Arcangelo Edges Bishops Bay in Peter Pan Thriller

Yet another son of Arrogate  claimed stakes honors for the late sire when Blue Rose Farm’s Arcangelo  stormed home May 13 in a furious duel to the wire at Belmont Park for victory in the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (G3).

Under Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning jockey Javier Castellano, the 3-year-old lightly raced gray colt broke from the inside smoothly and settled into mid-pack while Bishops Bay  and Asmodeus  led the way in the 1 1/8-mile race in :24.52 and :48.83. Through the turn, Arcangelo ran three wide to catch Bishops Bay in 1:13.23 and entered a battle where the two drew far away from the field to complete a mile in 1:37.59. Down to the last furlong it was up to a head bob to decide the winner as the two passed the wire in nearly synchronous fashion with Arcangelo getting his head in front, completing the distance in 1:49.71 on a fast dirt track.

Bishops Bay, under Florent Geroux, was 5 1/2 lengths clear of Henry Q  in third. The latter had Frankie Dettori aboard.

ARCANGELO rallies to win the Peter Pan Stakes with @jjcjockey for trainer Jena Antonucci! Congratulations to the connections! pic.twitter.com/BIaIScWzac

— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) May 13, 2023

“I’ve been working the horse and I like the way he’s been progressing, little by little,” Castellano said. “He’s more mature now and I had a lot of confidence today that I could win the race. … He hooked up with the other horse and stayed together and I asked a little bit and he responded so well. He started to figure it out and I am glad he did it today.”

Purchased for only $35,000 by Ebbert from Gainesway’s consignment at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Arcangelo ($7.50) has been carefully started with only three other races under his belt previous to the Peter Pan. These include three separate tries in maiden special weight company all at Gulfstream Park under the tutelage of Florida-based trainer Jena Antonucci. He won impressively last out on March 18 by 3 1/2 lengths.

“My phone has been ringing and I’ve been saying no (to potential buyers). There are none left,” said owner Jon Ebbert of Blue Rose Farm. “He’s a one-of-a-kind horse. We’re not going to get another one (like him). We love the horse. We love his heart. We know he’s all business.”

Antonucci said that next up for the talented colt could potentially be a start in the third leg of the Triple Crown, the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes (G1) June 10 at the Elmont, N.Y., oval, but the horse’s health and training would guide that decision.

“Anytime you have the possibility of having a special horse, all of the races are special,” she said. “We’re a small trainer, small owner and we’re trying to do what’s right for the horse and place the horse where he’s telling us to go.”

With his Peter Pan win, Arcangelo improved his record to 2-1-0 from four starts and increased his earnings to $167,400. The Don Alberto Corporation-bred colt is the most recent foal out of the Tapit   mare Modeling , who has two winners from two foals to race.