Jena Antonucci | |
Occupation: | Trainer |
Career Winnings: | $7,385,806 |
Career Wins: | 165+ (ongoing) |
Race: | American Classics Graded Stakes Wins: |
Horses: | Arcangelo, Doctor J Dub |
Updated: | 26 August 2023 |
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.[1] [2] [3]
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.[4] [5] She won her first career race as a trainer at Tampa Bay Downs on March 7, 2010.[6] 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.[3] 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.[6]
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.