Hard Spun

Three-time graded winner and runner-up in the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby Two Phil's (Hard Spun-Mia Torri, by General Quarters) will stand the 2024 season at WinStar Farm near Lexington. His retirement was previously announced after the chestnut suffered an ankle injury during his win in the June 24 GIII Ohio Derby. A fee will be revealed later. "We have been looking for a Danzig-line horse that meets our standard of physicality, pedigree, and race record for some time now," said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of WinStar Farm....

Bet down from a 12-1 morning line to be off at less than half that quote, Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Elysian Field (Hard Spun) stamped her authority on Sunday's Woodbine Oaks--despite some wayward ways in the final eighth of a mile--to give trainer Mark Casse a fourth victory in the first leg of the Canadian Filly Triple Crown and first since Barber's Lexie Lou (Sligo Bay {Ire}) scored in 2014. In partnership with Michael Langlois, Barber also won Sunday's Plate Trial S. with Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman). With...

Unfortunately, they only have one Two Phil's (Hard Spun). If they had another, presumably making Four Phils in all, then they might yet have the consolation of a proxy in the big races through the second half of the season. As it is, we can only offer our sympathy to the heartbroken team around a horse that brought us such precious cheer during what is proving a challenging year for our sport. Because that's the whole point, really. The big programs would be able to temper their disappointment, on losing...

On the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland sits the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and about 15 miles away Saturday afternoon in southeast suburban North Randall, Patricia's Hope, Phillip Sagan and Madaket Stables' Two Phil's (Hard Spun) turned in a heavy metal performance of his own, treating seven rivals to a thorough 'beat'-ing in the $500,000 GIII Ohio Derby. 'TDN Rising Star' Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), narrowly defeated by next-out GI Belmont S. hero Arcangelo (Arrogate) in the GIII Peter Pan S. last month, was no match for...

Two Phil's (Hard Spun), a too-good-to-lose second after racing on top of a hot pace in the GI Kentucky Derby, kicks off the second half of his season in Saturday's GIII Ohio Derby at Thistledown. The GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner has been firing bullets for trainer Larry Rivelli at Hawthorne since, including a five-furlong move in :59 (1/14) June 8. Jockey Gerardo Corrales will replace the injured Jareth Loveberry in the irons. 'TDN Rising Star' Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), drawn one to the inside of the 8-5 morning-line favorite...

Salute the Stars continued his rise through the ranks here with a determined victory in the Pegasus S. at Monmouth Park. Coming into the race riding a two race win-streak which began when he wrapped his juvenile season with a victory against maidens at Ellis on the grass, he moved from John Ortiz to Brad Cox before his seasonal bow last out May 14 in an off-turf allowance. Winning there by a neck, he was made the 5-2 second choice behind Kingsbarns, who was reappearing for the first time since...

OCALA, FL - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training duly marched through its opening session with a $450,000 son of Hard Spun one of three horses to top the $200,000 mark Tuesday in Ocala. At the close of business Tuesday, 192 juveniles had sold for a gross of $7,110,400. The average of $37,033 was up from the 2022 session's final average of $34,431--which included post-sale transactions--but was down from the end-of-session figure of $38,628. The median of $20,000 dipped from the final figure of $22,000,...

Though trainer Christophe Clement had to scratch his expected morning-line favorite from this event, he had more than enough talent waiting in the wings as Queen Picasso (GB) (Kingman {GB}), off a debut victory at Gulfstream Apr. 5, made it two-for-two with a win in the GIII Soaring Softly S. Unveiled around two turns in south Florida, the half-sister to G1SW Acclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) had already proven her affinity for the grass while her main rival, race-time favorite Lady Beth (Hard Spun), was forced to debut over the all-weather...

This week, Larry Rivelli is counting himself lucky in more ways than one. Before this year, he had never seriously considered ever running a horse in the Kentucky Derby, but here he is now in Barn 1 at Churchill Downs with a 12-1 morning line contender. After training for more than two decades, Rivelli is sharing his first Derby journey with an ownership group that he calls family. Two Phil's (Hard Spun), the winner of the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks and a seasoned veteran among the Derby contenders with eight...

The colt had been getting a little fractious in the gate and now he half sat down: too low for Jareth Loveberry to climb out, but not low enough to scramble underneath. "Get me out!" the jockey hollered. He was just trying to lift himself clear when his mount came back up and pinned a calf against the steel. The pain was excruciating. It was only five seconds or so before they got the gate open but that was enough, as they stretched him out, for the agony to be...

6th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 3:40 p.m. At Keeneland on Sunday afternoon, MAGIC TAP (Tapit) debuts for Winchell Thoroughbreds breaking from post three with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons. The $450,000 KEESEP purchase, bred by Don Alberto, is a half to MGISW American Gal (Concord Point). Dam GSP American Story (Ghostzapper) is herself a sibling to G1 Golden Shaheen victor Reynaldothewizard (Speightstown) and GI Apple Blossom scorer Seventh Street (Street Cry {Ire}), who went on to produce GSW Lake Avenue (Tapit). This Steve Asmussen firster fired a bullet work...

Saturday's two 100-point preps for the GI Kentucky Derby yielded a pair of colts who are polar opposites in many ways. Yet the stock is on the rise for both Two Phil's (Hard Spun) and Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo), as their respective scores in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks and GII Louisiana Derby are attracting attention while stamping both as legitimate mid-tier threats on the Triple Crown totem pole. Two Phil's ($150,000 KEESEP) has appeal as a 4-for-8 blue-collar closer/stalker whose strengths are versatility and adaptability. He's won sprinting and routing...