Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's consistent veteran Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) drew the rail Sunday for Friday's 143rd running of the GI Clark H. at Churchill Downs. The 6-year-old, who won the race in 2014, will face eight rivals as he attempts to become just the fourth horse to win two renewals of the Clark.
“I'll never forget when he won the 2014 Clark,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “He's back and doing well. He's always been right there all the time. He's made $4 million by being right there and has always been a barn favorite. It sounds like it will be a tough Clark, so it won't be a walk in the park by any means.”
Hoppertunity tuned up for the nine-furlong race with a four-furlong work at Santa Anita Sunday in :47.20 (2/60).
Hoppertunity will be making his fourth start in the nine-furlong Clark, following a narrow runner-up finish in the 2015 edition behind Effinex (Mineshaft) and a fourth-place effort in last year's race.
The handsome bay has made only three starts this year, opening his 2017 campaign with a win in the GII San Antonio S. in February before a sixth-place effort in the G1 Dubai World Cup in March. He is coming off a runner-up effort in the one-mile Comma to the Top S. Oct. 28 at Santa Anita.
Hoppertunity is expected to ship to Kentucky Tuesday and could be joined by longtime Baffert assistant Jimmy Barnes, who was sidelined in September by a fractured pelvis.
“I think Jimmy may make the trip,” Baffert confirmed. “He's made a remarkable recovery. He's been using a crutch and the doctor told him the other day to get rid of it and switch to a cane. He went through a scary time with this injury. He broke his pelvis when the pony went over him and the saddle horn hit him right in the stomach.”
Hodge (1915-16), Bold Favorite (1968-69) and Bob's Dusty (1977-78) are the only two-time winners of the Clark H.
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