Hoppertunity Aims for More Kentucky Success

Grade 1 winners Hoppertunity and V. E. Day plus a trio of horses from trainer Todd Pletcher headline a field of 11 entered for the $200,000 Hagyard Fayette Stakes (gr. II) to be contested before four Breeders' Cup World Championships races Friday, Oct. 30 at Keeneland.

Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman's Hoppertunity won the Clark Handicap (gr. I) last fall at Churchill Downs. Trained by Bob Baffert, the $1.4 million career earner finished second in the Awesome Again Stakes (gr. I) in his most recent start and will be ridden by Victor Espinoza from post five.

Magalen Bryant's V. E. Day, winner of the 2014 Travers (gr. I), is trained by James Jerkens and comes into the 1 1/8-mile Fayette off a runner-up effort in the Temperence Hill Invitational Sept. 12 at Belmont Park. 

Pletcher will be represented by multiple graded stakes winners Commissioner, Protonico, and Race Day  .

WinStar Farm's Commissioner returns to the races off a 4 1/2-month layoff. Runner-up in last year's Belmont Stakes (gr. I), Commissioner won the Skip Away (gr. III) and Pimlico Special (gr. III) this spring.

Sumaya U.S. Stable's Protonico took the Bel Ali (gr. III) at Keeneland in the spring by five lengths and followed that with a triumph in the Alysheba (gr. II) at Churchill Downs. 

Matthew Schera's Race Day, winner of the Razorback (gr. III) and Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II) this year, won his first race at Keeneland in the fall of 2014. 

Another horse that will merit consideration is Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider's Departing. A multiple graded stakes winner trained by Al Stall Jr. and earner of more than $1.7 million, Departing was second in last year's Fayette.