Hoppertunity Rallies to Victory in Brooklyn
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Photo: Chad B. Harmon
Hoppertunity leaves the competition behind in the Brooklyn Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park
Perhaps a few more starts at Belmont Park are in order for Hoppertunity.
In his return to Belmont for the first time since his 2016 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) victory, the 7-year-old powered past rivals in the sandy stretch to register a 2 1/4-length victory in the $400,000 Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (G2) June 9.
"He won a grade 1 in the 2016 Jockey Club Gold Cup and now comes back two years later to win this race," said winning trainer Bob Baffert. "He likes it here. If you manage him the right way and take your time with him, he's good."
A hard bump in midstretch by a drifting Hard Study hardly slowed the determined son of Any Given Saturday. Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman's Hoppertunity completed the 1 1/2-mile test in 2:28.61 on a fast track.
Hoppertunity was rated in seventh early by Flavien Prat as Outplay showed the way through a half-mile in :50.66. Last year's Brooklyn winner, War Story, was close throughout, surged to the lead late in the far turn, and opened a clear advantage at the quarter pole. But Hoppertunity also improved his position in the turn, moving from seventh to third through 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.25.
"I got a good trip and saved ground, and he made a run down the lane," Prat said. "A mile and a half is the best race for him."
Hoppertunity paid $9.10, $4.20, and $2.80. War Story returned $3.40 to place and 2.40 to show, and Hard Study returned $2.70 to show.
It was the eighth graded stakes win for Hoppertunity, who was bred in Kentucky by Betz, D.J. Stable, Kidder, J. Betz, and Robenalt. He's out of the Unaccounted For mare Refugee. His ninth career win pushed his earnings past $4.6 million.
"He's like the forgotten horse," Baffert said. "The stallion farms aren't calling looking to buy him, even though he's made all this money. So we're just having fun with him."
The race marked the second graded stakes win on the card for Baffert, who also sent out Abel Tasman to victory in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1).