Barn Tour: Philip Antonacci builds a stable in Connecticut

You might not have heard much about Philip Antonacci before Saturday, when his filly Ready for Candy won the Grade 3 Winter Memories Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A meet.

Don’t be surprised if you hear more from him.

Like many young trainers, Antonacci comes from a family that is deeply involved in the racing business. His father and grandfather are in the Harness Racing Museum Hall of Fame. The family owns Lindy Farms in Connecticut, and that is where Philip Antonacci trains his string of about 30 Thoroughbreds.

Antonacci, 30, attended the two-year Godolphin Flying Start program and began training on his own with one start in 2020 before picking up the pace in 2021. He’s having his best year yet, with $762,851. He discussed Ready for Candy and her first graded win as well as other talent in his stable for this week’s Barn Tour feature.

Ready for Candy. Lindy Farms bought the Twirling Candy filly for $400,000 in February after she had started her career on an 0-for-7 run. In her first start for Antonacci, she led gate to wire to win a maiden special weight by 7 3/4 lengths and then stepped up to the Winter Memories, where she held on to win by a nose. “It was nice. It was an exciting race, and she was very tough that day. It was nice to be rewarded with a win and not be on the other side and finish second by a nose.” She is expected to start next in the Sands Point on Oct. 18 at Belmont at the Big A.

Then. This 4-year-old colt by Not This Time has a record of 7: 3-0-3 and has won his last two starts, most recently stretching out in a 1 3/16-mile optional-claiming allowance at Saratoga on Aug. 23. “He turned into a really nice horse. … He’s obviously gone through all his conditions this summer, so I think we’re actually going to put him away for the wintertime and then bring him back in the springtime for those mile-and-a-quarter stakes” in New York.

Thirteen Colonies. This 3-year-old colt by Hit It a Bomb was second in an optional-claiming allowance at Saratoga then stepped up to the Old Dominion Derby (G3) at Colonial Downs, finishing fifth. “He had a little bit of a setback, so we had to stop on him for a little bit. But he’s a horse I think next year that will grow up and develop and be a nice 4-year-old and hopefully step up to be an open-stakes horse. But he’s another one, just going to have the winter off and come back in the springtime.”

P Mutter Pickle. The 4-year-old Vino Rosso mare has had a win-lose pattern in four starts this year, most recently finishing fifth in the black-type Critical Eye Stakes at Saratoga in June. “She had a little bit of a summer break, and she’s coming back to us for this winter-slash-fall. She’s a New York-bred, so she all those New York-bred races this winter at Aqueduct.”

Innate. This 4-year-old, Ireland-bred gelding by No Nay Never had two losses as a juvenile, then missed last year and returned in July to win a maiden special weight at Saratoga. He has finished second in two allowances since. “He’s turned into a nice sprinter for us. He’ll go back either at Aqueduct in a month or so or go to Keeneland for a 5 1/2 allowance. But he’s one I think that can hopefully keep stepping up and become a stakes sprinter.”

No Pressure. This 2-year-old colt, bought by Lindy Farms in Ireland as a yearling, was second by a neck in her debut this month at Belmont at the Big A. Antonacci is pointing her to the Futurity (G3) at Aqueduct on Oct. 3. It’s a qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. “I think he’s the real deal, so hopefully we’ll see more from him to come.”

Antonacci says he has a couple of European imports who “haven’t started (in the U.S.) yet, but they’re pretty nice. I think they’re going to be good here.” He said he has bought yearlings in Ireland and kept them with trainer Joseph O’Brien as 2-year-olds, sometimes as 3-year-olds, “then bring them over if we think they’re good enough to come over.”

Three-year-old De Novo, by Lope de Vega, is a Great Britain bred filly who is 0-for-3 in Ireland. “She’s either going to run in Kentucky, at Keeneland, or at Aqueduct in the maiden, and she should be able to hopefully be a stakes horse in time.”

Cee En Gee, an Ireland-bred, 3-year-old colt by No Nay Never, is 2-for-2 in Ireland. “He’s going to be pretty nice too if we can keep him healthy and sound.”