Sporting Chance fresh for wide-open Hopeful Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A wise trainer once said, “The Thoroughbred racing industry is fueled by optimism, passion, and grandiose dreams. It is not fueled by economics, good business decisions, or profit.”

That wise trainer was D. Wayne Lukas, and he said that Saturday – his 82nd birthday – two days before he and six fellow trainers will look to fuel their 2018 Kentucky Derby dreams by running their 2-year-olds in Monday’s Grade 1, $350,000 Hopeful Stakes, the closing-day feature of the 40-day Saratoga meet.

Lukas, a seven-time winner of the Hopeful, sends out Sporting Chance against a field that includes Sanford Stakes 1-2-3 finishers Firenze Fire, Free Drop Billy, and Psychoanalyze as well as the impressive maiden winner Mojovation and his stablemate National Flag. Oskar Blues, a debut winner here at 33-1, and Givemeaminit, second to Sporting Chance in his debut, complete the lineup.

The Hopeful goes as race 9 on a 10-race card that begins at 12:30 p.m. Eastern and includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch for males on turf.

Lukas won his first Hopeful in 1990 with Deposit Ticket, then won six more, capped by Strong Mandate in 2013. Like Strong Mandate, Sporting Chance is a son of Tiznow and is owned by Robert Baker and William Mack.

Sporting Chance finished second to Dak Attack in his debut at Churchill Downs, then came back to win a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race here July 22 by 2 1/4 lengths. The final time of 1:04.72 was mediocre but came during a stretch when the track was deep and demanding and yielding slow times.

Lukas showed restraint in waiting six weeks for the Hopeful, bypassing stakes opportunities such as the Saratoga Special in mid-August.

“The two guys who own him really want to have a good 3-year-old, so we’ve gone ultra-conservative for me,” Lukas said. “We’ll give him enough racing to get him some seasoning and to come back with him at 3.”

Sporting Chance won his maiden on the front end, but several times since then, Lukas has worked him behind a team of horses, making Sporting Chance take dirt.

“He’s very manageable. We can do almost anything we want with him,” Lukas said. “He’s one of the easiest horses to train I’ve been around in a long time.”

Luis Saez rides Sporting Chance from post 6.

Firenze Fire beat Free Drop Billy by a length in the Sanford here July 22. Firenze Fire, trained by Jason Servis, made an early move to the lead and held Free Drop Billy at bay.

Dale Romans, the trainer of Free Drop Billy, was pleased with his colt’s performance and the progress he’s made.

“I thought he was one of the few who closed that opening week, and he’s trained super,” Romans said. “I think he’s going to be very competitive in a tough race. I think it’s a wide-open race, a bunch of good horses. Some of these horses you’ll be writing about next May.”

Spoken like a true optimist with grandiose dreams.

KEY CONTENDERS

Sporting Chance, by Tiznow
Beyers: 84-67

◗ Showed speed and grit in his debut when run down by Dak Attack, who came out of that race to win the Ellis Park Juvenile by three lengths.

◗ Solid front-running victory in his second start, opening up a 6 1/2-length advantage before settling for a 2 1/4-length score over the late-running Givemeaminit.

Free Drop Billy, by Union Rags
Last 2 Beyers: 76-64

◗ Strong move to his win debut by three lengths at Churchill in the slower division of split maiden races.

◗ Closed well but was second-best behind Firenze Fire in the Grade 2 Sanford on the second day of the meet.

◗ Has come back with two bullet workouts over the main track and draws nicely in the outside post.

Mojovation, by Quality Road
Beyer: 86

◗ Very sharp debut win going six furlongs on the front end and beating the highly regarded Lionite from the Steve Asmussen stable.

◗ With the rail draw, Mojovation may have to use his speed to obtain position away from the gate under John Velazquez.

Firenze Fire, by Poseidon’s Warrior
Beyers: 79-70

◗ After winning a five-furlong maiden race at Monmouth handily, he was a perfect-trip winner of the six-furlong Sanford at 12-1 on July 22.

◗ Servis said his horse has been coughing but does not have a temperature, and his blood work is good.

“Unless something changes day of the race, right now, we’re going to run,” Servis said.

Oskar Blues, by Speightstown
Beyer: 86

◗ Only member of this field to have won going seven furlongs, something he did here Aug. 12, repelling a challenge from Airtouch, the two finishing 5 1/4 lengths clear of the field.