Hoppertunity rallies to victory in Brooklyn Invitational

ELMONT, N.Y. – Bob Baffert calls Hoppertunity the “forgotten horse,” but the 7-year-old veteran still hasn’t forgotten how to win the big ones, as he did once again Saturday at Belmont Park when rallying to a 2 1/4-length victory over the 9-5 favorite War Story in the $400,000 Brooklyn Invitational.

The Grade 2 Brooklyn was the ninth win in 32 career starts for Hoppertunity, a multiple Grade 1 winner of nearly $4.7 million, who is now perfect in two starts at 1 1/2 miles and in two starts at Belmont Park. Hoppertunity won the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles here in 2016.

With regular rider Flavien Prat aboard Saturday, Hoppertunity settled about six lengths off a modest early pace while saving ground for more than a mile. Hoppertunity advanced to closer contention approaching the stretch, then angled out behind the drifting Hard Study while continuing his bid near midstretch before wearing down War Story to win going away.

War Story was well-placed in close attendance of the lead, gained control on the second turn, angled down to the rail while continuing on willingly through the long stretch, but was no match for the winner. It was another three parts of a length farther back to Hard Study, who ducked out while bidding for command nearing midstretch then faltered late.

Hoppertunity, a son of Any Given Saturday, won the 1 1/2-mile Grade 3 Tokyo City at Santa Anita to launch his 2018 campaign on April 8. He was never a serious factor when cutting back to 1 1/16 miles and ultimately finishing fourth over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs last month in the Grade 2 Alysheba.

Owned by the partnership of Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman, Hoppertunity completed the distance in 2:28.61 over a fast track and paid $9.10.

“I just ran him at Churchill Downs to get him ready for this race,” said Baffert. “He’s been a real favorite in the barn forever. He’s 7 years old, but he’s very healthy and doing well. We take our time with him, manage him the right way, and if he gets a little off kilter, we back off him. He’s like a forgotten horse even though he’s earned millions. The stallion farms aren’t knocking at the door wanting to buy him. We’re just having fun with him, and it’s good to win a big one with him on a big day like this.”

Baffert admitted he was a bit worried as the field went down the backstretch in the Brooklyn, with Hoppertunity still a half-dozen lengths behind the leader at that point.

“I thought he’d be closer, and when they went 1:15 for the first six furlongs and he was bottled up down inside like that, I got a little nervous,” said Baffert. “But he’s just got so much class and Prat knows him really well. It was a great ride by him.”

Baffert said he could bring Hoppertunity back to Belmont for the Grade 1 Suburban at 1 1/4 miles on July 6.