HOPPERTUNITY consolidated his rising form, with a solid score on his 2015 debut in the $200,000 Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes last Saturday at Santa Anita Park.

The son of Any Given Saturday is trained by Hall of Fame horseman Bob Baffert for the stellar partnership of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. Hoppertunity closed out 2014 with a victory in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap on November 28th at Churchill Downs off a runner-up finish in a comeback allowance race the previous month at Santa Anita. The 2014 Grade 2 Rebel Stakes winner was sidelined before the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby due to quarter cracks and subsequent ankle surgery.

Tracking sixth behind the pace set by Big Cazanova for the first six furlongs, jockey Martin Garcia found a clear path on the inside as the tiring front-runner drifted out turning for home, setting Hoppertunity down for the drive. The colt responded to dismiss his competition through the mile, and sailed clear in the final yards to win by one and three-quarter lengths and give his trainer his fifth victory in the one mile and half a furlong San Pasqual. Appealing Tale was second while Blue Tone finished third

“Martin knows him well and I just told him not to chase, get him comfortable. I was a little concerned with the distance because he wants to go longer,” Baffert said. “He ran a really great race. He’s the kind of horse who gets better and better and with distance and all. He should be one of the top handicap horses this year.”

CONFIDENCE

“I rode him with a lot of confidence; I knew I had the best horse,” Garcia said. “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.”

When asked if the $1 million Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 7th would be considered, Baffert responded: “It could be. Anything’s a consideration. He’ll be nominated everywhere and we know he ships well.”