dog in the hunt

Noun

 * 1)  Something that may lead to gain, depending on the outcome; a position for which to campaign or cheer.

Usage notes

 * Sometimes used to indicate that one has no stake in the outcome. As such this may be a bastardization of two Southern idioms: "no dog in the fight," and "that dog won't hunt.” (The latter indicates something is a bad idea or prone to fail.)