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 the services even of a horse as accomplished as Two Phil's, with the likelihood that an equivalent talent will eventually come along. And it was precisely because the circle of friends who launched Two Phil's towards the top of his crop did so by such accessible investment–he's out of the only Thoroughbred ever purchased by the Sagan family, a $40,000 daughter of a failed stallion–that so many of us identified with their cause. They made us feel we all had a chance.

Two Phil's, moreover, had been progressing from a somewhat sentimental, blue-collar rooting interest to a perfectly credible candidate for what feels an open sophomore championship. He was the only contributor to the GI Kentucky Derby pace that managed to hang tough, and looked better than ever on his first start since in the GIII Ohio Derby last weekend. How maddeningly typical of this game, then, that even in opening up new horizons his owners should suddenly reach a dead end.

They must now regroup, clear their heads and find Two Phil's his best chance at stud. His maternal family contains its challenges, but that is true of a lot of good stallions and something, after all, is demonstrably functioning in his genetic make-up. There is an increasing burden on sons of War Front and Hard Spun to maintain the shortest available connection to their breed-shaping sire Danzig, and Two Phil's certainly bears an auspicious resemblance to his excellent sire. Both proved their adaptability by winning the same Derby trial on a synthetic surface, before proceeding to finish second at Churchill. On the right farm, I'm sure that Two Phil's has every chance of writing a new chapter in the fairytale; and his connections have played their cards too faultlessly to need any help in determining which farm might be the right one.

In the meantime, we must just thank them for introducing this authentic ray of sunshine into our present darkness. As I've noted before, that rogue apostrophe actually became part of what the horse stood for: a symbol of his quirky, aberrational advent among those who set expensive standards at the top of the market. He arrived as a defiant Chicago gesture, many in his entourage having been deprived of their natural habitat–and one of the jewels of the racing planet–by the closure of Arlington Park by the very people who host the Derby.

One of those cast adrift from Arlington was trainer Larry Rivelli, whose prospects of replacing the irreplaceable should at least be enhanced by having drawn national attention to gifts already well familiar on his home circuits. In this bittersweet week, indeed, Rivelli has saddled six winners from nine starters; and these included two “Derby” winners in one weekend, with Act A Fool (Oscar Performance) making it four off the reel in the Hawthorne Derby last Sunday. Hopefully Jareth Loveberry, also integral to the horse's development, will now be able to consolidate, as well, having earned his stripes all the way through from Great Lakes Downs.

Proxy (outside) wins the GII Oaklawn Handicap | Coady Photography

But if some of these guys end up never quite retrieving the same heights, at least they all seized their opportunity when it came. And they would surely choose the shorter ride they took with Two Phil's over the “better” luck experienced by many others, in being able to restore a horse to training after being derailed before the Classics?

It's not as though there's a piece of paper anyone gets to sign, but how would you choose between Two Phil's or a horse like, say, Proxy (Tapit)? Having disappeared for 10 months after trying to get to his own crop's Derby via the Fair Grounds trials, Proxy lines up for the GI Stephen Foster S. on Saturday as a mature horse, with every prospect of building on what for now remains a fairly marginal prizemoney edge over Two Phil's. Since his comeback, he has also availed himself of a Grade I (in the Clark last fall). He's an admirable creature, in a field replete with similar types. But if you were in a crew that might very well only ever have one shot at the big time, would you not be swung by the fact that every Thoroughbred foal, from the moment it slithers into the straw, has one chance–and one chance only–to take you on the walk over for the Derby?

In the winter of 2021-22, certainly, the McPeek barn wasn't dreaming of the 2023 Stephen Foster for Smile Happy (Runhappy) and Rattle N Roll (Connect). The former at least made it to the Derby before his disappearance, but I'm delighted to see him back thriving now. He was bred by the charming Xavier Moreau, from a $57,000 daughter of Pleasant Tap. That was about as much as Xavier had ever spent on a mare, and tragically he lost her almost as soon as Smile Happy had emerged.

That's the thing about this game. Yes, absolutely, your little guys can beat the billionaires by breeding a Smile Happy, or a Two Phil's. But nor will they get any special treatment from Lady Luck, just because all their eggs might be in a single basket.

The only answer is an old one: “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.” If that can be in May, and get you anywhere near that blanket of roses, so much the better.

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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 the winner in second, while longshot Hayes Strike (Connect) ran on to be third.

With Jareth Loveberry forced to the sidelines by a most untimely injury, it was Gerardo Corrales–in the irons for Two Phil's's debut at Churchill Downs almost exactly one year ago Saturday–who got the call-up from trainer Larry Rivelli, and despite never being on a stage quite this big, executed a tactically perfect ride on the chestnut.

Away in good order from stall four in the eight-horse field, Two Phil's raced prominently as the rail-drawn Henry Q (Blame) was ridden aggressively by Kendrick Carmouche and led into the first turn while making the running in the three or four path. Bishops Bay raced closest in attendance, and for a stride or two, it appeared that Corrales was going to dive down to the inside before thinking better of it and settling Two Phil's on the back of Bishops Bay. It was arguably the winning move, better than six furlongs from home.

Content to bide his time from third down the backstretch as Henry Q took them through four furlongs in a sensible :47.42, Two Phil's was asked to improve at the three-eighths peg and quickly raced up to his chief market rival, as Henry Q capitulated readily. In front without having been unduly asked by Corrales with a bit less than a quarter-mile to travel, Two Phil's kicked for home and raced away to a comfortable victory. Bishops Bay was switched out at the midstretch marker by Florent Geroux, but it was far too little and far too late.

Runaway winner of last year's GIII Street Sense S., Two Phil's covered himself in glory on the New Orleans road to the Triple Crown, finishing runner-up in the GIII Lecomte S. in January and third to Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) in the GII Risen Star S. the following month. Connections then selected a path of lesser resistance, swerving the GII Louisiana Derby in favor of the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks Mar. 25, and he duly obliged with a 5 1/4-length thrashing of the classy Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro). Having earned his fair share of admirers, Two Phil's sat relatively close to the wicked early pace in the May 6 GI Kentucky Derby at odds shy of 10-1, went for an early move to lead into the stretch and fought on bravely to be beaten a length into second by Mage (Good Mgic), with Angel of Empire another half-length back in third.

The obligatory discussion of a Preakness S. appearance ensued, always a polarizing debate, but connections stuck to their guns and landed on the Ohio Derby as a springboard to the summer's seven-figure 3-year-old races in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Following his performance in front of an enthusiastic crowd Saturday, it is crystal clear that Two Phil's is hitting all the right notes with plenty to play for in the second half of the year.

Pedigree Notes:

Two Phil's is one of 97 worldwide black-type winners (47 graded/group winners) for Darley America's outstanding Hard Spun and is one of three stakes winner and the only one at the graded level for his now Turkish-based broodmare sire General Quarters.

Breeder and part-owner Phillip Sagan raced Mia Torri to four wins from 10 starts including victories in the Sunshine Millions Distaff and Sugar Maple S. while placing in the GIII Charles Town Oaks and the GIII Bed o' Roses S. A half-sister to a pair of stakes performers, the 10-year-old Mia Torri has a 2-year-old colt by Omaha Beach and a yearling colt by McKinzie. There is no reported foal as yet for 2023, but she was bred to Omaha Beach last season.

 

 

 

Saturday, Thistledown
OHIO DERBY-GIII, $500,000, Thistledown, 6-24, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49.60, ft.
1–TWO PHIL'S, 126, c, 3, by Hard Spun
1st Dam: Mia Torri (MSW & MGSP, $314,720), by General Quarters
2nd Dam: Flip the Stone, by Birdstone
3rd Dam: Flippy Diane, by Aaron's Concorde
($150,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Patricia's Hope LLC, Phillip Sagan and Madaket Stables LLC; B-Phillip Sagan (KY); T-Larry Rivelli; J-Gerardo Corrales. $300,000. Lifetime Record: GISP, 10-5-2-1, $1,583,450. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Bishops Bay, 126, c, 3, Uncle Mo–Catch My Drift, by Pioneerof the Nile. ($450,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Spendthrift Farm LLC, Steve Landers, Martin S. Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing, LLC, Kueber Racing, LLC, Big Easy Racing LLC, Rick Kanter, Michael J. Caruso and WinStar Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $100,000.
3–Hayes Strike, 126, c, 3, Connect–Plaid, by Deputy Commander. O/B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $50,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, 7, 3 1/4. Odds: 0.60, 1.40, 18.30.
Also Ran: Lord Miles, Henry Q, Timesatappin, Agnello's Dream,Last Cookie.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Masqueparade Preps for Jim Dandy

FTGGG Racing's graded stakes-winner Masqueparade (Upstart) breezed a half-mile in :47.59 in company over a fast main track Friday in preparation for Saratoga's GII Jim Dandy S. July 31. The bay enters this year's Jim Dandy off a trio of wins for trainer Al Stall, Jr., including the GIII Ohio Derby most recently June 26.

“We're happy with the breeze. He's right on track,” Stall, Jr. said. “We'll give him a chance to see how far he can take his talent. We were patient getting to where we got to with him. He's got a good foundation underneath him. He's a laidback horse and real good about everything. He's very easy on himself.”

The top-three Ohio Derby finishers–including runner-up King Fury (Curlin) and Keepmeinmind (Laoban)–are all expected to start in the Jim Dandy, a field led by GI Belmont S. winner Essential Quality (Tapit).

“There's a bona fide 3-5 shot in there [Essential Quality], so we'll see what happens,” Stall, Jr. said. “Our horse is on the upswing, so if he keeps improving, he could be there or thereabouts. He deserves a shot. His last two races have been very good and he handled graded competition. The numbers are fine but stepping up to those proven competitors is more a test to me than running against the clock. I think he deserves a chance.”

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