Jena Antonucci

Jena Antonucci
Antonucci in 2023
OccupationTrainer
Born1975 or 1976 (age 48–49)
Career winnings$7,385,806[1]
Career wins165+ (ongoing)[1]
Major racing wins
American Classics:

Graded Stakes Wins:

Significant horses
Arcangelo, Doctor J Dub

Jena Antonucci (born 1975 or 1976) is an American thoroughbred horse trainer. She is best known as the first woman to train a winner of an American Triple Crown race, having conditioned Arcangelo to victory in the 2023 Belmont Stakes.[2][3][4]

Antonucci learned about training thoroughbred horses under the guidance of Hall of Fame Trainer D. Wayne Lukas after riding and training show horses at a young age.[5][6] She won her first career race as a trainer at Tampa Bay Downs on March 7, 2010.[1] Her first career graded stakes winner was Doctor J Dub, who won the Turf Monster Stakes at Parx Racing in 2016.[7]

In 2023 her three-year-old Arcangelo won the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park prior to competing in the Belmont Stakes, where he was Antonucci's first ever Grade 1 starter.[4] Arcangelo won the Belmont and then went on to win the Travers Stakes, making Antonucci the second female to win the Travers in its 154-year history.[8] As of her 2023 Travers victory, Antonucci has won 165 races with career earnings of over $7 million.[1]

Antonucci was awarded with the 2023 Big Sport of Turfdom Award by the Turf Publicists of America,[9] presented to individuals that enhance coverage of Thoroughbred racing through cooperation with media and racing publicists.

  1. ^ a b c d "Trainer Profile - Jena M. Antonucci". Equibase. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  2. ^ Drape, Joe (10 June 2023). "Arcangelo's Belmont Victory Makes Trainer First Woman to Win a Triple Crown Race". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  3. ^ Canavan, Tom (10 June 2023). "Arcangelo wins Belmont Stakes to make Jena Antonucci 1st female trainer to win a Triple Crown race". Associated Press. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b Grening, David (10 June 2023). "Belmont: Arcangelo's upset makes Antonucci first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  5. ^ Canavan, Tom (8 June 2023). "With Arcangelo, Jena Antonucci to become the 11th female trainer to have a horse in Belmont Stakes". Associated Press. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  6. ^ Tidwell, Sara (10 June 2023). "Who is Jena Antonucci? Meet the trainer who made history in 155th Belmont Stakes with Arcangelo". The Sporting News. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Doctor J Dub Breakthrough Horse for Antonucci". The Blood-Horse. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  8. ^ Grening, David (26 August 2023). "Arcangelo takes command with Travers Stakes triumph". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  9. ^ Hegarty, Matt (20 November 2023). "Antonucci to receive Big Sport of Turfdom Award". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 20 November 2023.