Larry Rivelli

2nd-Churchill Downs, $108,750, Msw, 5-1, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :52.59, ft, 1 3/4 lengths. MERCILESANIHILATOR (c, 2, Audible--Gadabout, by Bodemeister) looked in all sorts of trouble heading for home, but got his second wind in the final furlong to give this owner, trainer and jockey Jareth Loveberry their second straight success in as many days with a debuting 2-year-old beneath the Twin Spires. Sassy C W (Yaupon) became a new 'TDN Rising Star' in the fillies' equivalent exactly 24 hours prior. Sent off at odds just shy of 6-5, the April...

The Equibase chart detailing the running of race 2 at Churchill Downs Wednesday summarized Sassy C W (Yaupon)'s performance very succinctly: 'rocket ship, hand ride'. Yup, that pretty much summed up the TDN Rising Star-earning performance. Appearing to be catapulted out of post 7, Sassy C W instantly opened up by three lengths as third choice Wakuda (Gun Runner), her closest rival, gave futile chase. Still churning her piston-like legs approaching the quarter pole, the Larry Rivelli-conditioned filly pivoted off the turn nine lengths in front, and was as good...

8th-FG, $58K, Msw, 3yo, 5 1/2f, 5:15p.m. Titletown Racing, Knollwood Stables and Torie Gladwell's REGAINED POWER (Into Mischief) gets a start for trainer Larry Rivelli. Out of Reina Maria (Songandaprayer), the March foal was bred by Mullholland Springs. The bay, a full-brother to GII Remsen winner Maximus Mischief, brought $220,000 at Fasig-Tipton last October. Stonestreet Stables' Proudly Hailed (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}) debuts for Brad Cox, a finalist for the 2024 Eclipse leading trainer. Out of Starspangledbanner (Aus)'s Spangled (GB), the Cheveley Park Stud bred colt was secured for 130,000gns at...

Nobals (Noble Mission {GB}), the 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint hero who was set to become the first American representative at the Longines Hong Kong International Races in seven years, has been officially ruled out of Sunday's G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint with a continuing blood abnormality, according to a release issued by the Hong Kong Jockey Club early Thursday morning (Hong Kong time). Recent winner of the GII Kennedy Road Stakes over the Woodbine Tapeta track, the Larry Rivelli-trained Nobals arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday, Dec. 1,...

5th-Ellis, $69,299, Msw, 7-6, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:04.93, ft, 3 1/4 lengths. RICH CITY GIRL (f, 2, City of Light--Hassler {Ire}, by War Front), a $195,000 KEESEP yearling turned $435,000 OBSMAR breezer, was working bullets at Hawthorne for Larry Rivelli ahead of her debut and ran them off their feet for a sharp score as the slight 2-1 favorite. Scratched out of Friday evening's Prairie Gold Lassie Stakes at Prairie Meadows in favor of this spot, Rich City Girl was on the engine from her inside draw and was...

With a long-term eye on a title defense in this fall's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar, Patricia's Hope LLC's Nobals (Noble Mission {GB}) has begun gearing up for his 2024 campaign. The gelded 5-year-old has posted four breezes at trainer Larry Rivelli's Hawthorne base this spring, most recently stopping the timer for four furlongs in :52.60 (50/51) May 19. "He's doing good, real good," Rivelli said. "I gave him time just for no reason. I haven't really picked out anything yet (for his return); within his next...

It's been a year of ups and downs for trainer Larry Rivelli, who saddled the very talented Two Phil's (Hard Spun) to a runner-up effort in the GI Kentucky Derby and subsequent victory in the GIII Ohio Derby before a premature retirement to stud. The conditioner was dealt another blow this week when One Timer (Trappe Shot) was ordered scratched from a potential appearance in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, but the gelded Nobals (Noble Mission {GB}) parlayed a ground-saving trip into a 12-1 upset in the five-furlong dash...

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....

WinStar Farm's first-crop sire and GI Florida Derby champ Audible celebrated his inaugural winner on Sunday when Dorothy Crowfoot (Audible--Enjoy This Moment by Midnight Lute) sped to victory at Hawthorne Race Course on Sunday afternoon. The bay filly debuted here as the 3-5 favorite after scratching last Sunday. The Larry Rivelli trainee broke alertly from the outside, controlled the fractions throughout and won going away by 6 1/2 lengths over Devil (Fast Anna). The winner's dam, a half-sister to MGSW Sum of the Parts (Speightstown) and GSW Rocket Heat (Latent...

4th-Mth, $55K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5fT, 2:02 p.m. AMO Racing's MADAME MISCHIEF (Into Mischief), out of a half-sister to MGISW Divisidero (Kitten's Joy), went for $550,000 at OBSMAR after clocking .10 flat during the under-tack breeze show. The Jorge Delgado trainee gets Isaac Castillo in the irons. TJCIS PPS 1st-HAW, $35K, Msw, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, 3:30 p.m. Another recent OBSMAR grad who fetched $500,000, Dorothy Crowfoot (Audible) makes her first start for trainer Larry Rivelli. Her dam, Enjoy This Moment (Midnight Lute), is a half-sister to MGSW Sum of...

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...

Ellis Park will host its first Grade I race in its 100-year history Saturday, but there are plenty of other graded stakes scheduled before the Fourth of July at Belmont Park, Delaware Park, Woodbine Racetrack and Gulfstream Park. Here's a rundown of what's on tap. Showdown in Belmont's Dwyer One of two graded stakes on Saturday in Elmont is the GIII Dwyer S. Going a mile, the race pits Fort Bragg (Tapit), who was forced to scratch from the GI Woody Stephens S. by trainer Bob Baffert when the 3-year-old...