HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Shooting Star Thoroughbreds LLC’s Chance It breezed five furlongs Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park, where the 3-year-old son of Currency Swap is slated to run in the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) Feb. 29.
The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Chance It worked in company with stakes-winner Captain D. and was timed in 59.74 seconds for his third workout since capturing the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Jan. 29. The clocking was the third fastest of 43 recorded at the distance.
“It was a good work. I’m happy with where we’re at,” Joseph said. “He’ll have two more works and we should be ready to go in the Fountain of Youth.
Chance It, the hero of the 2019 Florida Sire Stakes series, made an impressive 3-year-old debut in the Mucho Macho Man, in which he rated off the pace before taking the lead in the stretch and fighting back to win by a head after being headed by As Seen On Tv in deep stretch. Sole Volante, who finished third, went on to win the $200,000 Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Saturday. Smash Factor, who defeated Chance It in their respective debuts in June but finished far back in the Mucho Macho Man, won a stakes-quality allowance at Gulfstream last week.
“The true test for any race comes in four or five weeks when you see how the form works out. Smash Factor came back to win and Sol Volante won [Saturday] at Tampa. To beat those horses off a layoff was impressive,” Joseph said.
Chance It bounced back from his second-place finish in his June debut to turn in a brilliant 9 ¼-length triumph at Gulfstream. He came right back to capture the $100,000 FSS Dr. Fager before finishing second in the $200,000 FSS Affirmed and winning the $400,000 FSS In Reality by 7 ¼ lengths to close out a highly productive 2-year-old campaign. The In Reality was contested at the 1 1/16-mile distance of the Fountain of Youth.
Via Gulfstream Park Press Release
