Antiquarian

Antiquarian made his career debut as a 3-year-old at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 13, 2024, and won his maiden in his second lifetime start in a 1 1/16-mile race at Fair Grounds on Feb. 17.  From there he was entered next out in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in his third career outing and finished sixth in an 11-horse field. 

Antiquarian returned against graded stakes company in his next start and enjoyed much more successful results. Antiquarian won the Grade 3 $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes going 1 1/8 miles at Belmont at the Big A on May 11. After stalking the pace all the way, Antiquarian made his move in the stretch and passed the two leaders to top a six-horse field by three-quarters of a length. The Peter Pan is regarded as the main New York prep race for the Belmont Stakes. Subsequently in the Belmont Stakes, Antiquarian finished fifth in what would be his final start of 2024.

Antiquarian was back in action off a long layoff for his 4-year-old campaign in 2025 and started the season off with an allowance optional claiming win going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park on April 19. Antiquarian followed with a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Blame Stakes going 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs on May 31 and a second-place finish by a head in the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes going 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga on July 4.

The next start for Antiquarian was back at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga in the Grade 1 $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes on Aug. 31. In a race that was marred by an incident at the start where favorite Sierra Leone steadied to avoid a fallen rider that came off second favorite Mindframe, Antiquarian benefitted with a good stalking trip and passed the leaders in the stretch and held off a late run from Sierra Leone to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths with John Velazquez aboard. The Jockey Club Gold Cup was a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" race, and with his victory, Antiquarian earned an automatic berth into the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Antiquarian is trained by Todd Pletcher. He was bred in Kentucky by the sire Preservationist out of the mare Lifetime Memory by Istan.