Whatintheliteral proves game, survives inquiry in Astoria Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A year after winning the Belmont Stakes together with Arcangelo, trainer Jena Antonucci and jockey Javier Castellano were together in the winner's circle on Belmont weekend again. Whatintheliteral was a game headwinner of the 112th edition of the $150,000 Astoria Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on Thursday at Saratoga, the first day of this year’s relocated Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

"What in the literal!" a delighted Antonucci exclaimed, hugging co-owner Craig Steinhart. "Now you know how she got her name. She would not be denied."

Whatintheliteral ($29) had to survive a stewards' inquiry into the hard-fought stretch drive of the Astoria. Whatintheliteral broke running from the inside post, to the delight of Castellano, and established the lead through a sharp opening quarter of 22.16 seconds, with Aoraki, who broke from post 2 under Joel Rosario on her hip. As the field straightened away into the stretch and Aoraki kicked into gear, the filly appeared to duck in a few steps, putting Whatintheliteral in tight quarters. The two commenced to battle the length of the stretch, brushing a few times, as Castellano said he switched his whip to his left hand to protect his running path.

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“She came over first and buried my horse at the rail, and I tried to protect myself,” Castellano said. “I switched my stick and cleared the path, protected my spot, and didn’t let her intimidate my horse.”

At the wire, Whatintheliteral had kept her head in front throughout the battle, and the stewards made no change to the order of finish.

“I mean, we were in close, a little tight, but we were just fighting,” Rosario said. “It was nothing out of line.”

The time for the 5 1/2 furlongs on the main track rated fast was 1:05.06, good for a 67 Beyer Speed Figure.

French Horn closed for third, 1 1/4 lengths behind the top pair. It was 6 3/4 lengths to Baytown Butterfly in fourth. Rounding out the order of finish were Kentucky Juvenile winner West Memorial, Biscuitwiththeboss, and post-time favorite The Queens M G, never seriously involved after she was one of several who made contact at the break. Morning-line favorite Long Neck Paula had scratched because she was vanned to an equine therapy center to visit a cold-water spa and did not receive approval from the stewards to leave the grounds, according to trainer Wesley Ward.

This was the maiden victory for Whatintheliteral, a Florida-bred from the final crop of Grade 1-winning sprinter Lord Nelson. The filly, who races for Antonucci and Katie Miranda's horseOlogy and Steinhart, started twice at the Keeneland meet in April, finishing fifth on debut and then an improved third, beaten less than a length, in her second start. Both races were at 4 1/2 furlongs, in which the horses emerge from a chute onto the far turn at Keeneland.

“She had a couple green moments at Keeneland,” said Antonucci, who last year became the first woman to saddle the winner of a Triple Crown race when Arcangelo took the Belmont. “Today, she didn't have to run across a non-existent rail, so I think her having a white line to follow all the way around helped. Cornelia, her [exercise] rider, has been giving her some good mileage around this track, kind of closer to the rail, to make sure she was comfortable there.”

Arcangelo, who went on to win the Travers Stakes at Saratoga to secure a divisional Eclipse Award, entered stud at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky this year, leaving Antonucci in search of her next standout. The trainer obviously has at least one good 2-year-old in the barn.

“I think she's still coming forward and getting more fit and learning her job,” Antonucci said.

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