Breaking: Rivelli’s Top Horses Head for Epic Showdown at Kentucky Downs!

Victorious Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint participant Nobals and his equally gifted and swift stablemate One Timer are scheduled to compete at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 7 in the Grade 2, $2 million Turf Sprint, as stated by their trainer, Larry Rivelli.

Interestingly, Rivelli made the same announcement last year. One Timer indeed participated at Kentucky, narrowly losing the six-furlong Turf Sprint to Gear Jockey in a photo finish involving four horses, after having won the Franklin-Simpson Stakes in 2022 as a 3-year-old.

Last-minute changes saw Rivelli sending Nobals to Colonial Downs for the $150,000 Da Hoss Stakes, a race the gelding managed to win, paving his way to the Breeders’ Cup triumph.

“Absolutely, yes, yes, yes,” Rivelli responded jovially when asked about the last year’s switch. “With a $2 million purse this year… The stakes are so high, it’s very likely” that he’ll run both horses.

Kentucky Downs’ all-turf meet is scheduled for Aug. 29, 31, and Sept. 1, 5, 7, 8, and 11.

With the prize money doubled this year to $2 million for Kentucky-bred horses and $1 million for all others, the Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs serves both as a precursor to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and a goal in itself. The champion secures an automatic place in the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

So far this year, Nobals and One Timer have each only run once. Nobals finished fourth, missing out by a total of three-quarters of a length in a Saratoga allowance race on July 28. One Timer, who didn’t make the Breeders’ Cup field last year, came second in Hawthorne’s Robert S. Molaro Memorial on the same day, marking his first start since Kentucky Downs.

The time off was intentional, according to Rivelli.

“I’m just prepping for this entire upcoming run,” he explained. “I understand how challenging it is to keep them in form for a full year. We’re just going to focus on the later part of the year, which includes Kentucky Downs with all its prize money, followed by the Breeders’ Cup.

“They’re in better shape than they were last year, to be honest. I was slightly disappointed with both of them in their last race, but there was no concrete reason or excuse. I had them well-prepared, or at least I thought I did. Nobals had a bit of an unfortunate trip, got pushed wide and couldn’t really run his race, losing out by only three-quarters of a length. However, on the turf, a two-length difference is akin to an eight-length difference on the dirt. You see the horses finishing a neck, a head, a neck, a neck apart, and so on. We were on the favorable end of a head last year (in the Breeders’ Cup), so I’m okay with it. If given the choice between finishing fourth in an allowance race and winning the Breeders’ Cup, I’ll choose the latter.

“But they’re both doing remarkably well. I’m hopeful that after the second race following the layoff, there will be no room for excuses. They’ll be in top form. They were ready last time, but perhaps they just needed a race. The horse (Mischievous Rogue) that beat One Timer at Hawthorne was the only horse in the race that looked like it could give us a run for our money, and it did.”

Vincent Foglia’s Patricia’s Hope is the sole owner of Nobals and co-owner of One Timer, with Richard Ravin owning the other half.

“If you examine their track records, they’re pretty similar horses,” noted Rivelli. “They’re not strictly five-eighths turf horses. Nobals set a new record at Woodbine over three-quarters. One Timer emerged victorious over a 6 1/2 distance at Kentucky Downs. Whether it’s three-quarters or 6 1/2, I’m not hesitant to run either of them. My horses naturally possess so much speed that I’d assume they’d be leading with fewer competitors than they’d have in a five-eighths race where everyone is racing full tilt.”

One Timer is the first offspring of the Blame mare Spanish Star, whose second foal to race is Iowa Oaks champion Just Basking, who finished third in Saturday’s 1 1/4-mile Alabama (G1) at Saratoga.

Rivelli, who is based in Chicago, plans to enter more horses at Kentucky Downs than he has in the past. He intends to enter Shezafunkydrummer, who has won 2 out of 2 races, and Ellis Park Debutante runner-up Rich City Girl in a 2-year-old stakes race, marking their debut on turf. Homie, whose only race was a turf victory at Horseshoe Indianapolis, is also being prepared for a stakes race. Shezafunkydrummer and Homie were slated to participate in Woodbine grass stakes that were cancelled last Saturday. Rivelli stated that they will now prepare for the races at Kentucky Downs.

The four 2-year-old stakes races at Kentucky Downs each carry a purse of $1 million for Kentucky-breds and $500,000 for other horses.

“That’s incredible,” exclaimed Rivelli. “If they win, you could retire them. It would define their career. It’s fantastic there. Every race has a lot of entrants, good betting, hefty prizes, and a lot of competition. I enjoy it. I’m a big fan.”