In the program of 13 Belmont Park races on June 10, 2023, a total of 65 coaches were represented by athletes. Five of them are women. One of them won the Belmont Stakes (G1).
Her name was Jena Antonucci, and in the days following Belmont’s victory Arcangelo She is the gift that keeps on giving. Thoroughbred race, yearning for some good news, is self-praising Antonucci’s achievement in being the first woman to coach a Belmont winner, and more than any other winner in the race. the Triple Crown lawsuit.
But in a US population split nearly 50-50 between him and her, is that really a landmark moment the sport should be incredibly proud of?
Purebred training is not easy. This profession requires a web of attributes, not least of which is an inherent sympathy for the animals asked to perform for the profit and pleasure of the people who brought them into this world.
A trainer must be able to manage a labor-intensive, small and medium-sized enterprise. They must be able to tolerate bureaucratic oversight and more effectively delegate distracting tasks. People who confuse losing with failure are not good candidates for the job.
The best coaches are open, confident and know the difference. People’s skills are different, but a good assessment of another person’s character can avoid many problems. Also, a good memory is needed, because nearly everything that has happened to a racehorse will happen again.
The list goes on and on. There are no height and weight requirements. Citizenship is not an issue, although it helps to have no record. Physical strength is meaningless. A sense of humor is required. But there’s no point in a job description that should exclude a candidate based on their gender.
The story of Antonucci and Arcangelo has turned into a slim but compelling narrative since 1938, when 25-year-old Mary Hirsch bet on Thanksgiving to win the Travers Stakes. Bryan Field, in his lengthy New York Times article of the day, did not mention the winning coach’s name. The race’s chart lists her as “M. Hirsch”, leading casual readers to think Thanksgiving is still being coached by Max Hirsch, Mary’s father, who piloted the foal when he was 2 years old. year old.
Compared to Belmont or Travers, the Breeders’ Cup is a new event, its history marked with winners in women’s coaching. Jenine Sahadi broke the code in 1996 to win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) with Lit de Justice, then, for those who weren’t paying attention, she did it again with Elmhurst in 1997. Carla Gaines and Maria Borell also won the Sprint, while Kathy Ritvo peaked professionally in 2013 after winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) with manly man .
Laura de Seroux coached Azeri to be the Horse of the Year 2002, Breeders’ Cup winner and multi-category champion. Trained Women’s Sprint Champion Linda Rice La Verdad . And the reason Jena Antonucci was able to make Triple Crown history in Belmont—aside from her impeccable handling of Arcangelo—is because Shelly Riley missed a lousy run to win the Kentucky Derby last year. 1992 (G1) when her Common Lie came in second.
The above makes for an impressive list and a great read. Then again, it’s never enough if you can name them all. The patriarchal squeeze on participation in the highest levels of American Thoroughbred racing is as tight today as it was when Mary Hirsch was initially denied a license by The Jockey Club. Today, licenses are available for qualified women who want to train. Access to investment and opportunity is a completely different matter.
For decades, this reporter has appreciated the training profession represented by a range of attractive individuals, both men and women. Some of them have even sacrificed their health and happiness for intimate contact with their sometimes unpredictable Purebreds. The least of them was Del Carroll, who died one morning at Keeneland from a racehorse named Sportin’ Life.
John Nerud and Jeff Lukas suffered serious head injuries during practice. One made a full recovery, the other did not. Ron McAnally broke his hip and rib when he was knocked out one morning at Del Mar by a fugitive. Charlie Whittingham, Richard Mandella, John Shirreffs, D. Wayne Lukas, Blake Heap, Art Sherman — here are just a few familiar names that have been smashed and broken, but none of them blamed the horse.
Then there was Martine Bellocq, who worked as a trainer for a small stable at San Luis Rey Downs in Southern California. She’s never had more than a few dozen starts in a season, and wins are few and far between. But there’s no one more interesting to talk to about her passion for animals. It was clear that she would do anything for them – and then she did.
Martine Bellocq while she was training in Southern California
On the afternoon of December 7, 2017, when a raging fire spread from barn to barn in San Luis Rey Downs, sending people and horses fleeing, Bellocq rushed into a burning barn in an attempt to rescue the baby. 2 year old unattended child. Wild Bill Hickory, one of half a dozen Purebreds in her care. Her husband, Pierre Bellocq Jr., watched in horror as Martine spent so long trying to coax the frightened pony to safety. Wild Bill Hickory was lost, and by the time her husband was able to carry her, Bellocq had suffered severe internal damage from smoke inhalation and third-degree burns over half of her body.
She spent the following years in and out of the hospital enduring skin grafts, painful therapies, and the amputation of her left foot. Progress has been slow and painful. Bellocqs moved back to his native France last year, occasionally returning to Southern California to visit family. But mostly they continue to deal with the aftermath of Martine’s brave, reflexive actions as a Purebred trainer.
“We’re fine,” Martine wrote in a text message this week. “We’re in the south of France near Grasse, 20 minutes north of Cannes.”
“Doing well” is what Bellocq, now 67, would say no matter what. Her stalwart Gallic spirit was shaken by the flames and her wounds, but never fell. Either way, she’s busy with Pierre – the eldest son of the famous cartoonist Peb – who recently suffered a minor stroke. They have been married for 48 years.
“He’s fine,” she noted. “Just a little scared. We’ll be here until November and then back to California for a while.”
Martine was asked if she would watch Jena Antonucci’s win in the Belmont Stakes.
“Yes, that’s great,” Martine wrote. “But for me, horse racing is over. Now I just enjoy watching the big races.”
History has threads, some frayed, some tied neatly after years of dangling. As young French expatriates, the Bellocqs met in the winter of 1974 in Aiken, South Carolina. At the time, she was working for future Hall of Famer TJ Kelly, and Pierre was working for Buddy Hirsch, Mary Hirsch’s brother. Have Martine and Mary ever met?
“Possibly,” Bellocq wrote. “That was a long time ago.”
In the program of 13 Belmont Park races on June 10, 2023, a total of 65 coaches were represented by athletes. Five of them are women. One of them won the Belmont Stakes.
