Three winners of three races

And Jena Antonucci becomes the first female to train the winner of the Belmont Stakes, writes Melissa Bauer-Herzog

WAS AN HISTORIC END to this year’s US Triple Crown series on June 10 when trainer Jena Antonucci became the first woman to train a Belmont Stakes winner after Arcangelo (Arrogate) won the final leg of the series by a length and a half.

Belmont Stakes-winning owner Jon Ebbert with his trainer Jena Antonucco

“When we were walking out, I said there is not a table made for you,” said Antonucci after the race. “You make the table. You put great people around you, you work hard. Work your tail off. It will come if you do it the right way. Do it the right way.”

Arcangelo’s win was another reminder of the loss when Arrogate died in 2020 after just three seasons of stud.

He has quickly become the most successful sire son of Unbridled’s Song – his first crop including the Grade 1-winning duo Secret Oath, winner of the Kentucky Oaks (G1), and the La Brea (G1) winner Fun To Dream.

His second crop has yielded three Grade 1 winners with the Belmont winner joined by dual Grade 1-winning juvenile Cave Rock and Del Mar Debutante (G1) winner And Tell Me Nolies.

Luckily for breeders, Arrogate has sired top level colts so there will be opportunities to access his line through one of those sons.

There is still one crop of juveniles left for Arrogate with the stallion breeding 139 mares before being pulled from stud duty shortly before his death with 106 live foals resulting from those matings.

Tapit and the Belmont Stakes have been tied together with unbreakable rope over the last decade and this year was no different.

Tapit was the sire of two of the nine runners in the race, but his influence went much further as he was also the broodmare sire of four other runners in the race.

Not surprisingly with those numbers, he played a part in the winner’s pedigree as the sire of Arcangelo’s dam, while also the sire of Belmont Stakes third Tapit Trice, who represented him in the Kentucky Derby.

Many of the US’s top stallions are approaching pension age, but the breeding industry looks to be in good hands as the rising superstars make an impact in the big races.

Freshman sire Good Magic made it clear he’s going to be a stallion for the future when Mage won the Kentucky Derby (G1) before taking third in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

It is a tough group of sires that also includes Bold D’Oro and Justify, but Good Magic with nine stakes winners and six graded stakes winners, led by two Grade 1 winners, is currently doing best of the group.

Standing alongside his sire at Hill ‘n’ Dale, Good Magic had two runners in the Kentucky Derby and three in the Preakness Stakes – with two of those finishing in the top three. The Belmont Stakes was the only Triple Crown race in which the stallion wasn’t represented by at least one runner.

Good Magic’s sire Curlin has sired Classic placers in six of his 11 crops of three-year-olds but hasn’t had the luck the last two years. His supporters can’t be too disappointed, however, as Curlin’s sons have sired the last two Kentucky Derby winners.

Quality Road made sure the younger generation didn’t totally control the Triple Crown, his son National Treasure won the Preakness Stakes (G1) relegating Good Magic sons to second and third.

Now a 17-year-old, Quality Road is enjoying a banner year with 10 stakes winners and 19 stakes performers led by eight graded stakes performers.

Quality Road’s results have spanned more than just North America – his son Emblem Road winning the Saudi Cup and finishing third in the Dubai World Cup (G1).

In Europe he is also the sire of Patton Stakes (L) winner and Irish 2,000 Guineas

(G1) second Cairo showing that the son of Elusive Quality is far from a Dirt-only sire.

While Good Magic is yet to have any runners out of Quality Road mares, Quality Road bred to mares by Curlin could be a cross to keep an eye on, the five runners bred on the cross include a stakes winner and stakes placed runners.

THIS YEAR’S Triple Crown undercard also featured arguably the best horse in the older male division in Cody’s Wish (Curlin).

A Godolphin homebred, Cody’s Wish has bought horseracing into the mainstream media through the past year and his bond with Cody Dorman after the two came across each other after he toured Godolphin on his Make A Wish experience.

The horse was named after his new friend and is now one of the most popular horses in the US.

The horse Dorman credits for saving his life continues to hold up his part of the bargain on the track.

Cody’s Wish had not run since his Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) win, but made a successful reappearance in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) when romping home by over 4l for a third straight Grade 1 victory.

He added more drama to his story on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Despite running into plenty of trouble in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1), he showed his special talent bursting away from the field to win by three and a quarter lengths for a sixth straight win.

The four-year-old is the latest phenomenon from the Curlin x A.P. Indy sire line cross that has been so prolific.

He is one of three stakes winners for Curlin out of Tapit mares, while A.P. Indy daughters have produced 11 stakes winners and 22 stakes performers, led by the top mares Malathaat and Nest.

A.P. Indy granddaughters are also the dams of 11 stakes winners and 19 stakes performers by Curlin, led by three Grade 1 winners.

Almost exactly five years to the day after he remained undefeated with his Belmont Stakes victory, Triple Crown winner Justify earned his first Grade 1 winner on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

His son Arabian Lion, who was originally aimed at the Triple Crown, rerouted to sprint distances instead of running in any of the Classics and the decision paid off for connections in spades.

Stepping up to Grade 1 level for the first time in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1), Arabian Lion took off to win by a length and thee-quarters.

He is the second Grade 1 performer in as many weeks for breeder Bonne Chance Farm, also the breeder of the previous week’s Epsom Derby (G1) second King Of Steel.

Arabian Lion becomes the second straight Coolmore America-sired winner of the Woody Stephens after Jack Christopher won the race by 10l last term.

Justify is slated to take the champion Australian freshman sire honours this year, and will be the first northern hemisphere shuttler to achieve the feat since More Than Ready.

In all, Justify has 11 stakes winners worldwide led by seven graded stakes winners coming in three different countries. Justify’s studmate and fellow Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh registered his seventh Grade 1 winner when Marketsegmentation won the New York Stakes (G1) on the Turf.

She is the sire’s fourth Grade 1 winner on the Turf. He is the sire of 70 stakes performers worldwide overall with 36 winning stakes and 22 finding success at the graded stakes level.

Marketsegmentation is out of Lonelily, a mare by Medaglia D’Oro, and one of three Grade 1 winners for American Pharaoh out of Sadler’s Well’s lined mares.

That cross has proven to be an excellent one for the American-based stallion with his 49 runners including 36 winners, led by four graded stakes winners, six stakes winners, and 10 stakes performers.