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Hoppertunity makes four-year-old bow in San Pasqual

Last updated: 1/7/15 6:29 PM

Hoppertunity would not be denied in the Clark last November

(Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

Two races following the Grade 3 Sham at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, 11

older runners will line up in the Grade 2, $200,000

San

Pasqual Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile affair might have taken a backseat to the

Sham with its Triple Crown implications if not for the presence of Hoppertunity.

The bay colt will be making his four-year-old bow in the San Pasqual off a

game win in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on November 28.

Hoppertunity took a long summer vacation following his runner-up effort behind

eventual Kentucky Derby and Preakness victor California Chrome in the Grade 1

Santa Anita Derby, but it wasn't a voluntary break.

The Any Given Saturday colt earned enough points to make the 2014 Kentucky

Derby field, setting up an exciting rematch with California Chrome, but was

withdrawn the Thursday before that race with a foot problem. While a possible

start in the Preakness was bandied about, Hoppertunity didn't return to

competition until running a close second sprinting against optional claiming

rivals in late October at Santa Anita.

That set the Kentucky-bred up for the Clark, where Hoppertunity tracked in

second under Martin Garcia before taking command in the lane and digging in to

secure the half-length victory. The Bob Baffert trainee earned a career-best 104

BRIS Speed rating, and he'll try to duplicate the performance on Saturday

against the likes of Tonito M., Majestic Harbor and Big Cazanova.

Tonito M. also earned the best BRIS Speed figure (103) of his career in his

sophomore finale, but didn't actually win that race. The Jerry Hollendorfer

pupil captured the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby in late September before closing out

2014 with a runner-up effort in the Zia Park Derby. The Rock Hard Ten

four-year-old also placed in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Derby last season and gets

Rafael Bejarano back in the saddle on Saturday.

Majestic Harbor won or placed in half of his 2014 starts, including a 6

1/4-length romp in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita over the summer.

Unfortunately, the Sean McCarthy charge was unable to hit the board in his three

Grade 1 efforts following that race, running sixth in the Pacific Classic,

fourth in the Awesome Again Stakes and 13th in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Tyler

Baze was aboard for all those races and will attempt to steer the Rockport

Harbor seven-year-old back into the winner's circle in the San Pasqual.

Big Cazanova set a pair of track records at Del Mar last year, and closed out

his five-year-old campaign with a front-running score in the Grade 3 Native

Diver Stakes. The Peter Miller trainee garnered a career-best 101 BRIS Speed

rating for that triumph under Elvis Trujillo, who returns to the saddle for this

go around.

Also of note in Saturday's field are dual Grade 2 victor Mr. Commons, Native

Diver runner-up Blue Tone and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile fourth Bronzo, who will

make his first start for new trainer Neil Drysdale in this spot. Rounding out

the field are Group 1 winners Baccelo and Salto Del Indio, Grade 3-placed stakes

scorer Blue Tone, Grade 3 runner-up Appealing Tale and Quadrivium.

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