Arcangelo
Standing at Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, KY
Jon Ebbert - Owner
Arcangelo (USA)
Arcangelo (USA)
Age: 3 (Foaled May 11th, 2020)
Breeding: Arrogate (USA) – Modeling (USA) (Tapit (USA))
Trainer: Jena Antonucci
Owner: Blue Rose Farm
“The answer is already within each horse…it’s up to us to listen.”
Jena Antonucci
352-266-6555
Travers Stakes
On June 10, Jena Antonucci made history by winning the Belmont Stakes with Arcangelo, becoming the first female trainer to claim victory in a Triple Crown race.
Just eleven weeks later, on August 26, 2023, Antonucci reached another milestone when Arcangelo won the $1.25 million Travers Stakes, a highly anticipated clash between the top contenders in the 3-year-old male division at Saratoga Race Course in New York.
Jena Antonucci became the first female trainer since 1938 to win the Travers, but the manner of Arcangelo’s victory underscored her skill. Her ability to have Arcangelo in peak condition for a championship race, despite not competing since June, solidified her standing as an elite trainer, regardless of gender.
“I know we have a great horse, and I’m confident that if someone else had saddled him, he would have been the favorite,” Antonucci said after Arcangelo, the 5-2 second choice, defeated Forte, the 8-5 favorite who finished second. “You can’t let the doubters get to you. This horse is pure class and honesty, and I’m so grateful for him.
Belmont Stakes
Arcangelo wins Belmont Stakes to make Jena Antonucci 1st female trainer to win a Triple Crown race
Arcangelo did everything right as the 3-year-old son of Arrogate finished the 1 1/2-mile race in 2:29.23 and by 1 1/2 lengths in front of favored Fotre, with Tapit Trice third.
“This is a wonderful horse. I’m really happy for her, you know, she’s a really good woman,” Jockey Javier Castellano said of Antonucci. “She’s a good horseman.”
“It’s amazing,” Jon 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.”
Arcangelo paid $17.80, $7.20 and $4.,90 and earned $900,000 for Blue Rose Farm, which is owned by Jon Ebbert.
Peter Pan
Ridden by Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Javier Castellano, Arcangelo won the Peter Pan by a hard-fought head over favorite Bishop’s Bay. As a son of the late Arrogate out of a Tapit mare. Arcangelo’s third dam, Better Than Honour, produced back-to-back Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches.
Lane’s End Farm
Arcangelo was retired this fall to Lane’s End Farm, where he will begin his stud career in 2024. Reflecting on Arcangelo’s remarkable career, Jena Antonucci shared her thoughts with New York Racing Association publicity on what her accomplishments signify for both women and the sport.
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Q: What did it mean to you personally to win the Belmont and Travers?
”It opened the window for people to see what we’ve been doing. I’ve chuckled a little bit at the people who say, ‘Oh, she’s only ever had one horse.’ No, we’ve actually had a lot, and have won stakes beforehand. Yes, these are our first Grade 1s, but our goal is to continue doing us. If it has afforded us to have a better quality of horses, then we will just continue to do all of that the best possible way we can. We’ll just continue to be true to who we are.
“It’s honestly most gratifying watching the team. When you take those little moments during an event and look at a team member’s face and see how proud they are – to watch that and to see the people accomplish career and lifetime goals and dreams, it’s literally the most gratifying part.
“I will forever be grateful for the horse and what he gave us, and him believing in us, but to watch your team check boxes in a way that maybe they never thought would happen and to potentially make that happen for them is by far and above the most rewarding and gratifying.”
Q: You’ve said before that you would need some time to think about exactly what this means for women in this sport. How have your thoughts come together with time?
“I think it’s resonated more hearing it from other people and what it means to them. Hearing how it made women who have watched the journey feel and to make people excited about our sport and what we have accomplished is such a gift.
“Recently, I was able to speak to an all-girls school from fifth graders to seniors, and did a talk with the group of almost 700 young ladies. To see where their questions fell and what they got excited about, and to be able to speak about what we’ve accomplished in our sport, it definitely resonates. To be able to look at young girls and say, ‘This hadn’t happened in 155 years,’ and to see how they receive that is special.
“You watch other women accomplish things in other sports and careers, but to watch it from the front row is very interesting and a gift that I will absolutely carry with much regard for a very long time to make sure it is meaningful and we can push the ball forward to encourage a young girl to rock on and to do her.”
Q: One of your most repeated and applauded comments about your accomplishments was your metaphor of making your own seat at the table. What does it mean to you that it resonated so well with so many?
“There was a space that was missing something, and that filled that space for people. I like to be behind the scenes making things happen, and we have created what we did because of what we’ve built. Being able to organize that into something that was short and concise for people is flattering. I hope it helps anybody, any gender or any age, fulfill something and understand that sometimes you’ve got to do it a different way.”
Q: Patience and working on the horse’s schedule were always central to your plans with Arcangelo and each of your trainees. How does your training program revolve around that model?
“Fiona (Goodwin, assistant) and I talk non-stop about every single horse. It’s just making sure we are doing our best to tend to each individual horse specifically. If it’s a colt or filly that needs a little more time, or something that we need to be a little tighter on and they need to be on a more stringent schedule – we just really try to give the breathing room to each horse.
“I greatly understand owners get a little impatient, so I just try to be respectful and mindful of, ‘Yes, we need to be running, but here are these things and here is why.’ Allowing the owner to be part of the process instead of just, ‘No, we’re not ready.’ I’ve found over my career that trying to explain it to them and allowing them to be part of the ‘whys’ is important.”
Q: After winning two of racing’s most prestigious events, what are some other goals you hope to achieve?
“We’re just going to stay present. We have a handful we really like in the barn and the ones we are hopefully getting as 2-year-olds for the coming season, and we’re going to let them tell their story like we let Arcangelo tell his. To put a burden on anyone in the team – as far as expectations – I don’t think is fair. We’ll let them run their races and tell their story.”
Q: With Arcangelo now retired, what will you remember most about him and his career?
“His personality. He’s such a cool guy, and his personality was bigger than the stall or the barn. We were able to get him to focus for the two minutes of his races and put that big personality to work. His desire to win and to want to be a champion is something that you can’t bottle.
“He still has a ton of personality. I keep in touch with (Lane’s End), and the stallion manager and I have some chuckles. His personality is in full effect. He’s doing awesome, and they’re very much enjoying having him there. It will be wild and cool to train some of the kiddos one day.”
History! Arcangelo makes Jena Antonucci the first female trainer to win Triple Crown race in Belmont
HEADLINES from Media
Female trainer makes history with Belmont Stakes win with Arcangelo: ‘It’s amazing’
Jena Antonucci made history this past weekend as the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race, when her horse, Arcangelo, overcame 7-1 odds and beat out the competition in the marathon race.
Monday NYRA Bets Belmont Stakes Wknd Recap
History made in racing. Triple Crown Race Winning Trainer Jen Antonucci
Triple Crown Race Winner Trainer Jena Antonucci joins the show to talk about her historic win becoming the first woman trainer to win a Triple Crown race, tactics, planning, her career in the industry, & more.
Peter Pan – Arcangelo 2023
In the News
‘Never give up’ – Jena Antonucci’s message after becoming the first female trainer to win the Belmont Stakes in its 155 years
Female trainer Jena Antonucci told Tom Rinaldi that she is so proud of Arcangelo for making history and winning the Belmont Stakes.
Trainer Jena Antonucci makes history as Arcangelo wins 155th Belmont Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. — It’s only fitting that history was made a half-century after Secretariat’s record-setting Belmont Stakes performance secured the Triple Crown.
Belmont Stakes: Arcangelo wins, making Jena Antonucci 1st female trainer to take Triple Crown race
The 2023 Belmont Stakes didn’t have any chance at a Triple Crown winner, but it still made history.
Arcangelo wins Belmont Stakes to make Jena Antonucci 1st female trainer to win the race
NEW YORK (AP) — Jena Antonucci turned a Triple Crown marred by thoroughbred deaths on the track and threatened by bad air quality from wildfires in Canada into a celebration for racing and women.
Arcangelo’s win in Belmont Stakes leaves 3-year-old championship up for grabs
June 12 (UPI) — Arcangelo’s impressive victory in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes produced different winners in each Triple Crown race, leaving this year’s 3-year-old championship up for grabs and promising some great confrontations through the second half of the year.
Arcangelo wins 2023 Belmont Stakes in historic triumph for trainer
ELMONT, N.Y. — History was made at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
Arcangelo takes Belmont Stakes, first woman-trained horse to win a Triple Crown race
The milestone caps the third and final jewel of the Triple Crown and ends a tumultuous five-week showcase of thoroughbred horse racing.
With Arcangelo, Jena Antonucci to become the 11th female trainer to have a horse in Belmont Stakes
“There’s a lot of phenomenal horse women and men out there … And I am immensely grateful for that opportunity.”
Arcangelo wins Belmont Stakes; Jena Antonucci first woman trainer to win
NEW YORK — Arcangelo took the lead at the top of the stretch and won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, making Jena Antonucci the first female trainer to win the race in its 155 years.
With Arcangelo, Jena Antonucci makes history as first woman to train Triple Crown race winner
History was made Saturday night at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
Will Belmont winner Arcangelo, Jena Antonucci have Monmouth Park’s Haskell on their schedule?
To the rest of the sporting world it was the final leg of the Triple Crown.
Jason welcomes in trainer Jena Antonucci to talk about her Peter Pan Stakes winner Arcangelo as well as some of her other up and coming runners. Listen to the podcast here
Jena Antonucci aiming to make Belmont Stakes history
“We’re just going to stay in the moment,” she said.”
Trade/Sports Industry
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.
Belmont Stakes Day 155
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL, June 11, 2023–“He walks tall,” uttered Kelly Dorman on national television following the running of the Metropolitan Handicap, a race inaugurated in 1891.
Three Triple Crown Winners Muddle 3-Year-Old Picture
Cox casts vote for Forte as leader after runner-up finish in Belmont Stakes.
Belmont Stakes Clocker: Arcangelo gets stamina work
“Off today’s effort, he may prove capable of both handling the added ground and moving forward once again in the final leg of this year’s Triple Crown.”
‘Horse Forward’ Approach Takes Antonucci to Belmont
A longtime horsewoman even before she ever saddled her first racehorse in 2010, Jena Antonucci is watching the results of her patient and “horse forward” approach soar into fruition with Blue Rose Farm’s Arcangelo
Patience helped get Arcangelo to Belmont Stakes
“I fell in love with the speed, the athleticism, the perceived lack of politics.” Yes, Antonucci has a sense of humor.
Barn Tour: Antonucci says Arcangelo is figuring it out
But a look at her website indicates her involvement in racing goes well beyond training. There’s a description of her approach to training, as expected, but there’s another tab called Bella Inizio Farm and one called horseOlogy.
Arcangelo Puts Trainer Antonucci In History Books With ‘Fiercely Determined’ Victory In 155th Belmont Stakes
Legendary race caller Tom Durkin, who saw so many Triple Crown attempts fall short in his years as track announcer for the New York Racing Association, came out of retirement on Saturday and finally got to call a history-making Belmont Stakes on the FOX television broadcast when Arcangelo made a determined run down the stretch while making trainer Jena Antonucci the first female to saddle a winner of the Test of the Champion.
‘A Chance’ Was All Antonucci Needed With Arcangelo
“Every owner is her friend,” owner Jon Ebbert said.
“Antonucci, who has a division in Florida, has three horses stabled at Belmont Park; she plans to keep Arcangelo here for the time being. Depending on where Antonucci decides to run Arcangelo next may determine if he stays at Belmont or ships to Saratoga, where he will be stabled for the summer.” Read the full article here
Belmont Stakes 2023: Peter Pan winner Arcangelo is a definite
“We’ve kept in true form with Arcangelo, letting us listen to him and lead the way,” Antonucci said in a video announcing the decision. “He’s come out of his work yesterday really well.”
“This year the Peter Pan Stakes went to the lightly raced Arcangelo , who was making his stakes debut and running for only the fourth time in his career. ” Read the full article here
“The horse is just built different,” said Antonucci. “I know that sounds so cliché, but it’s my job–our job–to stay out of his way. Mr. Ebbert [owner] has done a great job to give the horse time and let him mature. He’s a May foal. We never had a focus on doing early season. We let the horse grow and mature and here we are.” Read the full article here
Male 3-year-old division title remains up for grabs this summer
ELMONT, N.Y. – It could be a fun summer in the 3-year-old division.
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.
National Media Teleconference – Belmont Stakes Preview
Jim Gluckson: Great. I just want to jump back on the Peter Pan, where Archangelo’s tremendous performance to get by Bishop’s Bay at the end. And I just wanted to talk to you about that race and what that performance told you about him.
Jena Antonucci: I think it told the world more than it told us. Not being coy, but we’ve thought he was pretty special for some time, and just letting him develop into that. The grit and determination, deep stretch is the horse. That can’t be taught.
“He’s doing super and he’s happy – all good stuff,” said Antonucci. ” Read the full article here
“He was trained by Jena Antonucci and has raced for Blue Rose Farm, ” Read the full article here
“Jon just fell in love with this horse,” Antonucci said. “Clearly Arrogate wasn’t hot then, and since he was a May foal, he was kind of a sum of parts. He wasn’t flashy or pretty, and there was a lot to still come together. There was nothing offensive, he just needed the time.”
Ebbert liked the colt so much that he gave him a name of great personal importance. Arcangelo means “archangel” in Italian; the colt is named for a former employee of Ebbert’s at his farm in Pennsylvania.” Read the full article here
Arcangelo Breezes Five Furlongs Toward Belmont Stakes
Antonucci said she is taking the opportunity to start her first contender in a Triple Crown race in stride as Arcangelo looks to become the first Peter Pan winner since Tonalist in 2014 to take Belmont.
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Meet the Team
We keep an open-door policy for owners. While we continue to build a successful team with a family environment, which is the foundation for our growth.
Katie Miranda
Co-Owner of horseOlogy
Owner of White Lilac, Katie Miranda, was born and raised in Ocala, Florida – Horse Capital of the World. Both Katie’s parents were an integral part of her development into a horsewoman. Her father was a jockey and raised his daughter to love and respect horses. Katie and her mother traveled the east coast together, attending horse shows. Her parents owned and operated a thoroughbred training center, and she grew up in the family business.
Fiona Goodwin
Assistant Trainer
Originally from County Kerry in Ireland, Fiona grew up in a large family on the family farm. She was raised around horses; her father was a top showjumper. Her father's drive reinforced Fiona's development for perfection and attention to detail which is necessary for success.
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