Jockey Jareth Loveberry's saddle has taken him a lot of places over the course of his career, but the top of the Kentucky Derby points standings was uncharted territory until last weekend.
Following a convincing victory in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 25 at Turfway Park, Two Phil's sits at the top of the list with 123 qualifying points, assuring the son of Hard Spun a spot in the Kentucky Derby on May 6. Loveberry has been aboard Two Phil's for all but one of the colt's career starts, and this would be his first Kentucky Derby mount.
A start the Derby would continue an amazing career progression for Loveberry, whose riding career began at Great Lakes Downs in his native Michigan. He has won meet titles at Mountaineer, Canterbury Park, and Hawthorne Race Course, and he was the final leading rider at Arlington Park in 2020 and 2021. He most recently finished third in the jockey standings during the recently completed Fair Grounds meet in Louisiana.
On the Chicago circuit, Loveberry became the first-call rider for perennial leading trainer Larry Rivelli, who conditions Two Phil's for owners Patricia's Hope LLC and Phillip Sagan.
On this week's episode of The Friday Show, Loveberry discusses his Jeff Ruby trip aboard Two Phil's, recovering from a hairline fracture to his fibula that could have put that mount in jeopardy, and his journey through the blue-collar tracks of the Midwest and Southwest to potentially ride in the biggest race on the calendar.
