With the legendary former jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. on hand to present the trophy for the race named in honor of racing's 1978 Triple Crown winner, trainer Sean McCarthy was set to pass the proverbial baton back to Bob Baffert following Saturday's $100,000 Affirmed Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita, as his one-two finishers, Hopper and High Connection, will be returning to the currently suspended Baffert early next month.
As for Saturday's results, Hopper, in only his third career start and stakes debut, made short work of three rivals, two of them originally conditioned by Baffert, as he showed the way from gate to wire for an emphatic 5 ¼ length score under Abel Cedillo, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.83. He set early fractions of :23.37, :46.74, and 1:10.99 through six furlongs.
Quick from gate, Hopper was in total command from his rail post with Doppelganger in close attendance in the run up the backside, but even with Drayden Van Dyke asking him, Doppenganger could never get on terms around the far turn and Hopper strode clear through the lane with High Connection just up for the place.
“I saw Juan (Hernandez) asking the other horse (High Connection) at about the 3 ½ mark to get into contention and Doppelganger was moving at the same time, but Hopper was just cruising on the front end, so I had pretty good feeling,” said McCarthy, who also addressed the pending return of Hopper to the Bob Baffert Stable in early July.
“With either one of these two, Hopper and High Connection, it'll be a Del Mar plan I would imagine. What it is, I don't know, but I would assume that's where they're going to be heading and you know, by that time, I'm out of the picture.
“But it was really neat for me today, because I was just a huge Affirmed fan. He was one of the greatest horses of all time. On the bus to school, half the guys were Alydar fans and half of them were Affirmed fans. I know it's a Grade 3 and a $100,000 (purse), but it's really special, especially with Laffit here to present the trophy.”
Well beaten in his six furlong turf debut for Baffert on Feb. 25, Hopper, in his first start for McCarthy, switched to the main track at Santa Anita on May 7 and responded with a 2 ¼-length maiden score with Hernandez up.
With Cedillo aboard for the first time Saturday, Hopper was the third choice in the wagering among four sophomores and paid $8.60.
A $90,000 Keeneland September Yearling from the Paramount Sales consignment, Hopper, who is by Declaration of War out of South African-bred Irridescence, by Caesour, is owned by Lanni Bloodstock, SF Racing, LLC, and Madaket Stables, LLC. He was bred in Kentucky by Green Lantern Stables. With the $60,000 winner's share of the Affirmed purse, he increased his earnings to $100,700.
“I never rode the horse; Sean, he doesn't use jockeys to work in the mornings,” said Cedillo. “I watched his last race and he was sharp. So the key was just to get a good break and take it from there. When I left the gate, he was just so relaxed, I was confident with him.”
Off at even money, High Connection finished a half length in front of Doppelganger.
Trained by Tim Yakteen, 7-5 second choice Doppelganger finished 35 lengths in front of Pioneering Papa, fourth and last.
Hopper's Affirmed win marked Cedillo's first stakes score of the meet and his third win on the day, giving him 43 total.
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