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Connections ‘Taking Things Slow,’ But Top Florida-Bred Chance It On Comeback Trail

As the annual FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series gets under way at Gulfstream Park Saturday with the running of the $100,000 Dr. Fager and $100,000 Desert Vixen, last year's hero, Chance It, will continue making progress along the comeback trail in Ocala, FL.

Shooting Star Thoroughbreds LLC's stable star, who was victorious in two of the three legs of the 2019 Florida Sire Stakes, was sent to the sidelines with a foot injury sustained during the running of the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) March 7.

“He's doing really well. He's gotten bigger and stronger. He's happy. He came out of the Tampa Bay Derby with a foot injury, and it takes a while to grow a foot,” said Mary Lightner, syndicate manager of Shooting Star Thoroughbreds LLC. “We just started putting him under tack two weeks ago.”

Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Chance It, who won his 2020 debut in the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream to take a step onto the Derby Trail, is being patiently handled on the comeback trail from an injury that resulted in the first off-the-board finish of his career.

“At the training center, it's up and down hill, so he's getting a lot from walking up and back from the track. Probably, in a week and a half, he'll start jogging,” Lightner said. “We're going real slow with him. We hope to get him back running in the fall.

“It's about three-quarters of a mile to the track and back. It's up and down hill on the horse path,” she added. “We're having our groom walk him up to the track and back. He's doing good and doing everything right.”

Chance It bounced back from a second-place finish in his career debut last June to turn in a brilliant 9 ¼-length maiden-breaking triumph at Gulfstream. The overachieving son of Currency Swap came right back to capture the $100,000 Dr. Fager before finishing second in the $200,000 Affirmed and winning the $400,000 In Reality by 7 ¼ lengths to close out a highly productive 2-year-old campaign.

“It was an unbelievable year – hard to duplicate, that's for sure. I think he became the workingman's horse and had a huge following because of his pedigree that no one thinks about. I think they kind of saw him as overcoming a lot to win those kind of races and be that kind of horse,” Lightner said. “Everybody got behind him. We had a great time.”

Coming off a three-month layoff, Chance It made a sweeping move to the lead in the mile Mucho Macho Man only to be headed by multiple-stakes winner As Seen On Tv in mid-stretch. Chance It found a late reserve of energy to fight back and win by a head.

“He really laid his body down to win that race. I can't take anything away from As Seen On TV. They both ran a great race,” Lightner said. “You thought he was beat and he came back. He has a huge heart. It makes you so proud of him.”

Lightner is looking forward to a long future for Chance It.

“There are a lot of races for him. Nobody thinks of him as a stallion and as long as he stays healthy and we try to do the right thing by him, he can run until he's 5 or 6 years old. That's why we're taking things slow with him and that everything's right before we send him back,” she said. “Saffie is looking forward to getting him back, but he's on the same page. He doesn't want to rush anything.”

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Factor This, Mr. Misunderstood Headline Cox Contingent For Sunday’s Kentucky Downs Preview

There have been nine total stakes run in the first two years of Ellis Park's Kentucky Downs Preview Day, with trainer Brad Cox winning three and no other trainer winning more than one. Cox can pad that stat Sunday as he sends out four horses in the five $100,000 turf stakes designed as launching pads to big-money races at Kentucky Downs' all-grass meet.

The Cox arsenal is headlined by Factor This, who will try to repeat in the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup, and Mr. Misunderstood, who won the inaugural Kentucky Downs Preview Tourist Mile in 2018 and was third last year. (Cox also won the 2018 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup with Arklow, who in his next start captured Kentucky Downs' $750,000 Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup.)

Gaining Ground Racing's Factor This, a $62,500 claim two years ago, has already surpassed last year's breakout season, when he won three races and finished fourth after setting the pace in the 1 1/2-mile Kentucky Turf Cup, whose purse was upped to $1 million last year. Factor This started his 5-year-old season with a third but has ripped off three stakes wins since, sweeping New Orleans' Grade 3 Fair Grounds Stakes and Grade 2 Muniz Memorial before taking Churchill Downs' Grade 2, 1 1/16-mile Wise Dan in his last start.

Cox is using the Ellis stakes as a prep for Churchill Downs' $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic on the delayed Kentucky Derby card Sept. 5. That Grade 1 stakes is 1 1/8 miles, with Cox believing the 1 1/4-mile at Ellis is a better setup than running in the mile stakes as a prep.

“We didn't want to go from the Wise Dan and give him all the time” in between, Cox said. “He had some time between the Muniz and the Wise Dan, and we believed the 1 1/4 mile-and-a-quarter race would fit in well on the schedule in terms of trying to make the race Derby Day. He likes to be able to break and clear off if given the opportunity, and you're going to be able to do that at a mile and a quarter more than a mile. I think his perfect distance is a mile and an eighth.”

Once put on turf, Mr. Misunderstood stamped himself among the best turf milers in the Midwest, winning eight stakes in 2017-2018. An illness hampered his 2019 season, but Mr. Misunderstood seemed to be back to form in winning Churchill Downs' Grade 3 River City for the second year in a row last November. Three races this year have been disappointments but have shown a progression, most recently a second in a tough Churchill Downs allowance race won by Preview Tourist Mile rival Spectacular Gem.

“He's run good,” Cox said. “He's had two races off the (four-month) layoff. The (handicapping) numbers are solid. He's won this race before. He's doing well. I'm happy with the way he's training. I think with a good trip, he'll be effective.”

Cox has Vanbrugh in the RUNHAPPY Preview Turf Sprint, Juddmonte Farm's 5-year-old gelding making his second start in the U.S. after racing in Europe. Vanbrugh was second in his American debut, a 1 1/16-mile Churchill allowance race that also was his first start in ninth months. Cox thinks the Ellis race's 5 1/2-furlong distance will be a bit short, but the goal is to get Vanbrugh to the $700,000 RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint at six furlongs at Kentucky Downs.

Meadow Dance comes into the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint for Cox off of a second in Prairie Meadows' Iowa Distaff at 1 1/16 miles. A six-furlong specialist, she's trying turf and 5 1/2 furlongs for the first time.

Looking ahead to Aug. 9, Cox said he and owner Godolphin are “leaning toward” running Indiana Derby winner Shared Sense in the $200,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Derby. “Right now I'd say we're pointing toward Ellis,” Cox said, adding of Keeneland's Toyota Blue Grass winner Art Collector, “We'll have to step up. Maybe if we move forward and that horse regresses we can beat him.”

Shared Sense was second to Art Collector in an inordinately tough four-horse allowance race at Churchill Downs.

Ellis Park will stage an all-turf Pick 5 on Sunday's stakes, which on Thursday drew a total of 55 entries: an overflow 13 in the Preview Ladies Turf, capacity 12 in the Preview Turf Cup and Preview Tourist Mile, 10 in the Preview Ladies Sprint and eight in the Preview Turf Sprint.
The $100,000 purse for each race includes $25,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. The purse money for the stakes was generated at Kentucky Downs and transferred to Ellis Park in an arrangement with the horsemen's group at both tracks, the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association.

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Collusion Illusion, Fashionably Fast Top ‘Win And You’re In’ Bing Crosby

The 3-year-old Collusion Illusion and the 5-year-old Fashionably Fast lead a nine-horse field of talented sprinters in Saturday's 6-furlong, $250,000 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) on NBCSN, with live coverage from Del Mar beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The Bing Crosby winner will receive an automatic berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The three-hour program, in association with TVG, marks the fifth telecast this year in the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” on NBC and NBCSN from some of North America's most iconic racetracks. The series leads to the 37th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., scheduled for Nov. 6-7 on NBC and NBCSN. The complete series TV schedule can be accessed here.

Commentary and discussion for the telecast will be anchored by TVG's Todd Schrupp and Simon Bray. Post time for the Bing Crosby is 9:30 p.m. ET.

Collusion Illusion, trained by Mark Glatt and ridden by Flavien Prat, has won four of five starts, but will be challenging older horses for the first time. He comes into the Bing Crosby off an excellent performance in the 6 ½-furlong Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park on June 20, winning by 3 ¼ lengths. Owned by Dan Agnew, Rodney Orr, Jerry Schneider and John Xitco, Collusion Illusion won both his starts at Del Mar last year, breaking his maiden at 5 furlongs in July, and following up that performance with a win in the Best Pal Stakes (G2).

Collusion Illusion made his next start in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park on Sept. 27, and was pulled up in the stretch. After a nearly eight-month layoff, he returned in May for his 3-year-old debut with a sharp 3-length win in a 6-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita.

California-bred Fashionably Fast, trained by Dean Pederson and ridden by Tiago Pereira, won six consecutive races dating back to July of last year, including three at Del Mar, before stepping into graded stakes company in the 7-furlong Triple Bend (G2) at Santa Anita on June 7. He put up a tough battle against top older horse McKinzie into the stretch, but finished second by 1 ½ lengths.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert entered McKinzie in the Bing Crosby, but said Wednesday that he would be scratched.

Prior to the Triple Bend, Fashionably Fast opened this year winning the California Cup Sprint Stakes and the Tiznow Stakes at Santa Anita.

A challenge from Kentucky comes from Calumet Farm's 4-year-old Lexitonian, who is being shipped to California following a scratch at the gate in last Saturday's Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. A chestnut son of 2004 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Speightstown, Lexitonian, trained by Jack Sisterson and ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, finished third by less than a length in last October's Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. After a 10th-place finish in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn in April, Lexitonian rebounded with a solid win in a 7-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs on May 29.

Harris Farm's 6-year-old gelding Desert Law fought Cistron down the stretch in last year's Bing Crosby Stakes, finishing second by a half-length. A California-bred son of Desert Code, trained by Carla Gaines, Desert Law made his first start of this year in the 6-furlong Thor's Echo Stakes on June 13 at Santa Anita, finishing third as the even-money favorite. Desert Law will be ridden by Victor Espinoza.

W.C. Racing's 4-year-old gelding Wildman Jack, winner of four of nine starts, will make his dirt track debut on Saturday. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Wildman Jack, a bay son of two-time Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Goldencents, made his biggest career score on March 7 when he captured the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3) in stakes-record time at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. He was scheduled to make his next start in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) at Meydan but the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. He returned to the U.S. and won the Daytona Stakes (G3) on the turf at Santa Anita on May 23 by a nose over Sparky Ville. However, in his most recent start, he trailed the field in the Shakertown Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on July 11.

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Point Of Honor ‘Deserves A Shot’ Against Midnight Bisou In Personal Ensign

Proud as he is of the way Point of Honor performed last summer at Saratoga, finishing second in both the Grade 1 Alabama and Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, trainer George Weaver is hoping for a little better this year.

“She ran big here last year, but she got beat,” Weaver said. “Hopefully, she doesn't get beat this time.”

The task will be a difficult one, as Point of Honor will line up against champion Midnight Bisou and four others in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets. The 1 1/8-mile event for older fillies and mares is the first of five stakes, four graded including three Grade 1s, worth $2 million in purses on a 12-race Whitney Day program.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing's Point of Honor won the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan last spring at Pimlico Race Course prior to her Saratoga runs, and did not race back until finishing second as the favorite in a seven-furlong handicap in March at Tampa Bay Downs.

The 4-year-old daughter of Hall of Famer Curlin overcame a slow start to run third in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 18 at Oaklawn Park, and most recently came up a nose shy of winner She's a Julie in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on June 13 at Belmont Park. Both races are contested at 1 1/16 miles.

“I think she's a better filly at 4. I think she's filled out and she's a stronger filly. Her races have all been good this year, though we're still waiting to get that first win,” Weaver said. “It's a tough assignment on Saturday but she deserves a shot at it as much as anybody in there.”

Point of Honor drew far outside in the field of six, while Midnight Bisou will break from post 3 in defense of her 2019 Personal Ensign victory, which came by a nose over Elate with She's a Julie third.

“Midnight Bisou is the champ. If you're trying to pick the horses to run against you wouldn't pick her,” Weaver said, “But, we're here and she's doing well and she deserves a shot at it so we'll see what happens.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, aboard for seven of Point of Honor's nine races including both Saratoga starts and the Black-Eyed Susan, has the return call Saturday.

Weaver also said R.A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables' Vekoma, impressive last out winner of the Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile on July 4 at Belmont, is doing well and expected to make his next start in the Grade 1, $300,000 Forego on August 29 at Saratoga.

Vekoma has yet to return to the work tab since the Met Mile, a front-running 1 ¼-length triumph that extended his win streak to three races and came 28 days after a 7 ¼-length romp in the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter Handicap which, like the Forego, is contested at seven furlongs.

“I was on the fence in running back in the Met Mile after four weeks off the big race in the Carter, and following the Met Mile I was not looking to come back in four or five weeks,” Weaver said. “We're trying to make it to the Breeders' Cup and the Forego is the most logical next spot.

“So far, everything's looking good and we're looking forward to getting him back to the races,” Weaver said. “He's always been a good horse. The sky's the limit for him.”

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