Hopkins Delivers in Palos Verdes
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Hopkins wins the Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita Park
A day after landing the Santa Monica Stakes (G2) with Fun to Dream and the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) with Newgate , trainer Bob Baffert kept rolling Feb. 5 with Hopkins ' winning performance in the $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.
Hopkins, a 5-year-old son of Quality Road , began to live up to the promise afforded his $900,000 price tag with his first graded stakes victory on Sunday. Jockey Juan Hernandez kept the bay in close pursuit of the frontrunning Straight No Chaser through the early stages of the Palos Verdes, and following a blistering :21.80 first quarter and :44.10 half-mile, Hopkins pounced on his rival as the field turned into the stretch. Hopkins put away the dogged pacesetter and surged powerfully to the wire.
Shading 1:09 for six furlongs, clocked in 1:08.80, Hopkins ($6.20) finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Radical Right , who had overtaken Straight No Chaser late for second.
Racing for the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm, and Robert Masterson, Hopkins improved his record to 7-3-3 for earnings of $244,700.
Bred in Kentucky by Nursery Place, Hopkins was acquired by the Avengers (SF/Starlight/Madaket) as a yearling at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Out of the stakes-placed Salt Lake mare Hot Spell , Hopkins is a half brother to stakes winner Saratoga Heater , graded stakes-placed Of a Revolution , and stakes-placed Malocchio .