Clark Handicap

(Grade 1)

HOPPERTUNITY made the most of his chance to finally run at Churchill Downs, grinding out his greatest career victory in the $550,000 Grade 1 Clark Handicap last Friday week.

The Any Given Saturday colt led a three-year-old trifecta as Protonico and Constitution finished second and third over older horses.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Grade 2 Rebel Stakes winner Hoppertunity was highly regarded for the Kentucky Derby, but missed that race due to quarter cracks and was sent for ankle surgery.

He returned to run second in an allowance race at Santa Anita in October and was making his first stakes start for owners Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman since his runner-up finish to eventual Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in April. Favoured at odds of 2/1, Hoppertunity was hustled by jockey Martin Garcia and assumed the stalking position inside Constitution. Shifted out by Garcia at the mile marker, Hoppertunity was set down for the stretch drive.

“I knew today was going to be a really, really big race for him,” Garcia said. “We know that he’s a really good horse.

“He ran great today,” said Baffert, who last year narrowly lost the Clark with the now-retired Game On Dude. “All I know is that stretch has been a killer for me, but that horse was bred to run a mile and an eighth and a mile and a quarter.”

“The thing about Hoppertunity is that he’s sort of a one-paced kind of horse and the way he ran off his first (comeback) race...he was just training really well.”

The victory in the Clark Handicap by Hoppertunity was the third in the race for Baffert.

“It just goes to show you that if you take care of them, they’ll take care of you,” Pegram said. “I knew this one was a fighter. There’s one thing about it: Bobby Baffert doesn’t run too many short horses. When he was challenged, he had a little more left. It was just a good feeling. I love Kentucky!”