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Hoppertunity opens four-year-old campaign with San Pasqual win

Hoppertunity was all alone at the wire (Benoit Photo) Hoppertunity was forced to miss the Triple Crown races due to injury but returned last fall in excellent fashion, closing his sophomore season with a victory in the Grade 1 Clark H. at Churchill Downs. The four-year-old picked up right where he left off in his 2015 opener, edging away to a 1 3/4-length decision in Saturday's Grade 2, $201,500 San Pasqual at Santa Anita. Ridden by Martin Garcia, the Bob Baffert-trained colt rated in midpack behind early splits of :23 2/5, :46 1/5 and 1:10 1/5. Hoppertunity began to make headway on the far turn and rallied up the rail into contention entering the straightaway, striking the front in midstretch, and scored comfortably in the end. "I rode him with a lot of confidence; I knew I had the best horse," Garcia explained. "I just let him break, I saved ground on the rail and I knew they were going fast up front so I just had to wait. I expected that and more." The bay son of Any Given Saturday completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 3/5 on the fast track.

"He was training well but I worry about him on this track because (Garcia) has to ride the horse, let him just pick it up and build it up and he'll come running late," Baffert added. "He saved ground with him, he didn't panic.

"He rode a really smart race today; it was good."

Appealing Tale, the 12-1 seventh choice in the wagering, outfinished 27-1 outsider Blue Tone by a neck for runner-up honors.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Hoppertunity returned a paltry $3.60 win mutuel as the 4-5 favorite among 11 rivals. He pushed his earnings past the $1 million mark, bankrolling $1,070,675 from a 8-4-2-0 career line.

Hopperturnity also captured the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park last spring and finished second to California Chrome in the Santa Anita Derby.

Baffert was asked about future plans.

"We had this race in mind," the Hall of Fame conditioner said. "We know every race is going to be different, so we'll just let him space his races out. He could show up anywhere; I don't know yet."

The $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 7 is a logical target.

Bred in Kentucky by Betz/D.J. Stable/Kidder/J. Betz/Robenalt, Hoppertunity was purchased for $300,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale. He is out of the Grade 2-placed Unaccounted For mare Refugee, who is also the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Executiveprivege and multiple stakes-placed Profit. Hoppertunity counts champion Davona Dale as his third maternal dam.

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