Lifetime of Chance (#3 inside) takes the NYSSS Times Square in his stakes debut (Chelsea Durand)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— D.J. Stable’s Lifetime of Chance made his first outing for Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse a winning one, scoring a determined neck victory in Saturday’s $200,000 NYSSS Times Square, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired sophomores. The effort was awarded an 87 Beyer Speed Figure.
Shane Tripp, Casse’s Belmont Park-based assistant, said the New York-bred son of The Lieutenant was feeling good the morning after his first stakes victory.
“He came back good and ate up his breakfast this morning,” said Tripp. “He’s a cool, sweet horse and he’s nice to be around.”
The bay colt earned his Times Square victory in stalking fashion under jockey Dylan Davis, closing from 2 1/2 lengths back in third-of-7 to challenge pacesetter East Coast Girl for the lead at the top of the lane. He came under left-handed encouragement from Davis and veered out into the path of retreating rival Ten Cent Town, but straightened out for the final drive to the wire and collared a stubborn East Coast Girl at the eighth pole. Lifetime of Chance kept on well to the finish to hold off a late rally from Bank Frenzy and cross the wire first in a final time of 1:18.65.
Tripp said he expects Lifetime of Chance, the second stakes-winner from the lone Northern Hemisphere crop of The Lieutenant, will relish a two-turn configuration in the future.
“I think he wants to go around two turns and he’s a little better with somebody in front of him,” said Tripp. “I think when Dylan went left-handed it kind of caught him off guard a little bit, too.”
Lifetime of Chance entered the Times Square from a visually-impressive maiden score at sixth asking for his former conditioner Linda Rice, posting a 16-length victory against fellow state-breds after dueling for the early lead and drawing clear through the turn and into the stretch. That effort was awarded a career-best 91 Beyer. His other stakes finish was a third behind General Banker as a maiden in the NYSSS Great White Way in December.
Out of the Storm Cat mare Janetstickettocats, who is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner and Grade 1 producer Runway Model, Lifetime of Chance is a half-brother to graded stakes-winner Lucky Player.
