Hoppertunity Seeks to Spoil San Antonio Party

Preparing for the $500,000 San Antonio Invitational Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 7, Santa Anita Park has, not surprisingly, plugged the budding "California Chrome vs. Shared Belief" rivalry.

While they have only faced each other once—in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic  (gr. I)—the tactic speaks to the celebrity status the two have attained, as well as to the desire for a rivalry beyond the Triple Crown cycle.



California Chrome, the defending Horse of the Year owned by Perry Martin and Steve Coburn, has already been tagged as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the 1 1/8-mile San Antonio. Shared Belief, owned by Jim Rome's Jungle Racing Stables and partners, is second choice at 7-5.



Another rivalry simmers below the surface, however; just don't expect those involved to openly acknowledge it.



For the fifth race in a row, a formidable Bob Baffert-trained contender looms to take on Shared Belief, the 2013 juvenile champion and winner of eight of nine career starts. Only Bayern, in the Classic, got the best of the dark bay gelding—but that came with about as much controversy as possible, when Bayern bore in sharply out of the gate, contacting Shared Belief.



The Classic wasn't the only race with a Baffert horse and Shared Belief that finished amid controversy. Just over a month before, another Baffert trainee, Sky Kingdom, pushed the heavily-favored Shared Belief wide throughout the 1 1/8-mile Awesome Again Stakes (gr. I), inspiring Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith to reportedly threaten Sky Kingdom's jockey Victor Espinoza with decapitation. Espinoza will also be aboard California Chrome in the San Antonio, the pair's 11th straight race together.



Although many hoped Bayern would make the San Antonio a three-way rematch, a foot abscess ruled him out. This time, Baffert's representative will be 4-1 shot Hoppertunity, coming off back-to-back wins in the San Pasqual Stakes (gr. II) on Jan. 10 and the Clark Handicap (gr. I) at Churchill Downs Nov. 28.



"I'm just sorry Bayern is not going to be there," Rome said. "I've seen the San Antonio billed as 'The Rematch,' but it's hard to call it that if the Classic winner isn't there.

"I'm pumped for Saturday. Just don't make the mistake in thinking this is a two-horse race."



Baffert shrugged off any mentions of a rivalry with the Shared Belief camp or with the gelding's trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer, and also had conflicting feelings about relatively flying under the radar with Hoppertunity, who drew the rail in the field of nine.



"When you're under the radar or when expectations are too high, it's not fun," Baffert said. "If you don't win (as the favorite), they dog your horse. If you do win (with a longshot), you got lucky."

The San Antonio will be a part of the Jockey Club Tour, broadcast on Fox Sports 1 Saturday. The telecast will air from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. PST with the post time for the San Antonio tentatively at 3 p.m. PST.



California Chrome, in post 8, Shared Belief, from gate 5, and Hoppertunity all figure to loom slightly off the pace while each carries the top weight assignment of 123 pounds. Alfa Bird, who is entering stakes competition for the first time after wins at maiden special weight and allowance/optional claiming levels, should set the tempo from the outside post.



Tonito M., You Know I Know, Imperative, Clubhouse Ride, and Bronzo figure to need closing trips to spring an upset.



Imperative, owned by KM Racing Enterprises, was also impacted by start during the Classic—where he finished ninth —and is one of two entrants, along with Clubhouse Ride, outside of main contenders with more than $1 million in career earnings.

California Chrome, who closed out the year with a turf win in the Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) at Del Mar, leads the nine-horse field with $4.2 million in career winnings. Shared Belief sits at just more than $2 million after rebounding from the fourth-place Classic finish with a tight win in the Malibu Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Dec. 26.