Sporting Chance to Enter Stud in New Mexico in 2020

Grade 1-winning juvenile Sporting Chance will enter stud in 2020 at Fred and Linda Alexander's A & A Ranch near Anthony, N.M., the farm announced Nov. 27.

A group of local breeders joined the Alexanders in the purchase of Sporting Chance from Robert C. Baker and William L. Mack. Trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, the 4-year-old son Tiznow  won the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course as a juvenile in 2017.

"We just couldn't be more excited to have a grade 1 winner of $409,790 in New Mexico. He is a gorgeous individual," said Fred Alexander. "His owners purchased two yearlings a year with Wayne and went on to win three runnings of the grade 1 Hopeful Stakes. That is remarkable." 

Baker and Mack purchased Sporting Chance for $575,000 from Woods Edge Farm's consignment to the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He was bred in Kentucky by Hunter Valley Farm, who first sold him as a weanling for $275,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

The dark bay is out of the stakes-winning Candy Ride  mare Wynning Ride, herself grade 1-placed in the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1).

Sporting Chance broke his maiden second time out, taking a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at the Spa by 2 1/4 lengths over eventual stakes winner and multiple graded stakes-placed Givemeaminit. He stepped up to the Hopeful in his third start, prompted the pace set by eventual Bay Shore Stakes (G3) winner National Flag, and shook clear of the field at the head of the lane.

Sporting Chance then held off Free Drop Billy , who won the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) in his following start, to win by a neck and survived a stewards' inquiry and jockey objection for interference in deep stretch.

In his 3-year-old debut, Sporting Chance ran third to My Boy Jack in the Southwest Stakes (G3). That season he also finished fourth in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) and next out, after checking near the five-furlong mark, rallied wide from 11th to finish fourth in a sloppy Pat Day Mile Stakes presented by LG and E and KU (G3).

Sporting Chance will stand for a fee of $5,000 on a live-foal guarantee in 2020 and is nominated to the Breeders' Cup along with New Mexico's leading active sire Attila's Storm.