII Turf Monster in 2016.

“It's the horse and I am so grateful,” said an emotional Antonucci while fighting off tears in the post-race press conference. “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.”

After working his magic aboard Mage (Good Magic) for a much-deserved first GI Kentucky Derby win on the first Saturday in May, jockey Javier Castellano pulled off another masterpiece in the irons to capture his first career Belmont victory.

“This is a dream come true,” said Castellano, who also has a pair of Preakness wins on his Hall of Fame plaque. “To win two Triple Crown races in the same year, it's amazing. Everything worked out good. There's always something to shoot for, but I'm just going to keep working hard. But this is so special.”

Drawn on the inside in post three, Arcangelo was hard held in third as the rail-drawn 20-1 longshot Tapit Shoes (Tapit) and GI Preakness S. winner National Treasure (Quality Road) mixed it up on the front end through an opening quarter in a sharp :23.63.

National Treasure went on with it and led the field of nine up the mighty Belmont backstretch as Arcangelo dropped back to sixth through a half mile in :47.69. Locked and loaded just behind the leaders through six furlongs in 1:12.56, Arcangelo snuck up along the rail rounding the far turn and reached even terms with National Treasure a quarter of a mile from home.

Arcangelo began to separate himself from the field as they straightened and led by 3 1/2 lengths at the stretch call. Despite some right-handed reminders by Castellano down the lane, the shadow-rolled Arcangelo wandered some in deep stretch, but was never seriously threatened by the aforementioned rallying Pletcher duo to bring home the blanket of white carnations.

“He's just figuring it all out,” Antonucci said. “He's just a big kid. Javier [Castellano] did such a great job. There were a lot of horses taking up in the first turn and he sorted that out and got it together and on the backside made his way up the rail. We knew we wanted to get a little jump on them. We weren't even worried about the distance. His cruising speed is just stupid, stupid fast.”

Arcangelo becomes the first Peter Pan winner since Tonalist (2014) to double up in the Belmont. He also joins A.P. Indy (1992) and Coastal (1979) to pull off the double.

An absolute steal for $35,000 by Jon Ebbert's Blue Rose Farm at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling sale, Arcangelo was a debut second sprinting in the Gulfstream slop Dec. 17. The gray earned his diploma two starts later going a one-turn mile in Hallandale Mar. 18. He was making his two-turn debut in the Belmont following a hard-fought head score in the local prep going 1 1/8 miles. He was a $50,000 late supplement to the Triple Crown series.

Ebbert started his first horse Daydreamin Boy in 2009 at Philadelphia Park and headed to the Belmont with just three career winner's circle photos between his Blue Rose Farm moniker and horses listed under his name. Arcangelo is the first horse that he and Antonucci have teamed up on.

“It's amazing,” Ebbert said. “What an amazing ride. I'm so proud of the horse. He's an amazing horse. He's all heart. We knew he had it in him. Javier rode him perfectly and Jena is an amazing trainer. I'm so lucky to find her. The rest is history.”

Pedigree Notes:

Arcangelo becomes the fifth Grade I winner for the gone-too-soon Arrogate, who was humanely euthanized after suffering from an undetermined illness in June 2020.

Tapit, the king of the Belmont with four winners, is the broodmare sire of 13 Grade I winners now, including this year's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), who added a thrilling victory in Friday's GI Acorn S., and Saturday's GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. winner and last year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Cody's Wish (Curlin).

Arcangelo is the most recent produce from the unraced Modeling, a $2.85-milllion purchase by Don Alberto Corp. at the 2014 KEENOV sale, who was barren in 2023 (bred to McKinzie and Curlin). Modeling is a half-sister to GISW Streaming (Smart Strike).

Arcangelo's third dam is the legendary broodmare Better Than Honour, who has produced Belmont winners Jazil and Rags to Riches.

What They're Saying…

“A mile and a half wasn't far enough [laughs]. I'm super proud of both horses. I knew we were asking a lot coming off the 10-week layoff [with Forte]. 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.” —Todd Pletcher, trainer of runner-up Forte and third-place finisher Tapit Trice

“I got a good trip. I just don't think we were good enough today. Hit Show did awesome. He broke good, put me in a great position going into the turn. From there until the wire, he gave me his all.” —Manny Franco, jockey of fourth-place finisher Hit Show

“It was an Arrogate. What did they say about Arrogate when he won [the Travers]? Arrogate steals the show. I'm so happy for her [Jena]. Johnny [Velazquez] said he could never turn him off today. He was really tense. He never got a chance to relax. He never shut it down. But he ran hard. He gave us a little bit of a thrill turning for home, but he didn't relax. He couldn't get him to turn off. He was on the bit the whole way.” —Bob Baffert, trainer of sixth-place National Treasure

Belmont Stakes Day Generates Record Handle for Non-Triple Crown Year…

Saturday's blockbuster Belmont S. Day card generated all-sources handle of $118,283,455, which is a NYRA record for a non-Triple Crown year. The 2023 all-sources handle figure is an increase of more than five percent over the previous non-Triple Crown record of $112,725,278, which was set in 2021. On-track handle for the 13-race card, which included six Grade I races among nine total stakes, was $10,657,332. All-sources handle for the Belmont S. was $56,533,820. Following the construction of UBS Arena, and prior to the renovation of Belmont Park set to begin in 2024, capacity at the facility is 50,000.

Saturday, Belmont Park
BELMONT S. PRESENTED BY NYRA BETS-GI, $1,500,000, Belmont, 6-10, 3yo, 1 1/2m, 2:29.23, ft.
1–ARCANGELO, 126, r, 3, by Arrogate
            1st Dam: Modeling, by Tapit
            2nd Dam: Teeming, by Storm Cat
            3rd Dam: Better Than Honour, by Deputy Minister
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($35,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Blue Rose
Farm; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Jena M. Antonucci;
J-Javier Castellano. $900,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0,
$1,067,400. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Forte, 126, c, 3, Violence–Queen Caroline, by Blame.
'TDN Rising Star'. ($80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21
KEESEP). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-South Gate
Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $270,000.
3–Tapit Trice, 126, c, 3, Tapit–Danzatrice, by Dunkirk.
'TDN Rising Star'. ($1,300,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Whisper Hill
Farm, LLC and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Gainesway
Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $150,000.
Margins: 1HF, NO, 3/4. Odds: 7.90, 2.25, 5.30.
Also Ran: Angel of Empire-(DH), Hit Show-(DH), National Treasure, Il Miracolo, Red Route One, Tapit Shoes.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Taking to Twitter, Repole Calls For Change, Transparency

Mike Repole took to Twitter Saturday before the Belmont Stakes in a post he titled, “ATTENTION ENTIRE HORSE RACING INDUSTRY” which calls for change and transparency.

Repole challenged the racing industry to either be part of the problem or the solution.

In its entirety, the post reads:

“I am calling for immediate action in the vision, the strategy of changing and evolving this great game we all LOVE. Either we're an agent for change and evolution or we are on the side of stubborn, traditionalist self-inflicted demise of the sport. This beautiful sport is in dire need of a governing body and a national commissioner that will work with states, tracks, trainers, jockeys, farms, vets, auction companies, marketing / PR, current unproductive boards, track employees, the media, the bettor, the fans and most importantly the HORSES. This new governing body and national commission will work side by side with @HISA, whose most important and primary focus will be horse safety and integrity. Horse racing needs real leadership and oversight that will market, communicate, educate the industry and increase transparency. Please read the below article. Retweet if you're in favor of change and evolution. If you're not in favor, continue to do what the game has done the last 50 years and ignore the obvious issues of this wonderful sport. Decide if you want to be a productive agent of change. If you agree thank you. And if you don't like change, evolution and real leadership, then you're part of the problem. I'm calling for transparency but without a strong vision and marketing plan, communication, alignment and education, transparency doesn't work. Let's have a great and amazing Belmont Stakes Day. God Bless everyone and God Bless the horses.”

The post was read and retweeted liberally, and drew a mix of supportive comments and criticism.

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‘Tapping’ into the Field for the 155th Belmont Stakes

ELMONT, NY – Breathe easy.

Following significant improvement in air quality conditions throughout New York State, the 155th GI Belmont Stakes–celebrating the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's performance of a lifetime in the final leg of the Triple Crown–will go on as scheduled Saturday evening.

If there's one sire's name that you want to see when handicapping the 1 1/2-mile Classic, it's Tapit.

Responsible for a co-record four Belmont winners, two second-place finishers and two third-place finishers, the 22-year-old Gainesway kingpin will be represented by potential race favorite Tapit Trice (Tapit) and the rail-drawn longshot Tapit Shoes (Tapit) in the field of nine as well as an additional four runners as a broodmare sire.

“Tapit's everywhere,” Gainesway's General Manager Brian Graves said. “He's a once-in-a-lifetime horse. We'll probably be quite content if we just have a few stallions half as good as him at Gainesway in the near future.”

The $1.3-million Keeneland September yearling graduate Tapit Trice, winner of the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. and seventh-place finisher in the GI Kentucky Derby, was bred by Gainesway and is campaigned in partnership by Antony Beck's operation along with Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm.

“We're hoping for our own selves that Tapit Trice can win this race and stand beside his dad at Gainesway,” Graves said. “We're very proud. We bred this horse and we have the mare on the farm. We bought her as a 2-year-old and raced her, so it's a family that we have created right here. There's a lot of excitement in the air hoping that Tapit Trice could be a special horse. We're all dreaming right now.”

Tapit Trice's Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Belmont four times himself, including with Tapit's Tapwrit following a sixth-place finish on the first Saturday in May, and will also saddle morning-line favorite and last year's champion 2-year-old colt Forte (Violence). The latter was forced to scratch on the morning of the Derby with a well-documented foot bruise.

The field for the Belmont also includes wire-to-wire GI Preakness S. winner National Treasure (Quality Road) and beaten Kentucky Derby favorite and third-place finisher Angel of Empire (Classic Empire), who adds blinkers for the first time.

Keeping it 100…

Commanding a stud fee of $185,000 in 2023, North America's three-time leading sire Tapit is responsible for 100 graded winners worldwide–31 at the highest level–including Belmont winners Essential Quality (2021), Tapwrit (2017), Creator (2016) and Tonalist (2014).

Tapit is the broodmare sire of 12 Grade I winners, including this year's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), who returned with a thrilling victory in Friday's GI Acorn S., and Saturday's GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. 7-5 morning-line favorite and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Cody's Wish (Curlin).

He'll have four chances to collect his first Belmont trophy as a broodmare sire with the lightly raced GIII Peter Pan S. winner Arcangelo (Arrogate); Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), a better-than-it-looked fifth in the Kentucky Derby after racing close to a hot pace; last out Gulfstream optional claiming winner Il Miracolo (Gun Runner); and Bath House Row winner and GI Preakness S. fourth Red Route One (Gun Runner).

Tapit's progeny will also be featured prominently on the absolutely stacked Belmont undercard via Charge It (Tapit) (GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H.); Highest Honors (Tapit) (GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S.); and Portos (Tapit) (GII Brooklyn S.).

Star Power…

There will be eight additional graded stakes races–five at the Grade I level–on the blockbuster Belmont undercard.

The aforementioned fan favorite Cody's Wish (Curlin) will put his five-race winning streak on the line in the stallion-making GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H.

Clairiere (Curlin) and Secret Oath (Arrogate) will meet for the third straight time in the GI Ogden Phipps S. The former defeated two-time champion Malathaat (Curlin) by a head in a thrilling renewal of the Phipps last year.

Last out GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. winner Up to the Mark (Not This Time) will take on nine rivals, including the Charlie Appleby-trained duo of Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Warren Point (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), in the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S.

A terrific field of 13 sophomores, including top two choices General Jim (Into Mischief) and Arabian Lion (Justify), will throw down in one of the best betting races on the day in the seven-furlong GI Woody Stephens S.

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel (Mizzen Mast) will face an overflow field of males, including two-time GI Jaipur S. winner Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed), in a very deep edition of the six-furlong turf sprint Saturday.

Streaking champion sprinter and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Elite Power (Curlin) looms large in the GII True North S.

Chez Pierre (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}), winner of the GI Maker's Mark Mile S. at Keeneland this spring, is the even-money, morning-line favorite for the GIII Poker S.

And a field of 11 stayers will be locked and loaded in front of the crowd at the Belmont distance of 1 1/2 miles in the GII Brooklyn S.

The legendary Tom Durkin will make his return out of retirement to the announcer's booth to call the Belmont S. as well as all the races aired during FOX's Belmont Day coverage scheduled for 4:00-7:30 p.m. ET.

Saturday's forecast calls for partly sunny skies and a delightful high of 77 degrees on Long Island.

First post for the 13-race program, featuring a trio of Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' events (Met Mile, Ogden Phipps and Jaipur), is 11:20 a.m. ET. Post time for the Belmont is 7:02 p.m.

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