Chancer McPatrick, the multiple grade 1-winning juvenile by McKinzie , will stand stud at Eric and Tamara Gustavson's Spendthrift Farm in 2026, the farm announced Sept. 14.
An earner of $727,875 to date, Chancer McPatrick will make his final start in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 1. A stud fee will be determined following his retirement from racing.
"We are excited about Chancer McPatrick. We've had good luck with precocious Grade 1 winners from the first crop of emerging sires—of course, that was the formula with Into Mischief when he came to stud," said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. "It takes a pretty special 2-year-old to win on debut at Saratoga, win a race like the Hopeful in the second start, and win another storied race like the Champagne in the third start. Chancer McPatrick is also a tremendous physical, and we believe breeders are really going to like what they see on the end of the shank."
Trained by Chad Brown, Chancer McPatrick is campaigned by owner Flanagan Racing which purchased the colt at last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale for $725,000 following a sharp quarter-mile breeze in :21 flat. Chancer McPatrick went on to break his maiden impressively on debut three months later at Saratoga Race Course.
His second start came in the prestigious $300,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1), a race he finished in 1:23.44 for seven furlongs to prove best and earn his first grade 1 triumph. A month later, Chancer McPatrick again proved best in the $500,000 Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont at the Big A in his third start, winning going away by 2 3/4 lengths to stop the clock in 1:36.51 for one mile—earning a 92 Beyer.
Chancer McPatrick became just the third horse in a dozen years to win both of New York's biggest grade 1 races for 2-year-olds, including Practical Joke (2016) and Jackie's Warrior (2020).
This year, he captured the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga and was most recently a fast-closing fourth in the Allen Jerkens Stakes (G1) despite a wide trip.
"Chancer McPatrick showed tremendous ability from the first time I worked him as a 2-year-old," said Brown. "He won both the Hopeful and Champagne, which is extremely difficult to do. The only other horse I was fortunate enough to do that with was Practical Joke, so that's pretty good company. Chancer McPatrick is a very correct, athletic colt with a lovely temperament. I thought he ran super last time out in the Jerkens, he just needed a little bit further. He's doing well and we're going to train him up to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile."
The most accomplished racehorse to date by four-time grade 1 winner McKinzie, Chancer McPatrick is out of the mare Bernadreamy, by leading broodmare sire Bernardini. Chancer McPatrick's second dam is the grade 1-winning juvenile Dream Empress.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
