The connections of Florida-based first-crop sire Chance It celebrated his first winner Aug. 7, when the filly Tosca captured the fifth race at Colonial Downs. Tosca is owned and trained by Mary Lightner, whose partnership, Shooting Star Thoroughbreds, campaigned Chance It during his racing career.
Tosca, bred by Shooting Star Thoroughbreds and Billy Ballard, went wire-to-wire in her third start in a $40,000 maiden claiming contest for Virginia-sired or certified 2-year-old fillies. While Tosca was bred in Florida, she is certified in Virginia for maintaining residency in Virginia for a six-month consecutive period prior to Dec. 31 of her 2-year-old year.
Originally scheduled for the turf, Tosca's grass debut would have to wait as the race was moved over to the main track. Showing the way through fractions of :22.64 and :45.47, the chestnut hit the wire 6 1/2-lengths in front in a final time of 1:03.86 for 5 1/2-furlongs.
Tosca is the first winner out of the multiple stakes-winning Kantharos mare Lirica, who has four foals of racing age.
Chance It was a stakes winner at ages 2 and 3 and was grade 1-placed as a 4-year-old for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The son of Currency Swap retired to Journeyman Stallions in Florida with $583,330 in earnings. He stood the 2025 breeding season for a fee of $2,000.
