Jim O'Donnell: Rivelli says that the Preakness is a 'no go' for Two Phil's

PLEASE HOLD ALL Maryland crabcakes.

Two days after his Two Phil's took a lead in the stretch of the Kentucky Derby before finishing a game second, trainer Larry Rivelli said Monday that the colt will not start in the Preakness.

“Too soon,” Rivelli — a resident of North Barrington — told The Daily Herald. “‘Phil' came out of the Derby great. We shipped back to Chicago Sunday but the Preakness is just twelve days away. That's just too soon.”

Sent off as the 9-1 fourth choice in a field of 18, Two Phil's followed fast fractions before surging into the lead of the $3M, mile-and-one-quarter classic on an inside path turning for home.

Under notably sharp handling by jockey Jareth Loveberry, the 3-year-old chestnut opened up only to be passed by the late-closing champ Mage ($32 to win) in the final 170 yards.

Two Phil's was beaten by one length. Favored Angel of Empire (4-1) was one-half length back in third.

“I'm not a guy who celebrates (second-place finishes) but this was an exception,” said Rivelli, 51, a third-generation conditioner on the Chicago thoroughbred circuit. “So much had to go right for us and all came so close to going perfect. And you have to give major credit to Loveberry for the ride.”

FROM POST 3, LOVEBERRY SHOOK OFF some early brushing to move Two Phil's into a forward stalking slot behind rabbits Verifying (14-1), Kingsbarn (11-1) and Reincarnate (14-1).

Loveberry's risk was that Two Phil's would weaken from the swift chase. That front end included quarters of :22.35, :45.73 (half) and 1:10.10 (six furlongs).

A speck earlier than perfect, late in the final turn, Loveberry had an inside opening and Two Phil's blew through.

“Jareth's decision was great,” Rivelli said. “The hole was there and he took it. He was fully aware of the fractions and he was also fully aware that the closers would be coming after those fast splits. I thought he did just a great job. He saved horse and ground while chasing fast times.

“If he had waited a few more strides, that opening would have been gone and we would have been lucky to finish fourth. That's race riding.”

TWO PHIL'S CAPTURED $600,000 for owners Vinnie Foglia and Pat Foglia, also of North Barrington (80%); breeder Phil Sagan of Bloomingdale (10%) and new partner Sol Kumin (10%).

Kumin, an East Coast businessman, purchased one half of Sagan's stake for his Madaket Stables a few days before the 149th Run for the Roses.

Afterward, Two Phil's quietly celebrated in Barn 1, Stall 1 on the Churchill backstretch.

“I had a little talk with him and he nuzzled my shoulder,” Rivelli said. “Then he wanted his feed tub and sleep.”

Rivelli returned to the Louisville airport-area suite hotel where a lobby party was underway.

“I think there were about forty of us there,” the Crystal Lake South (Class of '89) grad said. “Pizza, beer, wine, whiskey, champagne. Just happy — happy. We almost won the Kentucky Derby. Then I was the first to crash.”

RIVELLI AND COMPANY HAD MORE to celebrate than just the gallant run of Two Phil's.

Earlier on the card at Churchill Downs, his front-running Nobals — also owned by the Foglia family and their Patricia's Hope LLC — won the $500,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at 38-1 and paid $78.

Rivelli claimed that he had only $100 across — win, place and show — on the 4-year-old gelding.

Strong swirl on the Louisville-to-Chicago cash line that associates of the nine-time Arlington Park training titlist won more than $100,000 betting Nobals.

“All I can tell you is that I had $100 across,” Rivelli winked. “As far as anybody else, you know some people are always going to speculate.”

THE PREAKNESS IS SCHEDULED to be run on Saturday, May 20, at Baltimore's teetering Pimlico Race Course.

Mage, trained by the Venezuelan Gustavo Delgado, is expected to start. With Rivelli's opt-out, no other significant Derby starters are expected to contest the one mile-and-three-sixteenths second leg of thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown.

AS FOR THE NEXT START of Two Phil's, Rivelli said the Belmont — on June 10 — is “a possibility.”

More likely is a shot at some drop-in maintenance score and then a break to aim for a championship late-summer sequence.

That trail could open with either the $600,000 Jim Dandy at Saratoga on July 29 or the $500,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer on August 6.

If the colt continues to thrive, the glitzy $1.25 million Travers at Saratoga August 26 could be in the stable's sights.

Back at southwest suburban Hawthorne Race Course Monday, Rivelli concluded: “I can only tell you two things for sure. One, ‘Phil' isn't going anywhere next to lose.

“And two, we almost just won the Kentucky Derby.”

• Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears Sunday and Thursday Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.