Antonacci looks to extend winning trend for Euros
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It was a good weekend for European imports at Saratoga and trainer Phil Antonacci would love to see that trend continue Thursday when he sends out the pair of Ashikidah and Queen of Hawaii for their seasonal debuts in a second-level allowance/optional $80,000 claiming feature scheduled for one mile on turf.
Over the weekend, the Belmont Derby and Belmont Oaks – both Grade 1 stakes – were won by European invaders Title Role and Kensington Lane.
Though Queen of Hawaii was a group stakes winner at 2, Antonacci, at least for this race, seems to prefer Ashikidah, who went 2 for 8 racing in France for Francis-Henri Graffard. Antonacci said it was Graffard who recommended Ashikidah to him as a horse who would fit North American racing when she went through the sales ring at last December’s Arqana sale in Deauville.
“I’m excited about this filly. I think she could be a very nice miler in stakes and she has a quick turn of foot,” Antonacci said. “She’s really blossomed the last month or so. We bought her at the December sale with Craig Bernick and Al Crawford, gave her the winter off with the idea of bringing her back for Saratoga.”
Ashikidah demonstrated a strong turn of foot winning a seven-furlong handicap at Saint-Cloud – a left-hand turning track – last September and in the listed Prix de Saint-Cy at Longchamp, where she was beaten just a head when running second in an 18-horse field.
Tyler Gaffalione will ride Ashikidah from the outside post Thursday in this nine-horse field.
Queen of Hawaii, an Irish-bred daughter of Kingman, is the lone 3-year-old filly in this field. The Antonaccis’s Lindy Farms has always owned Queen of Hawaii but gave her to Joseph O’Brien to train as a 2-year-old. Queen of Hawaii won two of her first three starts, including the Group 3 Irish EBF Stakes at The Curragh.
Sent off at 6-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar last Oct. 31, Queen of Hawaii had her head turned when the gates opened and was away next to last. After racing in the back of the pack until the quarter pole, Queen of Hawaii showed late interest and finished seventh, beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Balantina.
“She got totally left at the gate. It’s probably a better race than it looks,” Antonacci said. “We worked with her at the gate, educated her a little bit. This looks like a good place to get her educated and get her started.”
Jose Ortiz rides Queen of Hawaii from the rail.
Antonacci has had some success at Saratoga with horses returning from layoffs of greater than 180 days, something these fillies are attempting. Over the last three Saratoga summer meets, he is 2-3-0 from eight starts, one of those wins coming last summer with Innate, who won at 20-1 off a 627-day layoff.
Trainer Chad Brown also does well with layoff runners and brings Play With Fire back to the races in this spot. Play With Fire won the Hilltop Stakes last year when in the Brendan Walsh barn. She was bought privately by Randy Sarf’s LSU Stable and finished second in both the Wild Applause and Lake Placid Stakes here last summer. Play With Fire has not run since finishing eighth in the Grade 2 Valley View at Keeneland last October.
Brown also sends out Brisbane, who comes out of a fourth-place finish in the Miss Liberty Stakes at Monmouth in her lone start of the year.
Pop Art, trained by Tom Proctor, and Being Myself, for Cherie DeVaux, are two interesting longshot possibilities. Pop Art has won her last two starts, including a first-level allowance going a mile at Aqueduct. Being Myself, a daughter of Curlin, is trying turf for the first time. She is a sibling to a pair of winners on the grass.
Opulent Restraint placed in several stakes last year but finished last of six in an allowance last month at Aqueduct in her seasonal debut.
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