Hoppertunity 'in His Own Little Groove' for Brooklyn

The main track at Belmont Park had just reopened after the harrow break June 7, and there went dual classic winner Justify for his first New York gallop. Jogging in the horse of the hour's wake—but equally recognized by the racing media—was the well-built bay whose efforts for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert have put him in top company since the Triple Crown trail of 2014.

"I think Hoppertunity thought you guys were all out there to see him," Baffert cracked at a post-training press conference.

Before American Pharoah , Arrogate , or Justify came along, Hoppertunity was the one who could be any kind of runner. The Any Given Saturday colt was a straightforward type, self-confident and eager to learn. 

Bill Betz co-bred the seven-time graded stakes winner out of the Unaccounted For mare Refugee and consigned him to the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale. The breeders were riding the success of Refugee's 2010 foal, the multiple grade 1-winning First Samurai  filly Executiveprivilege, also trained by Baffert. Betz remembered bloodstock agent Donato Lanni inspecting Hoppertunity at the farm but said Baffert never personally saw the horse who eventually became a multi-millionaire for owners Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman.

"He called me and said, 'I needed to get back to California. Any chance you could let my guy take a picture and send it to me?'" Betz recalled. "I said, 'Well, I guess I can,' and they bought him for $300,000 off that picture."

Hoppertunity took to the rhythms of training with natural talent and was soon under consideration for the 3-year-old classics. He even won the Rebel Stakes (G2) and shipped to Churchill Downs for his chance at glory—but a foot bruise sent him to the sideline two days before the Run for the Roses. 

"The first time I galloped him, I thought, 'Wow, I love this horse,'" exercise rider Dana Barnes said. "Then, when I found out it was Executiveprivilege's (half) brother, I was like, 'No wonder I like him so much!' 

"Now he's like the all-time favorite horse (in the barn). He's so fun, and he has so much personality."

While most of the contenders he faced have gone off to the breeding shed, 7-year-old Hoppertunity is well into his fifth year of racing, with earnings of more than $4.4 million and at least one graded stakes score secured each season. Another is on the line June 9 in the $400,000 Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (G2) at Belmont, the site of his 2016 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) victory.

"It's pretty cool to have bred a horse that has shown the class that he has for so long," Betz said. "It's rare these days, but I'm not surprised. Most horses, I think, get tired of the game after a while and start to worry about the effort it takes, but he seems to stay focused. He's one of those horses that doesn't worry about things. He goes out and does his job. He doesn't stress himself out.

"If he's good enough, he's good enough, and if he's not, he goes out and does it again the next time."

Baffert believes the 1 1/2-mile Brooklyn should be right up Hoppertunity's alley. With an 8-7-5 record from 31 starts, he is a closer whose seconds and thirds combined outnumber his win tally, including a third in the 2016 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1), a third in the 2015 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), and a second in the 2015 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1), to name a few.

Hoppertunity needs a good pace and some distance to put him in striking position for the win. He found both in races like the 2014 Clark Handicap (G1) and the 2016-17 editions of the San Antonio Stakes (G2). His only other start going 1 1/2 miles resulted in a 6 1/2-length score in the April 8 Tokyo City Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

BALAN: Hoppertunity Dominant in Tokyo City Cup

"He likes a mile and a half. He feels more comfortable (and) gets in his own little groove," Baffert said. "Those shorter races—he has trouble closing. He needs a certain kind of pace."

Baffert said his horses tend to get over the Belmont surface well, and Hoppertunity is no exception.

"We've been training over a really deep, tiring track in California, and for some reason my horses, when they come here, they float over this surface," he said. "So it feels really nice."

Hoppertunity will be ridden by Flavien Prat, who has been aboard in his last three starts.

Another hard-knocking veteran, Imaginary Stables and Glenn Ellis' War Story, exits a close runner-up finish in the April 21 Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2) for trainer Jorge Navarro and is the 2-1 morning-line favorite.

Todd Pletcher has a one-two punch in Paul Pompa Jr.'s homebred Hard Study, a 5 1/2-length winner of the 1 3/8-mile Flat Out Stakes at Belmont on May 4, and Repole Stable's Outplay, who must rebound from a seventh-place finish in the Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Twinspires.com (G2). Carlino, Take Your Guns, Mills, Backsideofthemoon, and Giant Payday complete the field.

Entries: Brooklyn Invitational S. (G2)

Belmont Park, Saturday, June 09, 2018, Race 5

• Grade II
• 1 1/2m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 2:03 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Carlino (KY)	Jose Lezcano	117	Mark A. Hennig	30/1
2	2Hoppertunity (KY)	Flavien Prat	121	Bob Baffert	5/2
3	3Hard Study (KY)	Manuel Franco	117	Todd A. Pletcher	5/2
4	4Take Your Guns (KY)	Joel Rosario	117	Chad C. Brown	6/1
5	5Mills (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	115	David G. Donk	30/1
6	6Backsideofthemoon (KY)	Rajiv Maragh	117	Leo O'Brien	30/1
7	7Giant Payday (KY)	Chris Landeros	115	Ian R. Wilkes	30/1
8	8Outplay (KY)	John R. Velazquez	115	Todd A. Pletcher	8/1
9	9War Story (KY)	Javier Castellano	121	Jorge Navarro	2/1