San Pasqual attracts a crowd

The 2014 Grade 1 winners Hoppertunity and Majestic Harbor are part of a projected field of 11 in Saturday’s $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita.

Hoppertunity, who won the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28, will be favored in the Grade 2 race, a prep for the $500,000 San Antonio Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 7. Majestic Harbor was fourth in the 2014 San Antonio. He won the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita last June.

Other expected runners in the San Pasqual are Appealing Tale, Baccelo, Big Cazanova, Blue Tone, Bronzo, Mr. Commons, Quadrivium, Salto Del Indio, and Tonito M.

The San Antonio Stakes is expected to include Bayern, California Chrome, and Shared Belief, the three finalists for the Eclipse Award as outstanding 3-year-old male of 2014. Bayern and California Chrome are finalists for the Horse of the Year award.