Centennial Farms’ Antiquarian (Preservationist) became the first graded winner for his young sire while punching his ticket to the GI Belmont S. with a victory in Saturday’s GIII Peter Pan S. at the Big A.
Off at odds of 5-1, the last-out GII Louisiana Derby sixth-place finisher found a good spot in an outside third rounding the clubhouse turn behind Unique Insight (Gun Runner) and favored last-out GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. runner-up The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso). Positions unchanged through a half mile in :47.96, Antiquarian hit the gas while three wide approaching the quarter pole, switched over to his right lead in the stretch and fought past The Wine Steward to get the money by 3/4 of a length.
Antiquarian graduated at second asking over a sloppy track while making his two-turn debut on the GII Risen Star S. undercard at Fair Grounds Feb. 17.
“That’s what we were thinking coming into this and he certainly earned his way in today if everything goes smoothly,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said regarding a potential start for Antiquarian in the final leg of the Triple Crown, to be run at 10 furlongs on June 8 at Saratoga Race Course.
“He’s trained really well leading up to this and trained well all winter and spring. He did everything right today–he was perfect in the paddock and perfect in the gate and I think that allowed him to run his race.”
Pedigree Notes:
Antiquarian becomes the second stakes winner and first graded winner for Airdrie Stud second-crop sire Preservationist, who carried the tan-and-red colors of Centennial Farms to a win in the 2019 GI Woodward S.
Antiquarian, a $250,000 KEESEP graduate, was the third-most expensive of 47 first-crop yearlings by Preservationist to switch hands in 2022.
Antiquarian is the first foal out of the winning Brereton C. Jones homebred Lifetime Memory, who is also responsible for the 2-year-old filly Fondly (Upstart) and a yearling colt by Divisidero. She was bred to Happy Saver for 2024. His second dam Silver Reunion won the grassy GIII Endeavour S. at Tampa in 2011.
Saturday, Belmont The Big A
PETER PAN S.-GIII, $200,000, Belmont The Big A, 5-11, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:48.99, ft.
1–ANTIQUARIAN, 118, c, 3, by Preservationist
1st Dam: Lifetime Memory, by Istan
2nd Dam: Silver Reunion, by Harlan’s Holiday
3rd Dam: Silver Comic, by Silver Hawk
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($250,000 Ylg ’22 KEESEP). O-Centennial Farms; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $110,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $173,000. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–The Wine Steward, 120, c, 3, Vino Rosso–Call to Service, by To Honor and Serve. ($70,000 Ylg ’22 SARAUG; $340,000 2yo ’23 OBSMAR). O-Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher; B-Sequel Thoroughbreds LLC, Lakland Farm & Mark Toothaker (NY); T-Michael J. Maker. $40,000.
3–Protective, 118, c, 3, Medaglia d’Oro–Grace Hall, by Empire Maker. ($250,000 Ylg ’22 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable; B-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $24,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 5.90, 1.20, 6.60.
Also Ran: Unique Insight, Deterministic, Native Land. Scratched: Lonesome Boy, Tuscan Gold.
