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Chance It Set For Tampa Bay Derby

Author: Don Mckee
Published: Thursday March 05, 2020
After being scratched from the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), Shooting Star Thoroughbreds' Chance It is set for the $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) March 7 at Tampa Bay Downs. The Florida-bred son of Currency Swap is hoping to make it onto the Triple Crown trail.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Chance It is coming off a victory in the Jan. 4 Mucho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park. In that race, he beat fellow Tampa Bay Derby runner Sole Volante. 

The Fountain of Youth was set to be Chance It's second start of his season, but he was scratched after drawing a tough post position.

"We thought about it long and hard," Joseph said. "It's a tough post to overcome. I've never had a horse like this. I want to respect him and do what's right. I want to give him a fair chance."

Chance It, drawing post 4 in the 12-horse field during the March 4 draw, is the only Florida-bred set to run in the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Derby. His jockey will be Paco Lopez. 

Patrick Biancone and Sole Volante

Trainer Patrick Biancone will send out Sole Volante in the Tampa Bay Derby. Biancone already has one Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) prospect in Ete Indien, the Fountain of Youth winner. 

Sole Volante took the Feb. 8 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3), and he is 18th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 10 points. Sole Volante is owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Andie Biancone, and Limelight Stables. In his last work, the gelding son of Karakontie breezed a bullet seven furlongs in 1:23 Feb. 26 at Palm Meadows Training Center. 

Sole Volante will break from post 7 under jockey Florent Gerouz. His previous jockey in the Sam Davis, Luca Panici, suffered a fractured collarbone at Gulfstream on Feb. 21. 

Relentless Dancer and Mo Mosa

The Louisiana-bred Relentless Dancer is also looking to score points for his Derby tally. He is owned by Paradise Farms, Terry Raymond, and Jana Wagner and trained by Mike Maker. The Midshipman colt took fourth in the Feb. 1 Holy Bull Stakes (3) at Gulfstream, which gave him one qualifying point.

By scoring the Louisiana Legacy Stakes by 10 1/2 lengths at Delta Downs, Relentless Dancer earned black type at 2. He will break from post 3 under Antonio Gallardo. 

Another runner out of the Maker barn is Mo Mosa, an Uncle Mo homebred colt for Perry and Denise Martin. On Feb. 13 at Turfway Park, Mo Mosa broke his maiden on third asking by 5 3/4 lengths.

He will break from post 6 under Pablo Morales. 

Todd Pletcher Sending Out Three

Todd Pletcher will send out Texas Swing, Market Analysis, and Unrighteous in the Tampa Bay Derby. 

Texas Swing is a Curlin colt owned by Harrell Ventures and is a recent maiden winner. He scored a one-mile, 40-year special weight test Feb. 8 at Tampa Bay.

Market Analysis will break from post 5 for the partnership of China Horse Club and WinStar Farm. He broke his maiden Jan. 25 at Gulfstream and worked a bullet four furlongs in :47.97 Feb. 29 at Palm Beach Downs. John Velazquez will be the jockey.

Unrighteous is a Calumet Farm homebred son of Violence, and he lost in two maiden attempts. He will break from post 9 under Joe Bravo.

The rest of the field will be completed by Spa City, Letmeno, Bye Bye Melvin, King Guillermo, and Tons of Gold.