Gemonteer might hit the road for Hall of Fame Stakes

Gemonteer has come a long way in a short time.

Seven weeks after winning his career debut in game fashion April 29, Gemonteer became a stakes winner, and an impressive one at that, by drawing away to a 4 3/4-length victory over Shana Tova last Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $100,000 Not Surprising Stakes. Gemonteer, a 3-year-old son of Distorted Humor trained by Jena Antonucci, earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

Patience has proven a virtue with Gemonteer, who was sent to Antonucci by owner Gelfenstein Farm late last season.

“The owner said to be patient with him, so we just gave him time to grow up,” said Antonucci, who has 25 horses stabled at Gulfstream Park. “He’s compact but well put together and just a cool horse to be around. And we learned an awful lot about him in his first start.”

Running under a $50,000 claiming tag in his debut, Gemonteer set the pace from the rail, repulsed one challenger after being headed briefly turning for home, and then turned back two other rivals nearing the wire, registering a much-deserved three-quarter-length decision under jockey Miguel Vasquez.

“A lot of horses will cave in a situation like that, especially in their first start,” said Antonucci. “But he was so determined turning back all those bids, saying, ‘I really want this.’ It really picked our eyes up.”

Gemonteer again withstood prolonged pace pressure before succumbing grudgingly to finish second in his next start, which came against starter-allowance company, but he again impressed Antonucci with his effort.

“The horse that beat him was out there so wide, I don’t think he saw him coming,” said Antonucci. “But he showed us enough to be hopeful he would run well in the stakes. Then to see him rebreak like that after being headed at the top of the stretch last week in the stakes was pretty dynamic and a real thrill for all of us.”

Antonucci said she will test Gemonteer a little more in his next start, which could come in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame on the turf at Saratoga on Aug. 3.

“We’ll just keep asking him the questions and see how far he takes us on this journey,” said Antonucci. “Obviously, it will be a tough task going up to Saratoga for a race like that. We’ll just let him tell us if we’re right or wrong.”

Antonucci is in her third season as a year-round resident at Gulfstream and said the program is ideal for a trainer with a stable the size of hers.

“This horse is a perfect example of the program here, which allows you develop a horse through stages without throwing them to the wolves all at once, to give a horse a chance to gain confidence as they go along and to learn to be a racehorse,” said Antonucci. “For a small- to medium-size stable like mine, it’s perfect.”