Two Phil's Suffers Season-Ending Injury; May Be Retired

Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Two Phil's  came out of his victory in the June 24 Ohio Derby (G3) with an ankle injury which will end his 2023 season and perhaps his racing career.

Two Phil's sustained an undisclosed injury to his front left ankle, according to trainer Larry Rivelli.

"The owners are good, everybody's good," Rivelli said June 25. "It's nothing life-threatening or not even career-ending. It could be (career-ending). We're probably going to retire him to stud; we've got several offers and partner up with some farms."

Even if the colt's ownership group of Patricia's Hope, Phil Sagan, and Madaket Stables decides not to retire him, Two Phil's wouldn't be able to race again in 2023. Sagan also bred Two Phil's.

Sagan's son Anthony said, "The prognosis was fair. It's not a terrible injury but an injury in a horse like this you'll need time."

According to Anthony Sagan, Two Phil's was transported to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital Sunday. 

Two Phil's was 2-2-1 from five starts with $1,388,000 in earnings this year. If his racing days are behind him, his lifetime mark is 5-2-1 from 10 starts with $1,583,450 in earnings.

Rivelli said that while retirement is not a foregone conclusion, he cautioned that there is no guarantee Two Phil's would be the same if he returns to the track.

"You always want them to be at the top of their game and be able to start a career at stud at some point," he said. "What's the point of (racing) three times next year at some point if he's not going to be the same horse?"

Two Phil's won the Ohio Derby going away by 5 3/4 lengths and showed no signs afterward of the injury. Rivelli said he watched the replay several times but could not tell when the injury occurred.

"He never got bumped. ... He moved out, he moved around," he said. "The kid (jockey Gerardo Corrales) flagged him left-handed once and that was it."

Rivelli added, "It's terrible news, but at least he's got $1.6 million behind his name. He doesn't owe us too much."

The son of Hard Spun   began his 3-year-old season finishing second in the Lecomte Stakes (G3), third in the Risen Star Stakes (G2), and first in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3). He was a dark horse pick in the Kentucky Derby, but after falling short of immortality by a length to Mage , he was no longer flying under the radar. 

After bypassing the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1), the hope of his connections was to set Two Phil's up for the Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) July 22 at Monmouth Park and potentially the Aug. 26 Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. 

"It's a devastating thing because we were booking plans to go to New Jersey and the family was going to go and everyone was so excited," said Anthony Sagan. "It's a game of highs and lows, it really is. I had the same phone call with Two Phil's mom (dam Mia Torri)—she got hurt, and if she didn't get hurt then Two Phil's wouldn't be here so it's kind of a blessing that she got hurt when she did."