Two Phil's headed to Turfway for Jeff Ruby
Two Phil’s, second in the Lecomte Stakes and third in the Risen Star, has left Fair Grounds and settled into trainer Larry Rivelli’s string at Hawthorne, and will make his next start March 25 at Turfway Park in the $700,000 Jeff Ruby Stakes.
Two Phil’s has made all seven of his starts and dirt and will be trying a synthetic surface for the first time. Rivelli said the other option was a long trip to the $600,000 Sunland Park Derby on March 26, but that race has been ruled out.
“This will hopefully be a good spot,” Rivelli said. “I actually two-minute-licked him on that track, and he seemed to handle it good.”
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Two Phil’s, who ranks 11th with 23 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby, worked what Rivelli described as a maintenance half-mile on March 2 at Hawthorne in 52.20. Rivelli said Two Phil’s would have a more serious drill in coming days.
Open-lengths winner of the Street Sense in October, Two Phil’s ran a similar race in both the 1 1/16-mile Lecomte and the 1 1/8-mile Risen Star, moving sharply past the three-furlong marker before being passed in the late stages. Two Phil’s regular rider, Jareth Loveberry, suffered a hairline tibia fracture on March 1 at Fair Grounds, but Rivelli said he’s hopeful Loveberry will be able to retain the mount on Two Phil’s.
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