Hoppertunity, 'Aces' Entered in Cougar II

Grade I winners Hoppertunity and Hard Aces highlight a field of six entered for the $100,000 Cougar II Handicap (gr. III) July 24 at Del Mar.

Although the two older horses have only five wins apiece during their relatively lengthy careers in graded stakes competition, both have undoubtedly been money makers.

Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman's Hoppertunity, a 5-year-old son of Any Given Saturday, earned his top-level score in the 2014 Clark Handicap (gr. I) and added the 2015 San Pasqual (gr. II) in his next start. Since then, he has only one victory—in the Feb. 6 San Antonio (gr. II)—but he's finished fourth or better in 19 of his 20 lifetime starts. His only result outside the superfecta was a fifth-place finish in his debut, as a 3-year-old in 2014.

That résumé for trainer Bob Baffert has resulted in more than $2.9 million in earnings.

Hronis Racing's Hard Aces has also shown a propensity to cash significant paychecks against top competition. His grade I score came in the 2015 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, and the 6-year-old son of Hard Spun   hasn't won since, but he has hit the board in three of his last four starts for trainer John Sadler and has lifetime earnings of $939,645.

Hard Aces is also entered in the San Diego Handicap (gr. II) a day prior to the 1 1/2-mile Cougar II.

Completing the field is 2016 San Juan Capistrano (gr. IIIT) winner Quick Casablanca, who will be making his first start on dirt since 2013, along with graded stakes-placed Energia Fribby, stakes-placed Seve's Road, and South American allowance winner Infobedad.