Antonucci Looking for Success on Travers Anniversary Weekend

Arcangelo’s Trainer Well-Represented in Benny the Bull Handicap

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL –Trainer Jena Antonucci will be represented by up-and-coming The Golden Gorilla in the $75,000 Benny The Bull Handicap at Gulfstream Park Sunday, a day after celebrating her second anniversary of saddling Arcangelo for a victory in the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

Like Arcangelo, The Golden Gorilla is owned by Jon Ebbert’s Blue Rose Farm LLC, and like Arcangelo, The Golden Gorilla was purchased for just $35,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale.

While Arcangelo came to hand in the spring and summer of his 3-year-old championship season in 2023, The Golden Gorilla is only now starting to come into his own midway through his 4-year-old campaign.

“We’re super happy with how he has been coming along. Jon is no stranger to patience. He always liked this horse,” Antonucci said. “This horse is a big horse, and it’s taken time for him to get himself together and get fit and become a racehorse.”

Arcangelo didn’t embark on his racing career until December of his juvenile season, but after graduating in his third career start at Gulfstream Park March 18, 2023, he went on to win the Peter Pan (G2), Belmont Stakes (G1) and Travers in succession to lock up the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male.

Antonucci became the first female trainer to saddle the winner of a Triple Crown event when Arcangelo defeated favored Forte by 1 ½ lengths in the Belmont Stakes. When he came right back to win the Travers by a length, Antonucci became the second female trainer to saddle the winner of the ‘Midsummer Derby,’ joining Mary Hirsch, who won the 1938 Travers with Thanksgiving.

“It meant more for the horse,” Antonucci said of Arcangelo’s Travers score. “He had already strung three wins in a row. It validated in a Grade 1 event who he was as an athlete and as an individual. Everyone showed up there. Against that crop of 3-year-olds he showed up and did his job and did it well.”

The Golden Gorilla, who managed only one second-place finish in his first six career starts, enters Sunday’s Benny The Bull, a seven-furlong handicap for 3-year-olds and up, off four vastly improved races, including an off-the-pace 8 ¾-length optional claiming allowance victory last time out. The son of Hard Spun ran 6 ½-furlongs in a dazzling 1:16.38 under Jose Morelos.

“In that last race Morelos figured him out and the horse figured himself out. We’re looking forward to seeing him putting it all together again,” Antonucci said.

“We knew there was going to be a pretty solid pace on the front end and the horse doesn’t need to be up on it,” she added. “It was just letting that pace unfold – the horse is such a big horse – and letting himself get himself together and make that big closing run on them.”

The Golden Gorilla’s recent development has coincided with Morelos taking the reins. Morelos, who has emerged as one of Gulfstream’s top riders during the Royal Palm Meet, has ridden the Antonucci trainee in his last four starts, including a maiden-breaking victory three starts back.

Antonucci has been Morelos’ biggest booster since he ventured to Gulfstream from Panama in 2021 at the age of 20.

“I’m really proud of him. I’m a big believer that you’ve got to give people space to grow. I supported Jose Ortiz heavily when he was at Aqueduct. I think we, as an industry, need to give people spaces to grow,” Antonucci said. “Jose is willing to put the work in in the morning. He has a very positive attitude, which is very important. Having a working relationship with an agent (Jose Sanchez) and a rider is important. Even when we win, we’ll go back and talk about things. We’ve done it with this horse.”

The Golden Gorilla, 8-1 on the morning-line for the Benny the Bull, will carry 117 pounds, including Morelos, while in receipt of eight pounds from highweight Shaq Diesel.