Sporting Chance | Horse Profile

Horse > Sporting Chance

Sporting Chance

Sporting Chance won the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga in his stakes debut last September. He was then sidelined by surgery for a knee chip and was out for five months. Sporting Chance has raced in four graded stakes since without winning or finishing second, but trainer D. Wayne Lukas still has confidence in his colt. Lukas has won the Preakness Stakes six times, and another win will tie him for all-time Preakness wins.

In his last race, Sporting Chance had a troubled trip and also ran wide before being checked badly and shuffled back and then rallying to finish 4th in the Pat Day Mile, a race on the undercard of Kentucky Derby day.

In his last three races, Sporting Chance has run a BRIS-best speed figure of 95 in the Blue Grass Stakes. He finished 3rd in that race but was disqualified to 4th for lugging out in the deep drive; something he’s done a number of times in his races. Sporting Chance finished more than 3 lengths behind the Blue Grass winner Good Magic, who is also running in the Preakness.   

 Sporting Chance has displayed an idiosyncratic streak in his races, and also in training recently when he would not breeze as planned at Churchill Downs and instead galloped. His temperament is a concern as is his overall lack of speed.

Each of the past 20 Preakness Stakes Winner have posted at least a 100 BRIS figure in one of their three races leading into the Preakness Stakes. That profile does not fit Sporting Chance, and it’s difficult to see him pulling a big upset when he hasn’t shown the necessary speed to win against stronger horses and fields.  

Sporting Chance Career Statistics

Starts: 7
Wins: 2
Places: 1
Shows: 1
Earnings: $409,790
Owner: Robert Baker and William Mack
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Luis Contreras
Pedigree: Tiznow – Wynning Ride, by Candy Ride
Recent Finish: 4th, Pat Day Mile, G3 (5/5/18)
Notable Wins: Hopeful Stakes (G1)

Odds to Win Preakness Stakes: 30-1