Antognoni S looking to ‘Cruze’ in Big M series
At 0h03, on April 10, 2026 • By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
The Ron Burke-trained Antognoni S had a fabulous 2025, yet, he didn’t make headlines like his stablemate Lexus Kody, who ended the season as the Dan Patch Trotter of the Year after earning an industry-best $1.3 million.
Last year, Antognoni S won 16 of 24 starts and banked $481,537. His two biggest wins came at Yonkers Raceway – in the MGM Grand Prix and John Brennan Trotting Series – but he didn’t race during the course of the season in the bigger events against “Kody”, or Kody’s arch-rival, Periculum.
This year, things could be much different.
Antognoni S will be at The Big M Friday (April 10) night in the first leg of the JL Cruze, a series that pays tribute to the first horse to ever break the 1:50 barrier on the trot at The Meadowlands. Antognoni S is the 5-2 morning-line favorite from post three with co-owner Yannick Gingras in the sulky.
“He’s ready to go, I think, right now,” said Burke of Antognoni S, who qualified at The Big M on April 4 in spectacular fashion. “Last year, it was never a question of racing at The Meadowlands, it was just, we didn’t have him in the big stakes. We didn’t make payments because we didn’t really know last year how good he was.”
Antognoni S’s versatility could go a long way toward a big 2026. It’s already obvious that he can do things at a high level going four turns.
“It doesn’t matter (what sized track), honestly, that’s a good horse,” said Burke. “By the end of (2025), I told (co-owner) Mark (Weaver) and them guys, he’s better than (Lexus) Kody. We would train them together and he would beat Kody.
“I think this year he’ll be maybe the best aged trotter we have.”
It won’t be easy pickin’s for Antognoni S Friday. He still has to contend with Asteroid and Resolve To Win, who finished second and third, respectively, a week ago in The Big M’s overnight trotting feature. Take All Comers led for most of that dash, and he, too, is part of the 10-horse field.
The JL Cruze series will have its second leg on April 24 before the final on May 2.
Then, the stakes season for older trotters at The Meadowlands kicks off on May 16 when 4-year-olds and older go at it in the $175,000 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial. It was last year in the Cutler that Antognoni S made his last appearance at The Big M, when the 6-year-old gelded son of Father Patrick-Bouncing Bax finished third as the 6-5 favorite behind Periculum and Lexus Kody.
Maybe both of Burke’s trainees will face off again in the Cutler, as Lexus Kody gets his season underway this Saturday (April 11).
“Lexus Kody qualifies Saturday at The Meadowlands,” said Burke. “I think Kody has a bigger (2026) schedule, you know, because we do keep Antognoni more for (the smaller tracks), because, obviously, Kody can’t do Yonkers like Antognoni can. Kody will do it once in a while but he’s not going to do it all the time like this horse will. So more small tracks with this horse, more big tracks with Kody.”
What’s the schedule for Antognoni S?
“I’ll have to talk to his genius co-owner and driver,” said Burke with tongue firmly in cheek. “I’m sure after the first start, we’ll see what he thinks.”
“He does fit him well,” said Burke of Gingras when speaking seriously. “He does such a nice job with him because he keeps him quiet. The horse can get hot. He does a great job. He picked his spots when he pushed him leaving and made him sit in. I thought that’s what I loved the other day about the qualifier. He sat in perfectly and then exploded (home in :25.4 to win in 1:54.1).
“We didn’t know he was that good (last year), so he’ll get more (opportunities) this year. He’ll get more of a chance to prove he belongs. And there’s no doubt in my mind that he belongs.”
