Sporting Chance Works Toward Seasonal Debut

Grade 1 winner Sporting Chance took another step toward his 3-year-old debut, working a sharp half-mile Jan. 15 at Oaklawn Park for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas in advance of a possible start in the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 19.

Sporting Chance covered the distance in :47 3/5 under Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, who breezed the 2017 Hopeful Stakes (G1) winner immediately after the renovation break. Clockers caught Sporting Chance's final quarter-mile in :23 and he galloped out to five furlongs in 1:00 2/5.

It was the second published work at Oaklawn for Robert Baker and William Mack's Sporting Chance, unraced since winning the $350,000 Hopeful Sept. 4 at Saratoga Race Course. Lukas said the son of Tiznow  had a small bone chip from a knee removed after the seven-furlong race. 

A winner of 2 of 3 career starts, the colt returned to the work tab Jan. 9, breezing 3 furlongs in :37 flat.

Lukas said the Southwest and $900,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) March 17 at Oaklawn remain potential landing spots for Sporting Chance, with the former being a more realistic target.

"He's an extremely talented horse," Lukas said Monday morning. "If he's fit, I think I can drop right in to the deep end of the pool and take on the seasoned horses because he's got a beautiful mind and he handles racing very well. Very easy horse to train. Normally you say, 'Boy, we need some experience.' But I'm not so sure I can't put a strong work into him and run him where I want to."

Lukas has more options with his 3-year-old Triple Crown hopefuls following Saturday's results at Oaklawn.

Lukas and Stevens teamed to win the fifth race with Calumet Farm homebred Bravazo, an Awesome Again  colt who won a first-level allowance/optional claimer at a mile; and Transgress, an Into Mischief  colt who broke his maiden sprinting (1:10.70 for six furlongs) in the ninth race.

Bravazo ran the mile over a fast track in 1:37.74, almost two seconds quicker than Higher Power needed to win the second division of the split race roughly an hour later.

"That was racehorse time," Lukas said. "It was what, two seconds or (10) lengths better than the other division, and there were some horses in the other division they liked."

Lukas said Bravazo has "probably earned his way" to a return to stakes company, but the race is unclear. Bravazo finished second in the $500,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 7 at Keeneland. 

Baker and Mack's Transgress, who had some shin issues, was making his first start since finishing second in his June 15 career debut at Churchill Downs. The winner of that race, Free Drop Billy, later captured the Breeders' Futurity.

"He ran really well to come off the six-month layoff and run 1:10," Lukas said. "That's pretty impressive."

Lukas said he believes Transgress will have no trouble handling two turns, but plans are also unclear for his next start.

"We're going to have to juggle these horses," Lukas said. "We obviously don't want to double up on them if we can help it."

In addition to the Southwest, Lukas said the $150,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) Feb. 3 at Santa Anita Park, the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) Feb. 10 at Tampa Bay Downs, and the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) Feb. 17 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots would be considered for Bravazo and Transgress.

"I'm going to treat them all like champions and let them disappoint me," Lukas said with a laugh.