If CHANCE IT can continue along the 2020 Kentucky Derby trail with the same success as he has had in most of his career races, the racing writers are going to have some wonderful stories to write.
The 3-year-old son of Currency Swap came off a layoff and won a prolonged stretch battle with As Seen On TV to win the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream on Jan. 4
Making his first start in open company after dominating the Florida Sire Stakes series, Chance It scored as the 3-5 favorite in a well-balanced field of seven 3-year-olds to give a third straight stakes victory to Gaffalione, who came into the one-turn mile stakes off winning rides aboard Sound Machine in the Glitter Woman and She’s My Type in the Ginger Brew.
Saffie Joseph also visited the winner’s circle with Kitten’s Joy (G3) victor Island Commish and Sound Machine.
“Today is great. This is the one I needed, though. If he got beat, I wouldn’t sleep,” said Joseph with tears of joy in his eyes. “I thought he was beat at the eighth pole, I really did. He switched leads and he just dug in for that something extra. That’s the heart of a champion. I don’t want to call him a champion, because he has to earn it, but that’s the quality of a horse that becomes a champion.”
Chance It saved ground along the rail as Smash Factor opened up a clear lead along the backstretch under Jose Ortiz, stalked by As Seen On Tv with Paco Lopez aboard. Gaffalione bided his time around the far turn before making a decisive move inside of tiring Smash Factor entering the stretch to set up the dramatic stretch duel that resulted in a hard-fought victory.
Under heavy whipping from Gafflione, Chance It ran the one mile distance in 1:35.33 for a 94 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
Chance It was making his first start since capturing the $400,000 In Reality, the 1 1/16-mile final of the 2019 Florida Sire Stakes Series at Gulfstream Sept. 28, by 7 ¼ lengths. The son of Currency Swap also won the $100,000 Dr. Fager and finished second in the $200,000 Affirmed in the lucrative series for Florida-bred 2-year-olds.
Chance It, who finished second in his June 1 debut, bounced back to offer a brilliant 9 ¼-length triumph at Gulfstream June 29. The Florida-bred colt won the 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight race at Gulfstream in 1:03.95 while being wrapped up in the stretch, earning the fastest speed figure in the country produced by a 2-year-old at the time and one that he matched in the Dr. Fager.
“I’m so proud of this horse. I’m glad we had him fit enough because I knew he would have to belly down, and he did belly down,” Joseph said. “He’s a special horse. Most horses would lay down there, especially off a layoff. The horse on the outside [As Seen On Tv] I have a lot of respect for; he’s obviously a good horse. Chance It is just special. Hopefully he comes back good. He’s the best horse I’ve ever had in my life.”
“There’s the Holy Bull and the Fountain of Youth. We’ll decide which one we want to go to. We have plenty of options but I want to stay home,” Gulfstream-based Joseph said. “We’ll see which way we want to go.”
The $350,000 Holy Bull (G3) is scheduled for Feb. 2, while the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) is slated for Feb. 29.
CHANCE IT’S dam, Vagabon Diva, by Pleasantly Perfect, was adopted for $250 from Second Stride Thoroughbreds by Fred Pace when he was looking for a mare to breed to Jersey Town, a season his son had won at a farm event. Eventually the mare was obtained by Bett Usher, who had not been in the breeding game in Florida for some time. As a friend of trainer Mary Lightner, her father/trainer Mike, who raced the Jersey Town offspring from Vagabon Diva, she took the mare and sold the Currency Swap colt to the Lightners as a weanling.
Mary Lightner started the Shooting Star Thoroughbred syndicate, 100 shares for $2,500 at the beginning of 2019 and Chance It, named for the colt’s arrival into the world, was one of the group’s first horses.
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