Hoppertunity to race next at Del Mar

ARCADIA, Calif. – Hoppertunity, third in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 26, will be pointed for the Del Mar summer meeting and will miss the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 25, trainer Bob Baffert said on Wednesday.

Baffert said Hoppertunity is not ready for the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita.

“I got behind on him,” Baffert said. “He’s slowly starting to respond. He looks good, and he’s healthy.”

Hoppertunity will be pointed for the $100,000 Cougar II Handicap at 1 1/2 miles on the main track July 24, Baffert said.

Hoppertunity, who races for Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, has won 5 of 19 starts and earned $2,872,675. By Any Given Saturday, Hoppertunity has won four stakes, including the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in November 2014 and the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 6 in his start before the trip to Dubai.

The Gold Cup at Santa Anita field is expected to be led by Melatonin, the winner of the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap in March.