Two Phil's will skip Belmont Stakes, points to Ohio Derby

STICKNEY, Ill. – Two Phil’s continues to thrive following his second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, but will pass on the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, in favor of the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby on June 24 at Thistledown.

Larry Rivelli, who trains Two Phil’s for Patricia’s Hope, Philip Sagan, and Madaket Stables, announced the race choice after Two Phil’s worked a strong five furlongs on Sunday morning at Rivelli’s Hawthorne Race Course base. Going in company with fellow 4-year-old One Timer, Two Phil’s, breezing in hand, according to Rivelli was timed in 59.80 for five furlongs.

Sunday’s was his second work following the Derby, in which Two Phil’s ran best among any horse close to a wilting pace in a race Mage won with a sustained closing run from the rear of the field. While Rivelli said all along that Two Phil’s had come out of the race in good shape, he and the colt’s owners quickly nixed any talk of a run in the Preakness Stakes. And last week, Rivelli already was strongly leaning toward the Ohio Derby, which he thinks will build a better bridge to the main summer goals for Two Phil’s, the Haskell and the Travers.

Two Phil’s most important win came in the Jeff Ruby Steakes over Turfway’s Tapeta surface, though the colt, by Hard Spun, also is a multiple stakes-winner on dirt.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.