My biggest problem with Hoppertunity is I don\'t think he classes up with the field. Number-wise his top is good enough to throw him in with the other contenders, but I\'ve got a problem seeing him as a Derby winner.
From bottom up, his 1st race stablemate Bayern beats him soundly, but his supporters can point to his gain in the stretch. The horses in that race have proven to be nothing special. The next race he breaks his maiden over a field that again is nothing special. Then he goes to Louisiana where he loses by 7 lengths to Intense Holiday and by a length and a half to Vicar\'s in Trouble. He does beat Commanding Curve by 1.25 lengths, but that one has been off almost 3 months. Now he goes to Arkansas where I believe is the worst group of 3 YOs prepping for the Derby, gets his decent speed figure while showing gameness in a roughly run race beating Tapiture and Ride On Curlin, who then go on to get their behinds whipped by Danza, the new face in town who was eligible for a NW2. Tapiture, the horse he beat by 1/2 length in the Rebel runs a mediocre 4thin the Ark. Derby. Next it\'s back home to So Cal, where he runs far behind California Chrome in an agreed, not all out effort. He does beat Candy Boy who has yet to attain a sheet # that makes him competitive in the Derby.
So outside of the tomato can he beat in his maiden & Rebel wins, he hasn\'t finished ahead of anyone of consequence. Meanwhile, he\'s been beaten by California Chrome, Intense Holiday & Vicar\'s in Trouble, the 1st 2 soundly.
If you\'re right I\'ll tip my hat to you and gladly see you collect your 10/1 (which from what I\'ve seen of him should be 20/1, but Baffert/Smith will depress your odds), which I will be contributing to with my win bets on 2 other horses-one of which you can poke more holes in than I\'ve just done with Hoppy.
