Two Phil’s And Trainer Larry Rivelli Racing For Chicago In Kentucky Derby

If Two Phil’s manages to secure an unlikely win in Saturday’s 149th Kentucky Derby, it will not only be a monumental victory for Illinois horse racing, but also a tribute to the memory of the dearly missed Arlington International Racecourse.

Larry Rivelli, a Chicago native and trainer of Two Phil’s, developed his passion for horse racing at Arlington while still a toddler. He frequently accompanied his grandfather, the late Pete DiVito, a renowned horse trainer from Chicago, to the backstretch. This experience profoundly influenced Rivelli, leading him to become a third-generation horse trainer. His uncle, Jimmy DiVito, has been training horses in the Chicago area for over half a century.

Rivelli didn’t merely become another horse trainer. He secured nine trainer championships at Arlington, with a streak of eight consecutive wins from 2014 to the track’s final meet in 2021. In 2022, the Chicago Bears’ ownership acquired the track, intending to construct a new stadium and an Illinois sportsbook on the site. Rivelli currently houses his 70-horse stable at the Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, the last standing horse racing track in Chicago.

Two Phil’s, Rivelli’s first Derby starter, also calls Hawthorne home base.

Two Phil’s would provide an all-Illinois victory in the Derby

Two Phil’s, an Illinois-based horse, is the first to compete in the Kentucky Derby from the state in 16 years. The last one was Recapturetheglory, who finished fifth in the 2007 Run for the Roses, which was won by Street Sense. Coincidentally, Hard Spun, the father of Two Phil’s, also competed in the Derby in 2007, finishing in second place.

The last occasion when a horse from Illinois won the Derby was in 2002, 21 years ago. The horse, War Emblem (pictured below, photo by Al Behrman / AP), triumphed in the race.

If Two Phil’s were to win at Churchill Downs on Saturday, it would be a total victory for Illinois.

The chestnut colt aged three years, a progeny of Hard Spun and Mia Torri, was bred by Phil Sagan, an advertising executive from Bloomingdale. Sagan, in collaboration with Madaket Stables, retains a 20% stake in the horse. The remaining 80% stake is owned by Pat and Vinnie Foglia, Jr., mother-and-son clients of Rivelli who reside in Chicago’s northwestern suburbs. They race under the banner of Patricia’s Hope LLC.

Jareth Loveberry, a Chicago-based jockey making his Derby debut like Rivelli, will ride Two Phil’s.

The horse will begin from post 3 and holds a 12-1 position in the morning line. Its chances are deemed even higher by handicappers. As of Friday afternoon, Two Phil’s was at 8-1.

Where you can bet on the Kentucky Derby in Illinois

In Illinois, numerous options are available for betting on horse races, such as the newly legalized FanDuel Racing app.

You can also bet:

• On the Track: Two live racetracks are situated in Illinois – the Hawthorne Race Course and the FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing near St. Louis. Both offer on-site betting windows.
• Several online racebooks including TVG, Club Hawthorne, NYRA Bets, TwinSpires and XpressBet, readily accept bets from Illinois-based gamblers.
• OTBs, which stands for off-track betting, refers to parlors that are located in multiple cities across Illinois.

Hawthorne, having a significant stake in Two Phil’s, is unsurprisingly hosting what they claim to be Chicago’s largest Kentucky Derby party. The event will feature live music, an outdoor BBQ fest, craft beer tasting, a charity chili cook-off, a live broadcast by 670 The Score with Big Doug, and tent lounges equipped with multiple high-definition TVs for viewing the race.

Anticipate Two Phil’s to be a favorite in the Hawthorne betting, especially considering the horse’s trainer is quintessentially Chicago.

Rivelli’s Chicago roots run Blues Brothers deep

In addition to spending his youth running around the backstretch at Arlington, Rivelli also holds a small connection to another iconic Chicago institution.

He was just nine years old when he served as a dancing extra in John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd’s tribute to Chicago, The Blues Brothers. Dressed in grey, Rivelli can be seen dancing in the scene where Ray Charles performs Twist It. We believe Rivelli is the one circled in the image below.

“A lot of guys are ambitious, with their entries and thinking they might have a little more than they do. Always want to go with a loaded gun, so to speak. This is the first time I’ve had a loaded gun for this particular distance, this particular age group, this particular scenario.”

Although Two Phil’s has not competed on either of the two tracks in Illinois, he has consistently trained at Hawthorne.

The horse was born thanks to a suburban Chicagoan with a significant amount of beginner’s luck.

Two Phil’s Illinois origin story

Sagan’s initial Thoroughbred purchase, a filly named Mia Torri, led to the creation of Two Phil’s. Mia Torri had a successful racing career, winning over $300,000 from 10 races. Upon her retirement, Sagan decided to breed her with Hard Spun, based on the suggestions of Jerry La Sala and Steve Leving, prominent figures in Chicago’s racing scene.

The first foal passed away. The second one was named Two Phil’s, in honor of Phil Sagan and Phil La Sala, the father of Jerry.

Sagan attempted to sell Two Phil’s on two separate occasions before the horse entered the races. However, due to the offers falling short of Sagan’s expectations, his family reached out to Rivelli. Rivelli then facilitated a deal for the Foglias to purchase 80% of the colt.

The Foglias also have strong ties to Chicago.

Vince Foglia Sr. co-founded a medical tech company, Sage Products LLC, in 1971. The firm was bought by the Stryker Corporation of Michigan in 2016 for an estimated $2.7 billion. Following this, the Foglia family turned their attention to philanthropy via The Foglia Family Foundation. Additionally, Pat and Vinnie, Jr. took up horse ownership. Shortly after, Vinnie, Jr. befriended Rivelli, and they quickly became successful partners in racing.

Vinnie, Jr. was the top owner at Arlington for seven consecutive years when the track was operational from 2015 to 2021.

Two Phil’s jockey, Jareth Loveberry, originally from Chicago, saw his career skyrocket in 2019 when he started riding at Arlington after moving to the city. However, since Arlington has shut down, Loveberry primarily races in Kentucky now. Despite this, his family remains in Chicago. Whenever he has a free day, Loveberry undertakes the five-hour drive from Churchill Downs to Chicago.

Rivelli hoping to win it for Illinois

Rivelli, a lifelong resident of Chicago, is aiming to secure a Derby victory for his hometown and home state. He is confident that Two Phil’s is up to the challenge.

“Rivelli conveyed to Mitchell Armentrout of the Chicago Sun-Times that good horses can come from any location.”

The level-headed demeanor of the two Phils should be helpful.

“An audience of 150,000 individuals will be in uproar, and other horses will be overwhelmed, perspiring, and anxious. However, he maintains a certain aura of calm, as if fear is foreign to him. He doesn’t charge out of the gate immediately. Yet, when he perceives daylight, he recognizes it’s his cue to take off.”

If Larry Rivelli and his fellow Chicagoans land in the winner’s circle as the sun sets beneath the iconic twin spires on Saturday, he will undoubtedly carry warm memories of his grandfather and Arlington with him.