Hoppertunity Earns Breeders' Cup Classic Berth in Thrilling Jockey Club Gold Cup

October 8th, 2016 by Tom Pedulla

Hoppertunity and John Velazquez oudueled Effinex to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday. (Eclipse Sportswire)

ELMONT, N.Y. – Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who will aim for his third consecutive victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, knew he had one strong contender for that $6 million race in runaway Travers winner Arrogate. Now, it appears he has two.

Hoppertunity showed he has the credentials to belong when the Classic is run on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., by overtaking Effinex with a resolute stretch run to win the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on Saturday at Belmont Park. The Jockey Club Gold Cup is a “Win and You’re In” qualifying race for the Classic.

Jimmy Barnes, Baffert’s well-traveled assistant, said of pace-setting Arrogate, who romped in the Travers with a sizzling track-record performance, and Hoppertunity, “They are two completely different horses. It’s a good position to be in. We are very excited about Arrogate and Hoppertunity.”

According to Barnes, Baffert targeted the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup for Hoppertunity some time ago, preferring that to the 1 1/8-mile Awesome Again at Santa Anita won last week by California Chrome. “We always thought he would like the big turns here and the deep track,” Barnes said.

Hoppertunity, a 5-year-old sired by Any Given Saturday, won for only the second time in his last 14 starts. That record, to some extent, reflects the difficult company he encountered. He ran third behind California Chrome and Mubtaahij in the Dubai World Cup and settled for fourth in the Gold Cup and Pacific Classic out West in his previous three starts.

Barnes said Hoppertunity would return to his West Coast base on Sunday to begin preparations for the Classic.

The only negative from the race was that Hoppertunity suffered an abrasion on the back of his left foreleg. “He ran down through the bandages a bit,” Barnes said. “It should be superficial.”

Jockey Mike Smith insisted he was proud of Effinex’s performance. “He ran a winning race,” he said. “I just didn’t finish first.”

In other major races on the Super Saturday card:

Champagne Stakes: Practical Joke overcame a slow start to overtake favored Syndergaard by a nose after a torrid stretch duel for jockey Joel Rosario and trainer Chad Brown. Practical Joke won for the third time in as many starts, with a pair of Grade 1 triumphs. The son of Into Mischief took the Hopeful by a neck in his previous start. Noah Syndergaard, the Mets pitcher who is the toast of New York, was on hand to see his namesake run.

“He’s undefeated. He’s a really good horse,” Brown said of Practical Joke, who earned an automatic berth in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile with the win. “He’s handled the distance increases every time we’ve asked him to, and we’re looking forward to getting to run him a little bit further.”

Lady Eli scored an impressive win in the Flower Bowl. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Flower Bowl Stakes: Lady Eli, in her second start since life-threatening laminitis sidelined her for more than a year, looks to be all the way back. She rebounded impressively from the first defeat of her career, when she missed by three-quarters of a length against Strike Charmer in the Ballston Spa Stakes on Aug. 27 at Saratoga, by running down Sentiero Italia at the top of the stretch and edging away.

“I think she’s one of the great all-time turf mares, I really do,” said trainer Chad Brown after Lady Eli won for the seventh time in eight career starts.

Brown went on, “It takes such a rare horse to overcome what she has and make it all the way back.”

Brown believes Lady Eli is well-positioned for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, which she earned an automatic berth for with her win in the Flower Bowl. That Nov. 5 race will represent her third start off a prolonged layoff, an angle many handicappers value. She also should have the benefit of firm turf, as she did at Belmont Park.

“She’s training outstanding. She couldn’t possibly work any better,” Brown said. “I think she is better than ever.”

Frizette Stakes: Yellow Agate successfully completed a huge leap after winning her debut on Sept. 11 at six furlongs against non-winners. The Frizette carries a “Win and You're In” berth in the Juvenile Fillies, although it was unclear whether trainer Christophe Clement will ask the daughter of Gemologist to take yet another huge step in class. “I’m aware of the Breeders’ Cup. I’m also aware of other things,” Clement said.

Kelso Handicap: Front-running Anchor Down could not be run down, fending off Tamarkuz by two lengths for jockey Javier Castellano. Trainer Todd Pletcher noted that the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile will be run at two turns at Santa Anita and said he was leaning toward directing Anchor Down toward the one-turn Cigar Mile Handicap on Nov. 26 at Aqueduct.

Hill Prince Stakes: Camelot Kitten, Beach Patrol and Annals of Time gave Brown a one-two-three finish and put an exclamation on his big afternoon at Belmont. Camelot Kitten won for the fourth time in seven starts this year. “With so many talented horses in the race, you’re just happy that one of them wins,” Brown said. “And for them to sweep the purse is an incredible feeling.”