Arcangelo makes strong stretch run to win Travers Stakes

Jena Antonucci wrote a second chapter for the history books Saturday when Arcangelo registered an impressive Travers triumph at Saratoga that suggested there may be more new ground broken.

After the son of the late Arrogate made Antonucci the first woman to train the winner of a Triple Crown race by capturing the Belmont, on Saturday he allowed her to become the second woman to condition a winner of the Grade 1, $1.25 million mid-summer derby.

The only other woman to accomplish that in the Travers’ 154-year history? Mary Hirsch. In 1938. With Thanksgiving.

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No wonder Antonucci was quick to express her thanks after Arcangelo and jockey Javier Castellano sat mid-pack through the opening six furlongs of the 1 1/4-mile race before launching a powerful move and then fending off Disarm by one length. Tapit Trice and favored Forte, both trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, ran third and fourth, respectively.

“The more this horse does, the more we’ll keep writing some history,” Antonucci said. “I just have immense gratitude for all of this and for this horse most importantly.”

Give Antonucci credit. She believes in what she believes. Traditionalists be damned.

She was repeatedly questioned about eschewing a prep race and going against the conventional path taken by her primary Travers rivals.

“I got a lot of flak for that. That’s why I tuned you guys out before the race. Sorry,” Antonucci said. “It just never was a layoff in our minds and in my mind. I understand the traditionalists will always view gaps in that manner. This horse had his entire career that way.”

She indicated she and owner Jon Ebbert of Blue Rose Farm have been of the same mind in the development of Ebbert’s $35,000 diamond in the rough at Keeneland’s September yearling sale.

“Jon wants this horse brought along slowly and correctly and given time to grow up, and I feel we respected that with the horse. and Jon has respected that with the horse,” Antonucci said.

She recalled a conversation she had with Ebbert shortly after the historic Belmont.

“Are we good on fitness to get (to the Travers) without a race?” the owner asked.

“Yes, we’re fine,” Antonucci responded with supreme confidence.

Then there is the no small matter of working Arcangelo every 10 days or so when weekly drills are the norm. Her explanation for that path less taken?

“The funky, little, 10-day schedule, it works for us,” she said. “Like I said sarcastically before, ‘Thanks to the naysayers for motivating me more.’ Not that we needed more motivation, but we will stay focused on what works for this horse.”

Castellano is the other key figure in a feel-good story that embattled racing badly needs. The 45-year-old native of Venezuela, who got his first Kentucky Derby win aboard Mage and first Belmont this season,  extended his record with his seventh Travers score.

“Of course, it means a lot to me, because this game is up and down,” Castellano said. “I remember last year I didn’t have any horses to ride on the card. I ended up riding at Monmouth Park. The year before I rode one horse in the 14 races. It was a maiden special weight.

“I don’t take anything for granted in this game. Trust me, seven wins means a lot to me.”

Arcangelo, a gray ridgling, completed the distance in 2:02.23. National Treasure, early pace-setter Scotland and Mage completed the order of finish in the seven-horse field.

Castellano had to decide whether to ride Arcangelo or Mage. When he was hesitant, the Mage connections took a different direction, and Castellano was fine with landing on Arcangelo, whose sire blazed a track-record 1:59.36 in the 2016 Travers.

“I have a lot of confidence in the horse. It seems to me he’s a super horse,” Castellano said. “Fingers crossed he keeps sound. I give all of the credit to Jena. She did such a good job with the horse. After the three-eighths pole, I just enjoyed the ride. I just enjoyed the moment.”

He was not alone. For those who appreciate what it means to break barriers, to do what has rarely been done, the 154th Travers represented the sweetest of moments.