Hoppertunity tunes up for San Pasqual

Hoppertunity, winner of the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28, worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 on Sunday in advance of Saturday’s $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita.

Trained by Bob Baffert for Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, Hoppertunity won for the first time in the Clark since the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park last March. He was sidelined after a second to California Chrome in the Santa Anita Derby last April, returning to racing in October.

The Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes is a prep for the $500,000 San Antonio Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 7, a race expected to draw top 4-year-olds Bayern, California Chrome, and Shared Belief.

The probable starters for the San Pasqual include Appealing Tale, Big Cazanova, Blue Tone, Bronzo, Majestic Harbor, Quadrivium, Salto Del Indio, and Tonito M.