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Philip Antonacci, Son Of Harness Immortal, Celebrates First Thoroughbred Winner

Philip Antonacci grew up in one of the most prominent harness racing families, but he has always been fascinated by the world of Thoroughbreds.

His father, Frank Antonacci, whose Lindy Farms has won five Hambletonians, has been inducted into the Harness Hall of Fame's Hall of Immortals. Yet, the 26-year-old Connecticut native has opted for a change of pace and embarked on a quest to succeed as a Thoroughbred trainer.

Antonacci, who has worked for several of the world's most respected Thoroughbred trainers to achieve that goal, notched his first major milestone as a Thoroughbred trainer Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where he saddled his first winner, Advanced Strategy, in the mile optional claiming allowance feature on turf. Owned by Lindy Farms, Advanced Strategy was Antonacci's fifth starter.

“He'll definitely have a home forever, being my first winner,” said Antonacci, who has 15 horses stabled at Payson Park.

Although he has become focused on his Thoroughbred career, Antonacci has hardly left the Standardbred world behind. In fact, he is teaming with Jimmy Takter, the retired Harness Hall of Fame legend who has ventured into Thoroughbred racing to assist Antonacci.

“He's like the D. Wayne Lukas of Standardbred racing. He retired three years ago. He always had an interest in Thoroughbreds, so when I decided to go on my own, he said, 'I'd like to come along and help and assist. We can put our minds together and come up with our own training plan,'” said Antonacci. “He's at the barn quite a bit. It's been a great team effort.”

Unfortunately, Takter was unable to attend the races Saturday.

“I was on the phone with him. He's won a lot of Hambletonians, but he said he was relieved to get this one across the line,” Antonacci said.

Antonacci, a graduate of Godolphin's Flying Start program, became interested in Thoroughbred while attending the races at Saratoga and went on to work for trainers Wesley Ward, Australia's Gai Waterhouse and Todd Pletcher.

“I grew up summers in Saratoga, so that's when I started to get into it,” said the University of Pennsylvania graduate. “I actually started off working for Wesley at Saratoga. He helped me a lot getting started, and he's the one who introduced me to Gai Waterhouse, who put me in touch with the Flying Start program. If it wasn't for them, I never would have gotten started in the Thoroughbred game.”

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Friday’s Stronach 5 Features Racing From Gulfstream, Golden Gate

Three races from Gulfstream Park and two from Golden Gate Fields, including three turf races, will highlight Friday's Stronach 5.

The Stronach 5, with an industry-low 12-percent takeout, will begin with three consecutive races from Gulfstream before concluding with two from Golden Gate.

The sequence begins with Gulfstream's seventh race, a starter optional claimer at six furlongs for 3-year-old fillies and a 2-1 favorite breaking from the rail in Briella, claimed two races back by trainer Kelly Breen for $50,000. Paco Lopez has the mount. Breaking alongside the favorite is Pulling Strings, who broke her maiden last time out by 6 ½ lengths for a $12,500 claiming tag. Edgard Zayas has the mount.

Gulfstream's eight race, an allowance optional claimer for state-bred 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 mile on the turf, drew a field of eight with an 8-5 favorite in Kroy, a winner of $415,000 claimed last out by Carlos David. Til the End draws the rail after breaking from the 12 post last out going a mile on the turf. Saffie Joseph Jr. trains.

Gulfstream's ninth race, the third leg of the Stronach 5, is a maiden special weight event for fillies and mares at five furlongs on the turf. The field of nine has a 2-1 favorite in Mumbai for trainer Christophe Clement and jockey Paco Lopez, who was beaten by a neck last time out under similar conditions. Trainers Ralph Nicks, Georgina Baxter and Michael McDonald all send out first-time starters.

The action heads west and Golden Gate for the final two legs of the Stronach 5. A dozen maiden claiming 3-year-old fillies go five furlongs in Race 3 at Golden Gate. It's a wide-open affair with Winning Appeal, second in three of her last four starts, the 5-2 favorite. Blaine Wright will saddle Don't Rub It, second or third in her last four starts.

The Stronach 5 concludes with Golden Gate's fourth race, a claiming event for eight 3-year-olds and up at a mile on the turf. Pioneerofthestorm (5-2) and Blackout (3-1) break from posts seven and eight, respectively. Blackout has registered seven wins on the turf while Pioneerofthestorm has placed in five of eight starts on the turf. Tyler's Tek goes back to the turf after a wide trip at 6 ½ furlongs last time out.

Friday's races and sequence

Leg One – Gulfstream Park Race 7: (7 entries – 6 furlongs) 4:18ET, 1:18PT
Leg Two – Gulfstream Park Race 8: (9 entries – 1 1/16-mile turf) 4:50 ET, 1:50 PT
Leg Three –Gulfstream Park Race 9: (9 entries – 5 furlongs turf) 5:22 ET, 2:22 PT
Leg Four –Golden Gate Fields Race 3: (12 entries – 5 furlongs) 5:27 ET, 2:27 PT
Leg Five –Golden Gate Fields Race 4: (8 entries – 1-mile turf): 6 ET, 3 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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Gulfstream’s Juvenile Racing Season Kicks Off Friday

The racing season for 2-year-olds at Gulfstream Park will kick off Friday, when a field of four colts and three fillies are scheduled to debut in a $65,000 maiden special weight event.

Carded as Race 2, the 4 ½-furlong dash has attracted several entrants with stakes pedigrees, including Noble Present, a half-sister to Ceci Valentina, a multiple-stakes winner who has earned more than $277,000. Noble Present's owner/breeder Amalio Ruiz-Lozano and trainer Angel Rodriguez campaigned Ceci Valentina, who captured the $200,000 Florida Sire Stakes Susan's Girl at Gulfstream, as well as Gulfstream Park West's Juvenile Filly Sprint, in 2019.

Noble Present was sired by Noble Bird, a Grade 1 winner who earned more than $1.3 million. Rodriguez is also scheduled to saddle Ruiz-Lozano's Rayo, a Florida-bred son of Long Island Sound. Leonel Reyes has the mount aboard Noble Present, while Jesus Rios has the call on Rayo.

Arindel's Quinoa Tifah kicked off the 2020 juvenile racing season at Gulfstream will an upset victory last April. Arindel will be represented in Friday's race by Merlin, a homebred son of Brethren who is a full brother to multiple stakes-placed Genghis. Edgard Zayas has the call aboard the Arindel homebred.

Super Super Stable's Wow Tapit will bring a solid pedigree into Friday's race. The Amador Sanchez-trained daughter of Cairo Prince is out of a Tapit mare whose second dam is Saoirse, a multiple-graded stakes winner in Canada and the U.S. who won the 2000 Sovereign Award as Canada's champion older filly or mare. Hector Berrios has been named to ride the filly who was bred in Kentucky by Calumet.

Joker Racing LLC's Kitodan, a son of Point of Entry out of an Unbridled's Song mare, is set to debut for trainer Jorge Delgado. Kitodan is a half-brother to graded stakes-placed Market King, who ran without success in the 2019 Preakness (G1). Paco Lopez, who celebrated reaching the 3000-win milestone Saturday, has the mount.

Owner/trainer Daniel Pita enjoyed success last year with juvenile filly Princess Secret, who won her debut before going on to win the $200,000 FSS Susan's Girl and $400,000 FSS My Dear Girl. Pita's Broadway Belle, a daughter of Khozan whose dam was stakes-placed five times, is set to debut in Friday's race. Miguel Vasquez has the call on the Florida-bred filly.

Bella Inizio Farm's LLC's Laki Lio, a Jenna Antonucci-trained son of Ride on Curlin, rounds out the field. Angel Arroyo has been named to ride the homebred colt.

Several entrants are eligible for the 2021 Florida Sire Stakes series that will get underway in August.

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Florida Senate Committee Advances Decoupling Bills

A trio of gaming bills were advanced by the Florida State Senate Regulatory Industries Committee on Monday, reports the Tampa Bay Times. The legislation would decouple live racing and jai-alai at most of Florida's gaming venues and create a new gaming commission.

The Stronach Group President Mike Rogers flew in to Florida to contest the bills, arguing that passing them would lead to fewer race days in the state. TSG owns Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

“The consequences of creating an uneven playing field amongst slot permit holders would be devastating to the Florida Thoroughbred industry, which is one of the largest agricultural sectors in the state of Florida,'' Rogers said. “Any reduction in casino purses would significantly impact local jobs and the underlying stability of the horse racing industry.”