Hopkins gets first stakes victory in Palos Verdes

ARCADIA, Calif. – You would think a big, heavy horse who does not switch leads in the stretch would have a tough time smoking six furlongs in 1:08.80, but Hopkins did just that on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Racing over a fast track that produced quick times, Hopkins ($6.20) scored his first stakes victory in the Grade 3 Palos Verdes, winning by 2 1/4 lengths over comebacker Radical Right. Straight No Chaser, the pacesetter and slight 2.10-1 favorite, finished one length back in third.

Juan Hernandez rode Hopkins, a Bob Baffert-trained 5-year-old by Quality Road. Hernandez has ridden Hopkins all seven starts and orchestrated a perfect trip pressing the pace outside Straight No Chaser, who set fractions of 21.80 and 44.10.

Turning for home, Hopkins ran right past. “He accelerated really well,” Hernandez said. “But he didn’t switch leads. I didn’t bother him.”

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No reason to. Hopkins extended his margin to post the meet’s quickest six-furlong time on “fast,” which makes sense. In his most recent start on a wet track labelled “good,” Hopkins finished second by a head in the meet’s fastest six-furlong race, a two-other-than allowance won by Traegar in 1:08.72.

Baffert said Hopkins is “just a big, strong, beautiful horse. That’s what he wants to do, he wants to sprint.”

Baffert said Hopkins’ weight has flirted with 1,300 pounds, and is currently in the 1,240-pound range, and he suspects weight is why Hopkins does not switch leads in a race. “He never does,” Baffert said. “In the mornings he does, he doesn’t do it in the afternoon. That’s him, and Juan says ‘I just leave him alone’.”

Hopkins, owned by a partnership that includes S F Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, has won three races and $244,700 from seven starts. His 1:08.80 final time is likely to produce a Beyer Figure in the mid-90s.

Runner-up Radical Right ran well, rallying from fifth making his first start since late 2022 and first since he was purchased at auction for $260,000 by Tom Kagele.

After third-place finisher Straight No Chaser, Howbeit, McLaren Vale and Escape Route completed the order of finish.

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