Everything You Need To Know About The Horse Trainer Jena Antonucci : First Woman Trainer To Win Triple Crown Race

American horse trainer Jena Antonucci was born in 1975. She is most recognized for conditioning Arcangelo to victory in the 2023 Belmont Stakes, making history as the first female trainer of an American Triple Crown horse.

With Arcangelo’s victory in the New York race, a horse that did not participate in the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes became the first female trainer of a Triple Crown champion.

Women have made their way into the winner’s circle in horse racing over the years as owners, jockeys, and other roles. The most prominent were Julie Krone, the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown race, Marylou Whitney, a renowned breeder and stakes winner, and Secretariat’s owner Penny Chenery. But there was still a barrier that had to be overcome, a glass ceiling.

Up until Antonucci made a breakthrough on Saturday.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who returned to the Triple Crown series after a two-year suspension after Medina Spirit’s victory at the 2021 Kentucky Derby was proven to have tested positive for a prohibited substance, was denied what would have been a second consecutive win in Triple Crown races by the triumph. In the end, National Treasure came in sixth place out of a total of nine.

“I’m so happy for (Antonucci),” Baffert said. “Johnny (Velazquez) said he could never turn (National Treasure) off today. He was really tense. He never got a chance to relax. But he ran hard. He gave us a little bit of a thrill turning for home.”

Arcangelo, a horse that did not compete in the Preakness or the Kentucky Derby Arcangelo triumphed ahead of favorite Forte by 1 1/2 lengths, with Tapit Trice coming in third. Arcangelo qualified for the race by winning the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont Park last month.

“Never give up. And if you can’t find a seat at the table, make your own table,” Antonucci said. “Build your team and never give up.”

Despite having only trained thoroughbreds for 13 years, 47-year-old Antonucci pulled off the unexpected victory.

“You go through growing your career and you take it on the chin and you fight for that spot and you feel like you have to prove your worth,” she said. “And horses don’t care who you are. They know who you are. And having a horse believe in you and your team the way that this horse does …”

Arcangelo, who started at 7-1, paid $17.80 to win on a $2 wager, $7.20 to place, and $4.90 to show. Tapit Trice paid $4.10, while Forte paid $4.30 and $3.30.

“I just believed in my horse, and the horse gives us that confidence,” said Jon Ebbert of Blue Rose Farm, which owns Arcangelo. “It’s a great team. We’re just the best together.”

“A lot of stars have aligned, and this crazy guy gave the girls a chance, so a lot of credit to (Ebbert),” Antonucci said. “I have an immense amount of gratitude for Jon. He’s a young guy and a young owner and he’s a patient owner and there is a lot to be learned from his example of letting a horse develop.”

Brief About Jena Antonucci

In 2010, Antonucci, who began riding show horses as a young child and later had a variety of positions in racing, transitioned into training and opened a small stable. In her first 13 years, she had sent less than 2,000 horses to the post.

After riding and training show horses at an early age, Antonucci learned how to train thoroughbred horses under Hall of Fame Trainer D. Wayne Lukas. On March 7, 2010, she achieved her first career victory at Tampa Bay Downs. Doctor J Dub, who triumphed in the Turf Monster Stakes at Parx Racing in 2016, was her first graded stakes winner of her career.

Before racing in the Belmont Stakes in 2023, her three-year-old Arcangelo won the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park. He was Antonucci’s first-ever Grade 1 starter. Antonucci had won 160 races as of her 2023 Belmont triumph, and her career earnings were nearly $6 million.

South Florida is Antonucci’s home state, and he is 47. Since the age of three, she has been around horses. For much of her adult life, she rode and trained show horses.

At Padua Stables, where she trained Thoroughbreds, she had the opportunity to work in the D. Wayne Lukas program. She spent the following four and a half years working as an equine veterinarian assistant, according to her own website. She claimed that it changed the way she thought about horses’ health.

After that, she started her own company, Bella Inizio Farm. She provided care for yearlings, weanlings, broodmares, and foals. She eventually found her way back to rehabilitating Thoroughbreds for racing, which was her passion.

She co-owns horseOlogy with Katie Miranda, a second-generation horsewoman, through Bella Inizio Farm.

Jena Antonucci training career

In 2010, Antonucci obtained her public trainer license, and on March 7 of the same year, at Tampa Bay Downs, she scored her maiden victory.

She has worked as a trainer for thirteen years, according to Equibase. Her horses have competed in 1,916 starts over that period, earning 162 victories, 238 second-place finishes, and 231 third-place results. Her horses have made 50 starts in 2023, winning nine of them while placing five seconds and four thirds.

By the time of Saturday, she had won more than $6.38 million in prizes, or $3,334 for each start. The Belmont Stakes victory was worth $900,000.

Following the demise of 12 horses at the racetrack, Churchill Downs, the site of the Kentucky Derby, said last week that it will cease racing activities while conducting a “top-to-bottom” assessment of all safety and surface standards. The racecourse declared that the fatalities “troubled” it. According to Churchill Downs, there isn’t a single factor that unites the fatalities.

Four horses have passed away at Belmont Park since May 13th either competing or training. Each occurrence, according to the New York Racing Association, will be “closely reviewed and analyzed” to make sure the group is “providing the safest possible environment for racing and training.”

 

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