Gemonteer eyes Hall of Fame

Gemonteer has come a long way in a short time.

Seven weeks after winning his career debut in game fashion April 29, Gemonteer became a stakes winner, and an impressive one at that, by drawing away to a 4 3/4-length victory over Shana Tova last Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $100,000 Not Surprising Stakes. Gemonteer, a 3-year-old son of Distorted Humor trained by Jena Antonucci, earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

Patience has proven a virtue with Gemonteer, who was sent to Antonucci by owner Gelfenstein Farm late last season.

“The owner said to be patient with him, so we just gave him time to grow up,” said Antonucci, who has 25 horses stabled at Gulfstream Park. “He’s compact but well put together and just a cool horse to be around. And we learned an awful lot about him in his first start.”

Running under a $50,000 claiming tag in his debut, Gemonteer set the pace from the rail, repulsed one challenger after being headed briefly turning for home, and then turned back two other rivals nearing the wire, registering a much-deserved threequarter-length decision under jockey Miguel Vasquez.

“A lot of horses will cave in a situation like that, especially in their first start,” said Antonucci. “But he was so determined turning back all those bids, saying, ‘I really want this.’ It really picked our eyes up.”

Gemonteer again withstood prolonged pace pressure before succumbing grudgingly to finish second in his next start, which came against starter allowance company, but he again impressed Antonucci with his effort.

“The horse that beat him was out there so wide, I don’t think he saw him coming,” said Antonucci. “But he showed us enough to be hopeful he would run well in the stakes. Then to see him rebreak like that after being headed at the top of the stretch last week in the stakes was pretty dynamic and a real thrill for all of us.”

Antonucci said she will test Gemonteer a little more in his next start, which could come in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame on the turf at Saratoga on Aug. 3.

“We’ll just keep asking him the questions and see how far he takes us on this journey,” said Antonucci. “Obviously, it will be a tough task going up to Saratoga for a race like that. We’ll just let him tell us if we’re right or wrong.”

Antonucci is in her third season as a year-round resident at Gulfstream and said the program is ideal for a trainer with a stable the size of hers.

“This horse is a perfect example of the program here, which allows you develop a horse through stages without throwing them to the wolves all at once, to give a horse a chance to gain confidence as they go along and to learn to be a racehorse,” said Antonucci. “For a small- to medium-size stable like mine, it’s perfect.”

Wide-open turf sprint

Sunday’s main event is a $42,000 turf sprint for statebred fillies and mares that lured 10 starters. The race looks wide open, with any number of logical contenders, including recent claiming winners Fallen Leaf, R Little Secret, and Sum Roar, along with Onebrethatatime and Celtic Moonlight, who finished second and third under similar conditions June 21.

Edgard Zayas, who’ll keep his regular seat on R Little Secret despite the speedy filly having been claimed out of her last start, was the star of the show Thursday, winning four races to move into a dead heat for second in the standings with Emisael Jaramillo, two back of Tyler Gaffalione.

Jaramillo and Gaffalione are both making the most of their opportunities since the summer meet began July 1, winning at clips of 30 percent and 26 percent early in the long session, which runs through September.