Chance It Takes Shot in Gulfstream's Dr. Fager

The 2019 edition of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series gets started at Gulfstream Park Aug. 3 with the $100,000 Dr. Fager division for juveniles and $100,000 Desert Vixen division 2-year-old fillies.

For 2-year-olds sired by qualifying stallions standing in Florida, both races are six furlongs on the main track. Seven colts and geldings are entered in the Dr. Fager and 12 fillies are set for the Desert Vixen.

Shooting Star Thoroughbreds's Chance It, a dazzling winner in his most recent start, is scheduled to make a highly anticipated return to action in Saturday's Dr. Fager.

Chance It broke his maiden in his second career start in brilliant fashion at Gulfstream June 29, scoring by 9 1/4 lengths in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight. The Currency Swap colt won under wraps while earning a 103 Equibase Speed Figure. Like his charge Chance It, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who won his first training title during the Gulfstream spring meet, also is a rising star at Gulfstream, where he has been highly successful in the claiming game. Chance It has given Joseph the opportunity to demonstrate his horsemanship is not restricted to claimers.

"This is the kind of horse you dream about when you're in bed or in the shower. You dream of getting a horse like him," Joseph said. "To see him do it ... now he has to continue to build on it. If he does, the future really looks bright."

Chance It is out of the Pleasantly Perfect mare Vagabon Diva, who was adopted for $250 before given to breeder Bett Usher.

"Physically, if you look at him, he's a good-looking horse. The only way you could knock him is if you look at his pedigree, because he doesn't have the strongest pedigree," Joseph said. "Other than that, physically, he looks like an athlete that could be a very nice horse."

Trainer Ralph Nicks was second in the Dr. Fager last year with Garter and Tie, who returned a month later to win the FSS Affirmed Division, and Saturday will send out Stonehedge's Liam's Lucky Charm. From the first crop of Khozan , the homebred colt followed a third-place finish on debut with a 6 3/4-length triumph going five furlongs on a sloppy track June 9.

Stonehedge also has Khozan's Turn On the Magic, a winner in his lone start June 9, with trainer Michael Yates.

"They're runners," Yates said of Khozan's first crop. "I have four. The ones I have—they're all different shapes—but they act like they want to run on. I think as the races go further, they'll do well."

Freshman stallion The Big Beast  will be represented by owner/trainer Steven Dwoskin's One Turn Johnny, who rallied to third when five wide in his one outing July 13.

Absolute Grit and Man With a Plan, the respective second- and third-place finishers in the June 30 Kodiak Island Stakes, and maiden claiming winner Northbrook complete the field.

In the Desert Vixen, Stonehedge's Lenzi's Lucky Lady is slated to put her undefeated record on the line.

Lenzi's Lucky Lady prevailed by a half-length following a race-long duel while debuting at Gulfstream June 6, then the daughter of With Distinction came right back to capture the 5 1/2-furlong Golden Isles Stakes June 28, in which she rated just off the pace before drawing clear by 5 1/4 lengths on a sloppy track.

"She comes from a great family," said trainer Kathleen O'Connell. "I had the mother, I won stakes with her mother. She has a lot of class."

Lenzi's Lucky Lady is out of the West Acre mare Blue Eyed Sweetie, winner of two stakes at Calder Race Course as a juvenile.

O'Connell also trains Stonehedge's Marrens Marvel, another With Distinction filly, who won by a neck in her May 11 debut.

"I love her. She's matured. She's gotten better and better every day," O'Connell said.

O'Connell has enjoyed longstanding success in the Florida Sire Stakes, having saddled the winners of 11 series stakes with horses such as Blazing Sword, Ivanavinalot, and Well Defined, who all went on to graded-stakes success. Ivanavinalot also had success as a broodmare as the dam of champion Songbird.

Gary Barber's Two Sixty looms as a serious contender in the Desert Vixen off her debut victory July 6 at Gulfstream, in which she shook off pressure and drew away to a four-length victory. Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Ms Big Spring also enters off an eye-catching maiden score, romping by 10 1/2 lengths in front-running fashion June 30 against Florida-breds.

Raven, Bahamian Girl, Sonar—respectively second, third, and fifth in the Golden Isles—and maiden claiming winners Sweetheart Deal and Lady Joanna round out the field.