Jon Ebbert celebrates Arcangelo’s win in the Belmont (NYRA/Coglianese)
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Jon Ebbert of Blue Rose Farm hit a home run when purchasing Arcangelo for $35,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The Arrogate ridgling, who is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers, lived up to his pedigree last out with a 1 1/2-length score in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.
Arcangelo is out of the Tapit mare Modeling, whose second dam Better Than Honour produced Belmont Stakes winners Jazil [2006] and Rags to Riches [2007].
A maiden winner at third asking in March at Gulfstream Park, Arcangelo won his stakes debut in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Peter Pan in May at Belmont before taking the Belmont Stakes for trainer Jena Antonucci, who became the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race.
“It’s been an unbelievable experience and a dream come true,” Ebbert said. “I visit him all the time. I’ve made a couple trips up to Saratoga just to see him and I’ve been here for about 10 days now and go to see him every morning. He looks amazing. It’s the best I’ve ever seen him.”
A son of 2016 Travers-winner and stakes record-holder Arrogate, Arcangelo has banked more than 30 times his purchase price and seeks to provide Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano a record-extending seventh Travers coup.
”We’re confident. I’m so happy with Jena and Javier – we’re blessed to have them,” Ebbert said. “Saratoga is an amazing place with the history here. Just to be at the track and in the town, it’s like you’re walking back in time.”
Ebbert said Arcangelo made a memorable first impression at the sale.
“I’ve still never seen a horse like that. He caught my eye and he was the most beautiful horse I’ve ever seen,” Ebbert said. “I had an idea that he could mature into a great horse. He was scrawny and there wasn’t much to him, but he was leggy and I thought he’d mature. He looked athletic. I saw what he could be.”
Ebbert is looking forward to debuting a Hard Spun 2-year-old colt out of the graded stakes-placed Jump Start mare Maude later this year. Purchased for $35,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the unnamed chestnut is a half-brother to the multiple graded stakes-placed Crowded Trade.
He also spent $50,000 on a Vino Rosso yearling at the recent Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearling Sale. The colt is out of the winning Bernardini mare Turn and Bern, who is a full-sister to multiple stakes-winner Haul Anchor and a half-sibling to multiple stakes-winners Mark My Way and Hard to Stay Notgo.
“He looked like a fast Vino Rosso – not all of them that I’ve seen look like they have a quick turn of foot and he looked like he has speed. So, we’ll find out in about a year,” Ebbert said.
The frugal Ebbert said despite his recent success, he remains steadfast in trying to find the right horse at the right price.
“I’m a little pickier than I used to be. I’m looking for Arcangelo, but they really don’t make them like that,” Ebbert said. “It’s a little tougher to find something I like for the right price.”
