ELMONT, N.Y. – On the day the New York Racing Association returns to action after an 11-week shutdown caused by COVID-19, a 2-year-old colt named Fauci makes his career debut at Belmont Park. Fauci, of course, is named after Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who for many weeks was a fixture at President Donald Trump’s press briefings related to the coronavirus. :: Start earning weekly cashback on your wagering today. Click to learn more. The equine Fauci is a son of Malibu Moon out of the Intikhab mare Tashzara, an Irish-bred who went 0 for 9 with five seconds. Fauci was purchased by Philip Antonacci, the bloodstock manager for his family’s Lindy Farm, for $175,000 at the Keeneland yearling auction in 2019. Ice Wine Stable is the co-owner. Antonacci said he applied to The Jockey Club for the name Fauci in early March and was pleasantly surprised to get it approved. Antonacci said his big Italian-American family is originally from Brooklyn as is Fauci. In learning more about Fauci, Antonacci said he discovered that his grandparents used to attend the same church as Fauci and they used to go to a pharmacy operated by Fauci’s father. “It only made sense to honor a great Italian-American who has made such an impact on the world even before all this and who has dedicated their life to fighting infectious diseases,” Antonacci said. “You hope the horse lives up to the name. Fauci, trained by Wesley Ward, has an extensive work tab that includes breezes at Gulfstream Park West, Keeneland, and Turfway Park. Ward, who’s rarely started a 2-year-old he didn’t publicly like, naturally spoke very highly of the equine Fauci. “He’s an extreme talent, very forward, dead sound,” Ward said. “He’s very good on the dirt and just a tad better on the grass. “It’s not that he’s fast, it’s that he’s a very, very good horse. He’s got a big, long stride. He’s not my typical bulldog, Quarter Horse-looking type. He’s extremely talented.” Fauci isn’t the only horse in the six-horse field named after a famous person. Trainer Kelly Breen sends out Garoppolo, a son of Outwork who is named for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Completing the field are Indoctrinate, a son of Exaggerator; Prisoner, a half-brother to six winners; Count the Shells; and Tourista.