Arcangelo validated himself and training process with Travers victory, Antonucci says

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Validation was the sentiment top of mind Sunday from the connections of Arcangelo, who proved he wasn’t a one-hit wonder in the Belmont Stakes by capturing his second Grade 1 victory in Saturday’s $1.25 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

The victory, which came following an 11-week layoff, not only validated Arcangelo but also his trainer Jena Antonucci, who was steadfast in giving her horse that much time between races and having him ready to put forth a winning effort. It is a pattern Antonucci will likely employ again as she ponders a start in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

Arcangelo had eight weeks between his maiden victory at Gulfstream to the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont. After coming back in four weeks to win the Belmont, Arcangelo had 11 weeks to the Travers, becoming the first Belmont Stakes winner to win the Travers without having raced in between since Birdstone in 2004. (Tiz the Law accomplished the feat in 2020, but because of the pandemic, the Belmont was run at nine furlongs and there were seven weeks between races.)

There are 10 weeks between the Travers and the BC Classic.

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“He validated himself to the people that wanted to not give the whole process and the horse the respect he deserved and had earned,” Antonucci said Sunday morning. “He earned that maiden win, he earned that Peter Pan win, he earned the Belmont win and he came out yesterday and earned that win.”

Arcangelo earned the Travers win rallying four wide on the turn under Javier Castellano - who won his record-extending seventh Travers - and holding off a rail-rallying Disarm, who came within a length of Arcangelo at the wire. Arcangelo ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.23 and earned a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He showed up and was the horse that we’ve known him to be,” Antonucci said. “I think he came into this race better than he went into the Belmont. If anything, he just showed up and did him.”

In preparing Arcangelo for the Breeders’ Cup, Antonucci will do her. She plans to keep Arcangelo in Saratoga for the time being. When she feels Arcangelo has convinced her he’s ready for the Breeders’ Cup, she will send him to California “sooner than later. I wouldn’t just ship in and run.”

The Travers victory put Arcangelo atop the 3-year-old male division heading into the fall. Antonucci said a divisional championship or potential Horse of the Year has “zero” impact on her decisions of where and when the horse will next run.

“When you let that stuff define how you train and how you get a horse to the next goals, for me, that’s where you stub toes,” Antonucci said. “Our job is train him and whatever titles come along with that is secondary. We will be grateful and it’ll be amazing for whatever comes with that, but my focus will be on him. Period.”

Disarm showed improvement with the addition of blinkers, rallying up the rail to finish a clear second.

“He just keeps coming,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “I love how gritty he is. It was that tight, he didn’t even hesitate, he just kept coming.”

Asmussen said he will likely point Disarm to the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 23 at Parx Racing.

Tapit Trice, with blinkers added, raced close to the pace, albeit wide, and did well to finish third, 4 1/2 lengths ahead of his stablemate Forte, who was up close early before dropping to the back of the pack.

Plans for those horses, both trained by Todd Pletcher, are to be determined. Mike Repole, co-owner of Forte, said “there’s a good chance we might just train him up to the Breeders’ Cup and take our chance out there.”

Mage, the Kentucky Derby winner, finished last in the Travers. He was a bit eager out of the gate under Flavien Prat, who took the horse off the pace rather than let his horse get involved early. Assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. said he wouldn’t have minded if Mage raced closer to the pace.

“Once he got the break that he got I’d have loved to see the horse just running, if that meant be second, I wouldn’t have had a problem with that,” Delgado Jr. said. “It’s not giving him the intention to take the lead, but he broke well, you could see he could easily have been third and in the clear outside horses and when he entered the backstretch, he was last.”

Delgado said Mage came out of the race fine and will remain in Saratoga for a week or two while a decision is made on where and when he will run next. The Breeders’ Cup Classic is still in play.

“Physically, he’s good, mentally we probably won’t know for a week or a few days.” Delgado said.

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