The job trainer Jena Antonucci did in developing Arcangelo into the 3-year-old champion male of 2023 has set the table for potentially more success for her in the future. While Antonucci believes the effect on her stable from Arcangelo winning the Belmont Stakes and Travers will be more apparent next year, she is back at Saratoga this summer with a large number of 2-year-olds, many of whom are likely to be seen during the 40-day meet that begins Thursday. Antonucci has already won a 2-year-old race in Saratoga this year with Whatintheliteral, who upset the Astoria Stakes at 13-1 on June 6. Whatintheliteral, already with three starts under her belt, is one of 11 entered in Thursday’s $175,000 Schuylerville Stakes. Among the 2-year-olds Antonucci plans to debut this meet are Shot in the Dark, a Don Alberto Corp. homebred by Uncle Mo who is from the family of Grade 1 winners Finder’s Fee and Furlough; Math Tutor (Algorithms), a half-brother to debut winner Integral; Skyrayleigh (Medaglia d’Oro); Global Prosperity (Global Campaign); an unnamed Bolt d’Oro colt (out of Maisie); as well as New York-bred Undisputed (Authentic), who is moving along in his training. Undisputed is related to stakes winners Midnight Disguise and Holiday Disguise. :: Gain a competitive edge at Saratoga with DRF's premier handicapping data — purchase our meet packages today and bet with confidence. Antonucci has a Stonestreet homebred colt by Tapit out of the Grade 1 winner Dream Rush who may not make the meet because Antonucci doesn’t want to sprint this half-brother to graded stakes winners Dreaming of Juila and Dream Pauline. In addition to Whatintheliteral, other fillies Antonucci has are New York-bred Graceful Warrior (Fog of War) and an unnamed Vekoma filly out of the mare Rylee’s Song, herself a half-sister to Grade 1 King’s Bishop (now the H. Allen Jerkens) winner Capt. Candyman Can. That so many of these 2-year-olds are getting ready this early is just an example of the diverse stable Antonucci has, not necessarily a change in her philosophy. In her career, Antonucci has a record of 2-1-2 from a dozen 2-year-old starters at Saratoga. “I think the methodical aspect is still the same, it’s just we have more firing power to have more [starters] and I would expect we would have entries for each one,” Antonucci said. “How they’re getting themselves together, they’re going to end up separating themselves. Just having more opportunities with 2-year-olds, if they’re ready, they’re ready. I’m not sitting on anything and I’m not pushing on anything.” George Weaver had his best Saratoga with five 2-year-old winners in 2023. Though he was forced to stop on the impressive-looking Colloquial – runner-up to Mentee on debut at Aqueduct – due to an issue, Weaver appears to have several babies to run at this meet. Bogart (Ghostzapper) is a sibling to four winners; Governor Sam was beaten three lengths in the Royal Palm Juvenile at Gulfstream Park on debut; Speed of Sound (Vekoma) is likely stakes-bound off a debut win at Gulfstream; and West Memorial will try to rebound from a fifth place in the Astoria in the Schuylerville. Yesterday (American Pharoah) is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Roses for Debra. Ellinger and an unnamed filly out of Vinda are both by Vekoma, a horse Weaver trained who has had a lot of early success with his first crop. Trainer Mark Casse said he plans to have his largest presence of 2-year-olds ever at Saratoga. He runs Sherbini in the opening-day Schuylerville. Bullet, winner of the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream, is being pointed to a race at Woodbine, then is expected at Saratoga. Maidens Casse is looking forward to starting include Wonderland (Medaglia d’Oro), She’s a Gamer (Game Winner), Vixen (Vekoma), Will Reign (War of Will), Sandman (Tapit), Trip Aces (Constitution), Dare to Breeze (Daredevil), and Charlotte’s Heart, a New York-bred daughter of Authentic who brought $725,000 at Saratoga’s yearling auction last summer and is a half-sister to recently retired four-time Grade 1 winner Casa Creed. “Winning first time out is never my goal,” Casse said. “If it happens, that’s fine. It’s not something I strive for.” Trainer Todd Pletcher has already sent out good-looking debut winners Mentee (full brother to champion Fierceness), Showcase, and Carmen’s Candy Jar. Mentee is entered to run in Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford, while Carmen’s Candy Jar was entered in Thursday’s Schuylerville. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Among his maidens expected to start at the meet are Tenacious Leader (Not This Time) – entered Saturday – Be Real (Curlin), Social Hour (Practical Joke), Good Cop, and Nudge. Pletcher expects Nudge to improve off his fourth to Mentee first time out. Unnamed runners to look for are colts with the following pedigrees: Quality Road–Sweeter Than Wine; Curlin–Dark Nile; and Curlin–Touching Beauty. His fillies include Coral Sea, Indeed, and horses with the pedigrees Curlin–Tiger Moth and Curlin–Out Post. Chad Brown has won at least five 2-year-old races in 10 of the last 12 Saratoga meets. Some of his leading prospects this summer include Asbury Park, Atomic Age, Chancer McPatrick, Incentive Pay, Uncatalyzed, and unnamed runners with the following pedigrees: Liam’s Map–Queen Bee to You and Into Mischief–Curlin’s Approval. Among the fillies Brown hopes to debut this summer are Briland, Competitive Market, Donor Advised, Lavender Disaster, Midway Memories, Opulent Restraint, Offscript, Rescue Me, Virgin Colada, and an unnamed runner by Into Mischief out of the mare Teresa Z. In this space last year, trainer Danny Gargan proclaimed the then-unraced 2-year-old Dornoch to be the best horse he ever trained. On July 29, Dornoch finished second to Seize the Grey in a maiden race at Saratoga. This year, Seize the Grey won the Preakness, Dornoch captured the Belmont Stakes, and both are attempting to get to the Travers on Aug. 24. Gargan has already sent out a 2-year-old winner this year, the good-looking filly Complexion (Complexity), who won by 6 1/2 lengths and is the potential favorite for Thursday’s Schuylerville. Gargan’s other fillies include Snowyte (Good Magic) and Gellhorn (Volatile), the latter a half to three multiple winners. Among his colts to watch are Mythical Man (Mucho Macho Man), Dragoneer (McKinzie), and Duty Calls (Union Rags). Trainer Christophe Clement has won 24 juvenile races over the last five Saratoga meets. Pivotal Moment (Bolt d’Oro) had trouble at the start of his debut and finished third. Davy Crockett (Constitution), Hands of Time (Liam’s Map), and No Evidence (Vekoma) are colts he is expected to start at the meet. Annascaul (American Pharoah) and Isle Blue (Speightstown) head his list of fillies. Steve Asmussen won nine juvenile races in Kentucky this spring/summer but also had six runner-up finishes and many of those are likely to show up at Saratoga, including Asleep at Eight (entered Saturday), Clever Again (American Pharoah), who will stretch out on turf, Reliable Source (Volatile), and Tap Into This (Tapit). Brad Cox has won 14 2-year-old races over the last three summers at Saratoga. He only started three 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs, winning a maiden race with Eclatant (Into Mischief), a filly who could show up in one of the stakes at this meet. Cox has a lot of powerful pedigrees, including colts Rothko (Tapit–Covfefe) and Invictus (Into Mischief– Serengeti Empress) as well as fillies Immersive (Nyquist –Gap Year) and Unwavering Trust (Nyquist–High Heeled Girl). Shug McGaughey is flush with 2-year-olds, including Sansone, a half-brother to champion mare Midnight Bisou and graded winner Verifying, a debut winner in 2022 at Saratoga; Statesman (Constitution); and Tom’s Way (Kitten’s Joy). Fillies McGaughey expects to debut at the meet include Chantico (Munnings), Rematch (The Factor), Pure Beauty (Malibu Moon), and an unnamed War Front out of the mare Mata Mua. Cherie DeVaux plans to be active with 2-year-olds, primarily on turf. Among the ones to look for are Good Conduct and Without Caution – both by Without Parole – and Profound, a colt by Twirling Candy. Among the 2-year-olds from the Bill Mott barn to look for are Prime Rocket (Tapit), Royal Presence (American Pharoah), Ranger Battalion (Omaha Beach), as well as the filly Margot’s Angel (Practical Joke). This year marks the first group of 2-year-olds by Travers and Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law. It’s only fitting that his trainer, Barclay Tagg, has a seemingly talented runner by Tiz the Law in Tiz Dashing. Spirit of the Law, also by Tiz the Law, could be a turf horse for Tagg. Among Tagg’s top fillies are Marital Trust and Vow to Resiliency, both by Not This Time. Melanie Giddings has a handful of 2-year-olds, led by Leon Blue, named by owner Bill Parcells in honor of the late trainer Leon Blusiewicz, and the filly Melle Mel (Liam’s Map) a sibling to four winners. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.