Hard Spun

Two Phil's 'Rocks' Cleveland In Ohio Derby Romp

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...

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Two Phil's Headlines Ohio Derby

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...

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Salute the Stars Upsets Kingsbarns In Pegasus Thriller

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...

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Hard Spun Colt 'Rockets' To Top At Workmanlike OBS June Opener

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,...

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Queen Picasso Rules The Soaring Softly

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...

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Two Phil's Carries the Flag for His Chicago Home Team

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...

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From Great Lakes Downs to the Derby

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...

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Sunday Insights: Winchell Colt Set To Pull Debut Out Of Hat

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...

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The Week In Review: Opposites Attracting Attention

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...

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Hard Spun's Two Phil's Dominates Jeff Ruby

A few days prior to Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, Larry Rivelli, the trainer of Two Phil's (c, 3, Hard Spun--Mia Torri, by General Quarters), had said, "I've been trying to think of the easiest spot for the money and I think this will be the spot. If he absolutely hates the surface, that's on me. I'm sort of putting myself out there saying that I think he will run well over it." He didn't hate the surface. Patricia's Hope LLC and Phillip Sagan's Two Phil's powered...

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Baffert Vs. Locals In The Sunland Park Derby

Even with the expected scratch of Tim Yakteen's Bob Baffert transfer Fort Bragg (Tapit), the GIII Sunland Park Derby has plenty of new connections trying their hand at the available 50- 20-15-10-5 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Baffert himself brings in the non-Derby eligible Hard to Figure (Hard Spun), second to Newgate (Into Mischief) in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita Feb. 4. The local contingent is led by Henry Q (Blame)--winner of the sole local prep in the Mine That Bird Derby Feb....

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Collected's Kalik Game in Seasonal Bow on Gulfstream Grass

1st-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 3-17, 3yo, 1mT, 1:34.64, fm, nose. KALIK (c, 3, Collected--Coronation Street, by Street Cry {Ire}) began his career in a Sept. 16 Belmont at Big A maiden special over the main track which yielded 'TDN Rising Star' Signator (Tapit) and next-out winner Warman Road (Unified), finishing last in that field. The Triple Crown-nominated chestnut was moved to the turf and stretched out to 1 1/16 miles Oct. 23 at the venue, and came a much improved second to next-out stakes-winner Bat Flip (Good Magic). Opening his sophomore...

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