Although he was successful in his early career over sprint distances, he did not reach his peak until the age of four in 1927, when he was arguably the best horse in the United States, winning several major races including the two-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup.

[8] Although he was replaced by John Smith, conditioning for Chance Play was handed over to G. Hamilton Keene, trainer for the stable of Joseph E.

Chance Play continued to race at age five in 1928 but under a new trainer, the future Hall of Fame inductee George M. Odom[13] for whom he won the Aqueduct, Combat and Continental Handicaps.

Retired to stud duty, Chance Play initially stood in New York but Warren Wright purchased him for $70,000 and brought him to stand at his Calumet Farm.

As mitochondrial DNA is passed exclusively in the female line, this indicates a pedigree error occurred at some point between Snapdragon's foaling in 1759 and Coterie's in 1862.