Chance It Edges As Seen On Tv in Mucho Macho Man
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Chance It (inside) turns back As Seen On Tv to win the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Turning for home in the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes, jockey Tyler Gaffalione decided to leave nothing to chance.
Aboard 3-5 favorite Chance It, Gaffalione piloted the Florida-bred through a narrow opening along the rail to battle for the lead at the top of the stretch, and it wound up paying a big dividend as the 3-year-old son of Currency Swap edged As Seen On Tv by a head after an exciting and prolonged battle to the wire.
The Jan. 4 stakes at Gulfstream Park was Chance It's first race outside state-bred company. A two-time winner of Florida Sire stakes by a combined margin of 10 1/2 lengths last year, he was a much more challenged and determined winner Saturday for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
Using that ground-saving move to stick a head in front of As Seen On Tv after six furlongs in 1:09.60, Chance It found himself locked in a duel with a rival who dug down and regained the lead by a head at the eighth pole. For the longest time, it appeared as though As Seen On Tv and jockey Paco Lopez would hold off Chance It and Gaffalione, but in the final yards the favorite moved ahead by a slim margin to capture the one-turn mile stakes for 3-year-olds.
Afterward, Shooting Star Thoroughbreds' Chance It had to weather a foul claim by Kelly Breen, the trainer of As Seen On Tv, before the race was declared official.
"I was nervous Wednesday waiting for the overnights to come out," owner Mary Lightner said. "Then we had to wait on the objection. A lot of nerves."
Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) runner-up Code of Honor ran in this race a year ago, and Lightner's future thoughts were somewhat predictable.
"I've always had (Kentucky) Derby dreams my whole life. We'll see how he comes out of this, talk with Saffie and see what his game plan is," Lightner said. "We'll get a good one and go with it."
Running for the first time since Sept. 28, Chance it finished in 1:35.53.
Chance It's connections accept the Mucho Macho Man trophy
Bred by Bett Usher out of the Pleasantly Perfect mare Vagabon Diva, Chance It has four wins and two seconds in six starts, all at Gulfstream, with earnings of $444,910.
As Seen On Tv, a Florida-bred son of Lookin At Lucky owned by Screen Door Stables who won the Juvenile Sprint Stakes in his previous start, was 2 1/4 lengths in front of Andie Biancone and Limelight Stables' Sole Volante.
Video: Mucho Macho Man S. (BT)
Sound Machine Makes Some Noise
On a Saturday card with five stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Sound Machine ($5.80) made a world of noise in the $75,000 Glitter Woman Stakes, pressing the pace and then drawing off to score by 6 1/2 lengths for her first stakes win.
The 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief trained by Joseph avenged a runner-up finish behind Spanish Point in the Nov. 30 House Party Stakes at Gulfstream.
Out of the Distorted Humor mare Ava Pie, Sound Machine has two wins in four starts with earnings of $89,164. She was purchased by Mike Ryan, agent, for $500,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.
Ridden by Gaffalione, the half sister to stakes winner Forever Liesi covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.35.
Pacesetting Sayonara Baby was second for owners 305 Solutions and trainer Ramon Minguet, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Bermuda Limestone Thoroughbreds' Spanish Point, the $1.80-to-1 favorite.
Video: Glitter Woman S. (BT)
She's My Type Rallies to Win
In the $100,000 Ginger Brew Stakes, Ghislaine Head's She's My Type followed a debut win by rallying from eighth in a field of 11 to win by a neck over Klaravich Stables' Moral Reasoning in the 7 1/2-furlong turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
A daughter of Dunkerque trained by Christophe Clement, She's My Type ($20.40) was a stretch-running winner of her Dec. 7 debut at Gulfstream and repeated those tactics at 9-1 odds to give Gaffalione the second of three consecutive stakes wins on the card.
Apogee Bloodstock's grade 1 winner Abscond was a half-length back in third as the 2-1 favorite in her first start since finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).