Final week was nothing greater than a fairy story for the Sagan household.
Simply 4 days in the past, one stormy afternoon Grass Highway Parkthey watched as their first pet, two Phils He rose nervously to meet up with Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), thus solidifying a spot on the Could 6 Kentucky Derby (G1).
Sarcastically, he is at present the highest contender on the Derby leaderboard with 123 factors, successful that no person needed after two failed gross sales makes an attempt in each his one-year and junior years.
Anthony Sagan mentioned, “We have been in Guide 1 at Keeneland (September 2021 Bull Pet Sale) and we could not promote it, we tried it, RNA’d it. Everybody got here to have a look at it and no person appreciated it.” “Then we went to OBS with Jimmy Gladwell and his daughter Nellie. They broke it within the winter and so they actually appreciated it; it truly labored in addition to Arabian Knight and some of the highest contenders.
“He went to OBS and labored 10 2/5 in gross sales and did not just like the floor, did not have a great day. No one there beloved it, we could not promote it. To get $100,000 and we did not.”
Two Phils within the saddle for the primary time
Deciding to scale back his losses, Sagan Arduous Spun He educated Colt at his residence with Larry Rivelli in Chicago. Hawthorne Park foundation. Quickly after, they fashioned a racing partnership with Vince Foglia of Patricia’s Hope and selected a reputation for the colt.
“My father is Phillip and my good friend Jerry La Sala who began us, his father’s identify is Phil. They’re each of their 80s and so they’re each characters,” Sagan mentioned. “They are surely. One in every of my members of the family got here up with the thought… everybody beloved it, it stayed that means, and we went with it.”
La Sala, a retired jockey and Sagan’s household good friend, pushed them to purchase their first horse a number of years in the past when he discovered one. Normal Areas mare in Florida. Older Sagan has spent his profession within the promoting enterprise, and though he has owned harness horses previously, he has by no means been extra passionate about thoroughbred Brits till he purchased a mare.
named mia tori For elder Sagan’s mother-in-law, the mare would turn into the double wager winner with wins within the Sunshine Hundreds of thousands Distaff Stakes and Sugar Maple Stakes in 2017. He additionally recorded two second-place finishes on the ranked firm, together with the 2016 Charles City Oaks (G3) and Mattress o’ Roses Invitational Stakes (G3) in June 2017, which would be the remaining begin of his profession.
Mia Torri wins the 2017 Sugar Maple Stakes in Charles City
After breaking her sesamoid, the mare, now 10, retired at age 4 with $314,720 from 10 begins within the financial institution.
“We have been deciding what we have been going to do, whether or not we have been going to promote it. The thought got here to me, ‘let’s breed it.’ We put it on a farm in Kentucky with Elise Handler of Spruceton Farm, who nonetheless owns it and is doing an amazing job with it,” Sagan mentioned.
“We went to lunch with Jerry and Steve Leving, who’s now Jareth Loveberry’s jockey rep, which is a coincidence, however he was the one who satisfied us to get into Arduous Spun again then. He is form of a breeder man and he mentioned: “That is for you. That is how we bought to Arduous Spun. The primary child got here out and did not make it, he died. The second dwell colt is now Two Phil’s.”
Two Phil as colts with Mia Torri at Spruceton Farm
Though the maroon colt began his profession together with his first particular weight fifth end final June, Churchill Downsshe was within the winners’ circle after her subsequent two begins, together with a virgin. Colonial Downs and on the Shakopee Juvenile Stakes Canterbury Park, they each go six lengthy distances over the bottom. Subsequent exit Keeneland He completed seventh within the 11/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity (G1), a turning level in his profession for Sagan.
“We drew 12, we have been 70-1, I feel Larry needed to see if he might compete and provides him a check drive,” Sagan mentioned. “Everybody who attended the race advised me that he had no likelihood, that he did not belong, and that when he bought residence he was fourth by 5 lengths. He received 10 lengths and cut up the sphere.
“Jareth bought off the horse and I used to be there, smiling. Many of the athletes get off once they run seventh and so they do not chortle. He mentioned, ‘This horse is best than using lengthy.’ … If it weren’t for that race, this horse may need been inside a spread of seven to forty miles the remainder of the way in which… We all the time knew he can be a very good horse, however we by no means imagined he can be like this.”
Nonetheless, the dream got here true when Two Phil blazed the remainder of his 2-year-old yr with a 5 1/4 win within the Road Sense Stakes (G3) in Churchill final October. It continued to advance in direction of 2023 with one second. instantaneous espresso Lecomte Stakes (G3) on January 21 Truthful Grounds Racetrack and Slots and returned to the New Orleans oval a month later for third place within the February 18 Risen Star Stakes (G3). imperial angel And Solar Thunder .
Two Phil’s wins 2022 Road Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs
Regardless of their large run on the Jeff Ruby beginning gate on Saturday, the ration mounts have been delivered to the sting of their seats as they puzzled if they may make it the primary Saturday in Could. In response, Two Phil’s, Florence, Ky. Main Dude A 5 1/4-length winner below jockey Jareth Loveberry is stretched to flee.
Simply seconds after the couple crossed the wire, bursts of cheer echoed and tears shed – all in disbelief on the show of the uncooked expertise of “a horse no person needed”.
“Everybody knew this was our likelihood. If it runs properly right here we’re within the Derby, and if it would not, we’re not,” Sagan mentioned. “Everybody was on their toes. … It is an amazing story, an amazing feeling, we could not be happier and Churchill can have plenty of Two Phil followers, I am going to let you know that.
“The horse is not purported to be doing what it is doing, it simply bought higher and it is form of a freak to be trustworthy. My dad began this sport with a horse after which Two Phil’s got here out. … Horse racing is a loopy sport and that is why folks play it. The perfect horses And if one of the best races had received, the little guys would not have performed.”
Two Phil’s Connections after successful Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park
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