In the GIII Palos Verdes S. at Santa Anita on Sunday afternoon, Hopkins (Quality Road–Hot Spell, by Salt Lake) visited the winner’s circle for the first time in graded fashion. In his only other attempt, the Bob Baffert trainee was sixth in the GII San Antonio S. on opening day Dec. 26. This time around, tracking Straight No Chaser (Speightster) down the backside and into the far turn, the pair of 2-1 co-favorites began to duel. Into the stretch though, it was the 5-year-old who gained the advantage, and past the eighth pole went on to win by almost three-lengths over the late arriving Radical Right (First Samurai). The final running time was 1:08.80. O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm LLC and Robert E. Masterson; B-Nursery Place; T-Bob Baffert.
Sunday, Santa Anita Park
PALOS VERDES S.-GIII, $200,500, Santa Anita, 2-5, 4yo/up, 6f, 1:08.80, ft.
1–HOPKINS, 120, h, 5, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Hot Spell (SP), by Salt Lake
2nd Dam: Sizzlin’ Sara, by Saratoga Six
3rd Dam: Relasure, by Relaunch
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($900,000
Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket
Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Golconda Stable, Siena
Farm LLC and Robert E. Masterson; B-Nursery Place (KY);
T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $120,000. Lifetime Record:
7-3-3-0, $244,700. *1/2 to Of a Revolution (Maclean’s Music),
MGSP, $218,280; 1/2 to Saratoga Heater (Temple City), SW,
$396,078. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report &
5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style
pedigree.
2–Radical Right, 120, g, 4, First Samurai–Emily, by Sky Mesa.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($42,000 RNA Ylg ’20 KEESEP;
$260,000 3yo ’22 FTIDEC). O-Tom Kagele; B-Richard Shultz (KY);
T-Peter Miller. $40,000.
3–Straight No Chaser, 120, c, 4, Speightster–Margarita Friday,
by Johannesburg. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($110,000 2yo ’21 EASMAY). O-MyRacehorse; B-John Eaton &
Steve Laymon (KY); T-Dan Blacker. $24,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1HF, 1. Odds: 2.10, 6.00, 2.10.
Also Ran: Howbeit, McLaren Vale, Escape Route.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO,
sponsored by TVG.
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