Chancer McPatrick Prevails in Thrilling Edition of Curlin

Chancer McPatrick denies So Sandy in the Curlin (Susie Raisher)

Christian Abdo/NYRA Press Office

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Flanagan Racing’s dual Grade 1-winner Chancer McPatrick secured a thrilling first win around two turns in Thursday’s Listed $135,000 Curlin presented by Casamigos, a nine-furlong test for sophomores who have not won a graded stake at one mile or over in 2025, at Saratoga Race Course.

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, who also sent out the favored Strategic Focus to finish third, earned a record-extending sixth Curlin victory to go along with Street Life [2012], Connect [2016], Highest Honors [2019], Artorius [2022] and Unmatched Wisdom [2024].

Chancer McPatrick successfully stretched back out after a seventh in the muddy seven-furlong Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun on June 7 here, which followed a pair of two-turn Kentucky Derby trail efforts including a second in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby in March at its namesake oval.

The McKinzie bay was an impressive late-rallying 3-for-3 around one-turn last year, including Grade 1 wins in the Hopeful here and the Champagne at Belmont at the Big A, as well as a local debut graduation.

“What’s proven is that he really likes a dry Saratoga track now. He’s 3-for-3 on a dry track at Saratoga. He showed a lot of heart, as he did in his previous two starts on dry tracks at Saratoga,” said Brown. “They were very courageous efforts in his maiden and the Hopeful.”

Piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr. for the first time in the afternoon after being ridden by Flavien Prat in his prior outings, Chancer McPatrick exited the inside post smoothly and took fourth position behind the Prat-piloted Strategic Focus as Crudo showed the way with mild pressure from So Sandy through an opening quarter-mile in 24.27 seconds on the fast dirt.

“I broke inside and I saved all the ground,” said Ortiz, Jr. “I had no problem to get clear down the lane and run them down. I had the horse, too. He helped me.”

Crudo led down the backstretch, followed by So Sandy, Strategic Focus, Fountain Lake and the ground-saving Chancer McPatrick as the half-mile elapsed in 48.32. Heading into the far turn, Strategic Focus made an eye-catching move to close in on Crudo through three-quarters in 1:11.59 and soon pass, but the race was not over.

Strategic Focus, once straightened for home, did not draw off like it appeared he might at the top of the lane, and the Jose Ortiz-piloted So Sandy was in hot pursuit down the center of the course with Chancer McPatrick just inside of him.

Strategic Focus still led after one-mile in 1:36.43, but the pair passed him as he switched back to his left lead late, and within the final sixteenth it was Chancer McPatrick battling with So Sandy and putting his head in front amid a few bumps in a final time of 1:49.71.

“It was not a lot of contact; it was one good bump very close to the wire,” said Ortiz, Jr. on the duel with So Sandy. “I was looking for him because my horse loves to fight and his horse changed leads I think and reacted. We had contact, but it worked out good.”

Strategic Focus was a half-length back in third, with Crudo hanging on for fourth. Fountain Lake and Hypnus completed the order of finish. Just a Fair Shake and Uncaged, entered in tomorrow’s 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 Amsterdam presented by Albany Med Health System, were scratched.

“I thought my other horse was just going to run off the screen. He galloped past the leader, and it looked like he got to the eighth pole and just stopped,” said Brown. “And then here comes Chancer and it was a good battle down to the wire. It seemed like when he got bumped, it emboldened him to come back.”

Brown opted for the Curlin for Chancer McPatrick rather than shortening up in the Amsterdam, and this could now serve as a prep for the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on August 23 here, which is the path Brown took last year with Unmatched Wisdom.

“I’m glad that we actually chose this,” said Brown. “Surely our dream would be to try to get him out to a mile and a quarter and hope for dry weather on Travers Day if he’s a horse for course.”

Jose Ortiz said the Cherie DeVaux-trained So Sandy was game in his fight with Chancer McPatrick and stakes debut off an optional claiming win in June at Churchill Downs.

“He put a head in front I think, switched to the left lead and kind of ducked in a little and bumped the winner,” said Ortiz. “Maybe if I win, maybe I get taken down anyways, but I think it was a huge improvement for him.”

Bred in Kentucky by Rigney Racing, Chancer McPatrick, a $725,000 purchase at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is out of the winning Bernardini mare Bernadreamy. His second dam is Grade 1-winner Dream Empress.

He banked $74,250 in victory while improving his record to 8-4-1-0 and returning $10.60 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Friday with a 10-race card featuring the Grade 2 Amsterdam presented by Albany Med Health System in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.