Larry Rivelli

City of Light's Rich City Girl Sharp on Debut at Ellis Park

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...

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'The Goal is to Win the Breeders' Cup Again' – BC Turf Sprint Winner Nobals Gearing Up for Return

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...

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Rivelli Reveling Following Nobals's BC Turf Sprint Win

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...

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WinStar to Stand Two Phil's

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....

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Audible Filly Records First Win For Her Sire

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...

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Sunday Insights: Recent OBS Grads Headline Sunday Action

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...

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This Side Up: No Proxy For The One And Only

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...

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Graded Stakes Fireworks Set For Saturday

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...

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Two Phil's Retired

Patricia's Hope LLC, Phillip Sagan and Madaket Stables' Two Phil's (Hard Spun--Mia Torri, by General Quarters), a two-time graded winner and runner-up in the GI Kentucky Derby, has been officially retired from racing after suffering an ankle injury during the June 24 GIII Ohio Derby. Daily Racing Form was first to confirm the news. Bred by Sagan from his dual-stakes winning mare Mia Torri, Two Phil's graduated at second asking at Colonial Downs last July before romping by nearly 10 lengths in the Shakopee Juvenile at Canterbury Sept. 17. A...

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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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Loveberry Injured, Will Not Ride Two Phil's In Ohio Derby

Jareth Loveberry, who has ridden GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Two Phil's (Hard Spun) in all but one of his nine career starts, has had to take off the mount for Saturday's GIII Ohio Derby due to an injury. Gerardo Corrales has picked up the assignment for trainer Larry Rivelli. Loveberry rode Wednesday at Canterbury Park and experienced some pain when his horse, Artemus Citylimits (Temple City), stumbled at the start of the Dark Star Turf Sprint S. "I had a horse stumble out of the gate and jerk my left...

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Friday Insights: Pair Of Undefeated Fillies Square Off

2nd-CD, $134K, OC, 3yo, f, 6f, 6:28 p.m. A pair of fillies will look to stay unbeaten in their third career starts at Churchill Downs on Friday evening. 'TDN Rising Star' SUNDAY SHOES (Pioneerof the Nile) came from off the pace breaking her maiden sprinting at Turfway Park Feb. 15, then got up by 3/4 of a length in Florence Apr. 1 in the Serena's Song S. over next-out stakes winner Jill Jitterbug (Cross Traffic). The $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling sale purchase trained by Wesley Ward counts among her female...

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