Arcangelo has final work before shipping to California for Breeders' Cup Classic
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- In the pantheon of horses he has ridden in his Hall of Fame career, jockey Javier Castellano ranks Ghostzapper, the 2004 Horse of the Year, as the best. In Arcangelo, this year’s Belmont Stakes and Travers winner, Castellano sees the ability to achieve those heights.
“He’s climbing the ladder,” Castellano said.
That’s why Castellano felt it was important to drive up to Saratoga right after the races Thursday at Aqueduct and get on Arcangelo Friday morning for a five-furlong workout that went in 1:03.25 over the Oklahoma training track. It was Arcangelo’s final New York work before he leaves next week for Southern California to continue preparations for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.
“He’s a special horse. I’m very lucky and fortunate to be around him and the team,” Castellano said. “I like to enjoy every single moment. You don’t see too many types of horses like him around. It takes years, decades to find that type of horse and that’s the reason I decided to drive.”
Noting that Arcangelo had a quick half-mile work in 47.62 seconds on Sept. 12 under exercise rider Robbie Mallari, Castellano said he was looking to go nice and easy on Arcangelo Friday morning. Working just after the track reopened at 7:30 a.m. Arcangelo went in splits of 13.03 seconds, 25.35, 37.63, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:17.13.
“He worked so good, nice, and comfortable, relaxed,” Castellano said back at the barn before driving downstate to ride Friday’s Aqueduct card. “Turning for home his ears went up waiting for me, asked a little bit, and then I just sit. You ask him, he’ll give it to you quick. I just wanted him to be happy because we have what, six weeks? His last work was a little quick and I just wanted to balance it.”
Jena Antonucci, the trainer of Arcangelo, was in Ocala, Fla., Friday morning. She was shown a video of the work and talked to Castellano shortly afterward.
“If the jockey’s happy, I’m happy, and the jockey was happy,” Antonucci said. “Definitely not worried about the time with Oklahoma obviously being a deeper surface and one he’s trained well over. I’m happy from a foundation perspective and maintaining that bottom in him. It was very much a maintenance move with so much work ahead of us.”
Antonucci said she was appreciative of Castellano’s willingness to drive up for the work.
“It’s important to feel his consistency and keep that connection with the horse,” Antonucci said.
Antonucci said Arcangelo will ship to California on Wednesday and likely have three workouts at Santa Anita before the race.
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