Chance Shot (1924–1952) was an American-bred

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

and

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" an ...

. Bred by August Belmont, Jr. at his nursery stud in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...

, he was sired by the great Fair Play, which made him a half brother to

Man o' War Man o' War was a thoroughbred racehorse considered an all-time great. Man o' War (or capitalization variations thereof) may also refer to: Animals * Portuguese man o' war, a floating marine animal found in the Atlantic that resembles a jellyfish ...

, out of the mare Quelle Chance who was bred at Belmont's Haras de Villers stud farm in

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

, France. He was a full brother to stakes winner and 2-time leading sire

Chance Play Chance Play (foaled 1923) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire. In a career which lasted from 1925 to 1928 he ran in thirty-nine races and won sixteen of them. Although he was successful in his early career over spri ...

. Trained by Pete Coyne and ridden by

Earl Sande Earl Harold Sande (November 13, 1898 – August 19, 1968) was an American Hall of Fame jockey and thoroughbred horse trainer. Early life in South Dakota Born in Groton, South Dakota, Earl Sande started out as a bronco buster in the early 1900s b ...

, Chance Shot was a stakes winner at 2, 3, and 4. As a two-year-old in 1926 he won the

Saratoga Special Stakes The Saratoga Special Stakes is an American grade II thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid-August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is for two-year-olds willing to race six furlongs on the dirt. With its first ru ...

and the

National Stallion Stakes The National Stallion Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race held sixty-two times between 1898 and 1971. Inaugurated as the National Stallion Race at Morris Park Racecourse in The Bronx, the event was open to horses of either sex until 194 ...

. At age three Chance Shot followed up an impressive win in the 1927

Withers Stakes The Withers Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race for three years old horses over the distance of miles on the dirt scheduled annually in February at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $2 ...

with a victory in the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

Retirement

Upon retirement, Chance Shot was sent to stud at Elmendorf Farm in 1930 to replace his sire, Fair Play, who had died in 1929. He was very successful as a stud, siring the 1934

winner, Peace Chance, as well as the champion filly Fairy Chant, Bushwacker, Shot Put, Chance Sun, and Your Chance. Upon his death in 1952, Chance Shot was buried at Normandy Farm, a portion of

Elmendorf Farm Elmendorf Farm is a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, involved with horse racing since the 19th century. Once the North Elkhorn Farm, many owners and tenants have occupied the area, even during the American Civil War. M ...

that had been renamed.

Sire line tree

*Chance Shot ** Peace ChanceAmerican Classic Pedigree: Peace Chance
/ref> ***Four Freedoms **Chance Sun **Shot Put **Your Chance **Bushwhacker

External links

References

1924 racehorse births 1952 racehorse deaths Racehorses trained in the United States Racehorses bred in Kentucky Belmont Stakes winners Belmont family Thoroughbred family 3-c Godolphin Arabian sire line {{Racehorse-stub