Sporting Chance captures Hopeful as meet concludes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » With 70 yards to go, and Luis Saez hacking away with a right-handed whip, Sporting Chance (5-1) looked like he might be home free in Monday’s $350,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1). When the jockey switched hands and gave his mount one good crack with the left, however, Sporting Chance took what almost appeared to be a right turn, leaving room for favored Free Drop Billy (3-1) to duck inside of him and take a short lead a short distance from the wire.

But the race wasn’t over. Saez somehow got Sporting Chance reoriented toward the finish line. At the same time, the son of Tiznow was somehow able to plant a back foot and propel himself forward, lunging across the line a neck in front. Louisiana invader Give meam in it was another head back in third in what was one of the most exciting — and unusual — finishes this summer at Saratoga.

“Well, this surprised me more than it did the horse,” said winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who won the eighth Hopeful of his Hall

of Fame career. “I thought he was comfortably in front, and he was moving well. Unfortunately, he saw something (at the finish). I guess Luis explained that he ducked from the whip,

I’m not sure.”

“He was going to win the race anyway,” said Saez, “so I wanted to teach him a little bit to the left because I had never hit him with the left. So when I hit him he got scared and came out. He is one of the best horses I have ever rode in my life, so I want to be okay with him.”

National Flag made the early running, with Sporting Chance drafting off his flank. Midway around the turn, after a half in :45.92, Sporting Chance edged up alongside the pacesetter, going by that one as they approached the quarter-pole. He maintained a 1/2-length lead through the stretch until

the last-second dramatics in the shadow of the finish line.

“(Sporting Chance) ducked out in front of our path, but obviously the stewards didn’t think it was a mistake,” said Robby Albarado, who was aboard Free Drop Billy. “So what can you do?”

Sanford winner Firenze

Fire finished fourth, and was followed by National Flag, Oskar Blues, Mojovation and Psychoanalyze. Time of the race was 1 minute, 23.71 seconds over a “good” main track.

Sporting Chance, who competes for Robert Baker and William Mack, has won 2-of-3 starts and bankrolled $269,140.