Flanagan Racing’s Kentucky-bred Chancer McPatrick remained undefeated, closing impressively to win the $300,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on closing day, Monday, Sept. 2.

Ridden by Flavien Prat for trainer Chad Brown, Chancer McPatrick broke in and hit the gate after the start and then bumped with a foe. He picked up his stride around the far turn, rallying seven-wide into the stretch. He closed well on the outside of race favorite Ferocious as those two drove to the wire together. Chancer McPatrick gained a narrow advantage late and scored by a half-length at the finish. He stopped the clock in 1:23.44 for seven furlongs.

“I hit the gate, lost my stirrups. It was pretty bad,” said Prat. “The first jump he went right into the starting gate. From there, I regrouped. The way he broke, lost so much ground, I was basically trying to give him a good race and see if he would make a run. When it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. He did it and he showed that he’s very talented.”

Chancer McPatrick First G1 Winner for McKinzie

Bred in Kentucky by Rigney Racing, Chancer McPatrick is from the first crop of McKinzie out of the winning Bernardini mare Bernadreamy. His second dam is Grade 1 winner Dream Empress. With the win, the precocious juvenile became the initial Grade 1 winner for his sire.

A $725,000 graduate of the OBS Spring Sale, Chancer McPatrick is now perfect in his first two career starts. He originally sold for $260,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton July Select Yearling Sale.

“He needs even longer than this,” shared owner Sean Flanagan. “As far as ownership and breeding them, I’m still very much a novice. We wanted to stick to horses that might be Classic, two-turn type horses. I think that Chancer McPatrick is definitely a two-turn horse.”

Fellow Kentucky-bred Ferocious ran gamely in defeat under Irad Ortiz Jr. The Gustavo Delgado trainee established a forward position early while seemingly reacting to the kickback. He moved outside at the five-eighths pole and chased the winner across the wire. Kentucky-bred Incentive Pay finished third.