Hoppertunity
by Avalyn Hunter
Most of Thoroughbred racing and breeding is a “what-have-you-done-for-me-lately” game, and for most breeders, it’s hard to ignore immediate trends. A yearling by a “hot” stallion is more salable, and a horse that has gotten off the mark with precocious runners gives mare owners a chance to get a quick return on their investments in the stud fee, in mare and her upkeep, and the resulting foal and its upkeep and training.
When breeding for the long term, however, a different strategy is needed, incorporating bloodlines that promise toughness, soundness, and stamina but may take longer to develop. This is where a stallion like Hoppertunity fits in. A true two-turn runner whose record includes graded stakes wins from one and one-sixteenth miles to a mile and a half, he combines proven stamina and durability with brilliant pedigree elements that suggest the ability to blend with speedier bloodlines.
A horse with the physical to attract Bob Baffert as a yearling, Hoppertunity broke his maiden in his second start, a mile maiden special weight at Santa Anita on January 31, 2014. From there, he jumped straight into graded stakes competition. Fourth in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at the Fair Grounds, he became a grade 2 winner in his next out, the Rebel Stakes, defeating a packed field that included grade 1 winner Strong Mandate, multiple grade 2 winners Tapiture and Kobe’s Back, and future Preakness Stakes (G1) runner-up Ride on Curlin.
Following a second behind California Chrome in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), Hoppertunity was away from the races for six months but closed out his year well by claiming his first grade 1 win in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. He followed up with a win in the 2015 San Pasqual Handicap (G2) at Santa Anita. After that, it took 10 starts and nearly 13 months for him to find the winner’s circle again, this in the 2016 San Antonio Stakes (G2), but the consistent horse picked up six graded stakes placings during his losing streak (four at grade 1 level) and was never worse than fourth.
After running third behind California Chrome in the 2016 Dubai World Cup (G1), Hoppertunity was fourth in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) and the TVG Pacific Classic (G1), then picked up his second grade 1 win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). In 2017 and 2018, “Hop” picked up four more stakes wins (three of them graded), grabbed a check in every race, and finished his career with 22 wins or placings from 34 starts and earnings of $4,712,615.
Hoppertunity was bred to be a good horse around two turns. His sire, Any Given Saturday, was a grade 1 winner from an above-average crop of 3-year-old males, taking the 2007 Haskell Invitational Handicap (G1) from his peers and the Brooklyn Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2) from older males. He was produced from the same cross of Distorted Humor over Seattle Slew-line mares that was also responsible for 2003 American champion 3-year-old male Funny Cide, 2016 Vosburgh Stakes (G1) winner Joking, and 2020 Starlet Stakes (G1) winner Varda as well as Fortify, the 2019 Stallion of the Year in Argentina.
Refugee, the dam of Hoppertunity, ran third in the Orchid Handicap (G2) as a 4-year-old. Sold for $65,000 at the 2006 Keeneland January mixed sale, she proved a bargain. The foal she was carrying, Profit (by Not for Love), became a stakes-placed earner of $180,285, and three foals later, Refugee came up with Executiveprivilege (by First Samurai). A $650,000 juvenile from the 2012 Ocala Breeders’ Sales April sale of 2-year-olds in training, Executiveprivilege won the 2012 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) and Chandelier Stakes (G1) and was second in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).
After giving birth to Hoppertunity in 2011 and having an open year in 2012, Refugee went to the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale, covered by Cowboy Cat, and sold for $480,000. The foal she was carrying, Cowboy’s Hero, won the 2019 Mecke Stakes at Gulfstream Park, and Refugee had another 2019 stakes winner in Leader of Men (by War Front), winner of the Super Derby Prelude Stakes at Louisiana Downs. The mare is also the dam of Freedom (by War Front), dam of juvenile listed stakes winner Freedom Trail (by Collected).
Sired by 1995 Whitney Handicap (G1) winner Unaccounted For, Refugee is out of the winning Danzig mare Polish Maid, whose dam Davona Dale (by the good Turn-to horse Best Turn) was the American champion 3-year-old filly of 1979. This is an old Calumet Farm family tracing back to Siena Way, a full sister to the immortal Citation, whose feats included a sweep of the 1948 Triple Crown.
Hoppertunity is an outcross to the popular lines of Storm Cat and Unbridled’s Song and may be particularly suited as an outcross sire to the former, which is the male line of his top-class half sister, Executiveprivilege, and of his stakes-winning half brother, Cowboy’s Hero. He may also be a good choice for putting some stamina into precocious and speedy mares descended from Mr. Prospector (particularly the Gone West branch) and for line breeding to A.P. Indy. Adding to his appeal, he may throw more precocity than anticipated, as three of his four stakes winners took stakes races as juveniles.
A handsome, well-balanced horse of classic type, Hoppertunity has the physical wherewithal to put some leg and scope into foals out of more compact mares. “He’s a very well-built horse and very impressive, about 16.2 hands,” says Shady Oaks’ Sherry Vandver. “His manners are wonderful—he’s calm with a great disposition and is highly intelligent. He takes good care of himself and he’s a gentleman to handle both in and out of the breeding shed. From what I’ve seen of his foals, he stamps them with his size and looks. We’re expecting seven of our own from him in 2026, and we’ll be excited to see them.”
Avalyn Hunter is the author of five books on Thoroughbred pedigrees and history including Dream Derby: The Myth and Legend of Black Gold (2023, University Press of Kentucky) and The Kentucky Oaks: 150 Years of Running for the Lilies (2024, University Press of Kentucky). Her website is www.americanclassicpedigrees.com.