Hoppertunity joins probables for San Antonio

ARCADIA, Calif. - Hoppertunity, the three-time stakes winner who finished third in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes on Jan. 9, is being pointed for the $500,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 6.

Trainer Bob Baffert said on Saturday that the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/8 miles could be a prep to the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates on March 26 for the 5-year-old Hoppertunity.

“I think he’ll like that track,” Baffert said of the dirt surface at Meydan.

Hoppertunity was beaten 2 1/4 lengths by California Chrome in the San Pasqual after a slow start.

“He didn’t get away,” Baffert said. “I was disappointed in his last race.”

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, Hoppertunity has won 4 of 17 starts and earned $1,572,675. Hoppertunity is winless in his last nine starts, since a win in the 2015 San Pasqual. He was third in the 2015 San Antonio Stakes behind two champions – Shared Belief, the champion 2-year-old male of 2013; and California Chrome, the 2014 Horse of the Year.

Hoppertunity’s most prestigious win was the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in November 2014.

Baffert said he could have three runners in the San Antonio, including Dortmund and El Kabeir.

Dortmund has not raced since winning the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar in November. He missed training time in December because of a tender foot, and has had three recorded workouts this month.

El Kabeir was fourth in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs on Dec. 26, for New York-based trainer John Terranova, and has since been transferred to Baffert’s care. El Kabeir has won 5 of 12 starts and earned $852,892.

A 4-year-old, El Kabeir has won four stakes, the most recent of which was the City of Laurel Stakes at seven furlongs in Maryland in November. El Kabeir was third in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes at 1 1/8 miles last April, his only career start at that distance.

Saturday, El Kabeir worked seven furlongs in 1:25.40.

In other notable workouts on Saturday, Mor Spirit, winner of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 19, worked six furlongs in 1:13.60. Trained by Baffert, Mor Spirit is scheduled to start in the $150,000 Robert Lewis Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 6.

Pacific Heat, winner of the Golden State Juvenile Fillies for California-bred 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar on Oct. 29, worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 for the $200,000 California Cup Oaks on Jan. 30. Pacific Heat was eighth in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos on Dec. 12. She later underwent a breathing operation, trainer Peter Eurton said.

The Cal Cup Oaks is run at a mile on turf for 3-year-old statebred fillies.

Exaggerator, winner of the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes in Louisiana on Nov. 21, worked seven furlongs in 1:25.80 from the gate. Trained by Keith Desormeaux, Exaggerator is scheduled to start in the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 15.