Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Hoppertunity, a winner of almost $3 million in a successful career, will carry highweight of 123 pounds Sunday versus five rivals in the stamina-testing Grade III $100,000 Cougar II Handicap at a mile one-half over Del Mar’s main track.

 

Hoppertunity, a five-year-old from the barn of Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, will have Flavien Prat in the irons and figures to go postward the favorite versus Infobedad, 114, Joe Talamo; Energia Fribby, 114, Drayden Van Dyke; Seve’s Road, 117, Rafael Bejarano; Hard Aces, 122, Santiago Gonzalez, and Quick Casablanca, 120, Tyler Baze.

 

Hoppertunity, a Kentucky-bred son of Any Given Saturday, won the San Antonio last February prior to a journey to Dubai where he was third to California Chrome in the $10 million World Cup. Freshened after that trip, he was fourth to Melatonin in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita a month ago.

 

Posing major threats to the betting choice are Hard Aces, winner of the 2015 Gold Cup at Santa Anita but winless in nine subsequent starts, and Chilean-bred Quick Casablanca, victor in the mile and seven-eighths San Juan Capistrano on the grass last April.

 

Co-feature on the ten-race program is the $150,000 California Dreamin Stakes for California-bred older horses going a mile and one-sixteenth on the grass. Nine are entered – Magic Mark, Ambitious Brew, Boozer, Somethings Unusual, Alert Bay, Patriots Belle, Poshsky, Soi Phet and Avanti Bello.

 

Post time for the first race Sunday will be 2 p.m.