Chance It, South Bend Prominent Among Nominees To Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man

Chance It and Tyler Gaffalione are all alone at the wire of the Florida Sire Stakes In Reality

Shooting Star Thoroughbreds LLC’s Chance It, a multiple-stakes winner with more than $375,000 in earnings, is prominent on the list of 21 nominations for the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park.

The mile Mucho Macho Man, one of five stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds on the Jan. 4 program, will kick off Gulfstream Park’s 2019 program for sophomores that will culminate with the running of the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) March 28.

The Mucho Macho Man will co-headline a card with the $100,000 Kitten’s Joy (G3), which will be supported by the $100,000 Ginger Brew, the $75,000 Glitter Woman and the $75,000 Limehouse.

Chance It most recently captured the $400,000 In Reality, the 1 1/16-mile final of the 2019 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Series at Gulfstream, by 7 ¼ lengths. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained son of Currency Swap also won the $100,000 Dr. Fager and finished second in the $200,000 Affirmed in the series for Florida-bred 2-year-olds.

Chance It, who finished second in his June 1 debut, bounced back to offer a brilliant 9 ¼-length triumph at Gulfstream June 29. The Florida-bred colt won the 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight race at Gulfstream in 1:03.95 while being wrapped up in the stretch and earning the fastest speed figure in the country produced by 2-year-old at the time and one that he matched in the Dr. Fager.

Sagamore Farm LLC’s South Bend, who won his first three races before finishing off the board in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) over a sloppy Churchill Downs track Nov. 30, is also nominated to the Mucho Macho Man. The Stanley Hough-trained son of Algorithms captured the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill prior to sustaining his first career loss.

Jacks or Better Farm Inc.’s Shivaree and Gary and Mary West’s Went West, who finished first and second, respectively, in the Nov. 30 Buffalo Man at Gulfstream Park are both nominated to return in the Mucho Macho Man. The Ralph Nick-trained Shivaree rallied late to prevail by a neck over the Jason Servis-trained favorite.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and OGMA Investments LLC’s Soros, who broke his maiden impressively while winning the Nov. 30 Smooth Air at Gulfstream Park by 2 ½ lengths, is also prominent on the list of nominations.

Turf stakes winners Sole Volante and Irish Mias are nominated to both the Mucho Macho Man and the Kitten’s Joy. Andie Biancone and Limelight Stables Corp.’s Sole Volante closed from last to defeat Isabelle de Tomaso’s Irish Mias by two lengths in the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Nov. 30. Patrick Biancone-trained Sol Volante is undefeated in two starts, both on turf, while the Graham Motion-trained Irish Mias finished second in two dirt starts before breaking his maiden on turf in the Laurel Futurity.

Biancone-trained Ete Indien, a winner on both turf and dirt, is also nominated to both the Mucho Macho Man and Kitten’s Joy. Owned by Linda Shanahan, D P Racing LLC, Patrick Biancone Racing LLC, Sanford Bacon, Dream With Me Stable and Horse France America, the son of Summer Front debuted on turf with a victory before finishing off the board in the Bourbon (G3) over the Keeneland turf and scoring an impressive front-running victory in an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream in his dirt debut Dec. 20.

Stonehedge LLC’s Smash Factor, who defeated Chance It in his debut before finishing second in the In Reality; Screen Door Stables LLC’s As Seen On Tv, who defeated Smash Factor in the Nov. 8 Juvenile Sprint for Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park West; and Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith’s Fort McHenry, a half-brother to two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome who broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park West before disappointing in the Smooth Air, are also nominated to the Mucho Macho Man.

The Kitten’s Joy, which was recently upgraded to a Grade 3, attracted 19 nominations, including Sole Volante, Irish Mias, and Ete Indien.

The Ginger Brew, a 7 ½-furlong turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, drew 25 nominations, including Apogee Bloodstock and Mike Anderson Racing LLC’s Abscond, who captured the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine before a seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita Nov. 2.

The Limehouse, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds, received 17 nominations, including Shivaree, Went West and Smash Factor, as well as the Ralph Nicks-trained duo of Liam’s Lucky Charm, who defeated Chance It in the Affirmed, and Positively Awesome, the undefeated half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Jackson Bend.

The Glitter Woman, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies, drew 14 nominations, including Limestone Thoroughbreds’ Spanish Point, and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Sound Machine, who finished first and second, respectively, in the Nov. 30 House Party at Gulfstream Park.