Antonacci goes 2 for 2 opening week

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Phil Antonacci came to Saratoga having won just one race from 19 starters on the year. In a span of 48 hours, he won two races at the Spa, having taken the nightcap on both the opening-day and third-day programs.

Thundara, in from the also-eligible list, won a New York-bred maiden $40,000 claiming race on Thursday. On Saturday, Monet Never rallied between horses to win a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint by a nose.

Antonacci noted that Monet Never got stepped on by another horse during a maiden race at Keeneland, prior to the race he won Friday.

“He was ready to roll that day, it was just a bad luck thing,” Antonacci said. “It just so happened our next starts falls in Saratoga.”

Antonacci said he had hoped to be more active at Belmont Park’s spring meet, but circumstances led to him running just two horses there.

“We just had bad luck with a few off-the-turf races at Belmont and when they shipped up from Florida we went through a little sickness and stuff like that,” Antonacci said.

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Antonacci has 15 stalls in Saratoga and has the maiden Ms. Solveig entered in a tough maiden heat on Thursday and Irwin in a first-level allowance going 1 3/8 miles on turf Friday.

At the end of July, Antonacci will bring Fauci back to the races. In 2021, Fauci was second, beaten a neck, in the Mahony Stakes. Last year, he finished third in the Lucky Coin.

Antonacci said he is looking at a second-level allowance for Fauci and that he will run as a gelding for the first time.

“Hopefully, it gets him over the line,” Antonacci said. “I think he’s been much more relaxed and easier on himself. Last year, he got a little bit nervous.”

Antonacci said he has a few 2-year-olds in Saratoga, including an unnamed Tapiture colt who is a half-brother to Havnameltdown, the three-time graded stakes winner who suffered a fatal breakdown during the running of the Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes on Preakness Day.

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