MR. OPPORTUNIST

LONGSHOT MR. OPPORTUNIST ($49) BATTLES BACK TO WIN THURSDAY FEATURE



 Mr. Opportunist, the longest shot in the field at 23-1, battled back after being passed in deep stretch to win the $47,580 feature on a windy Thursday at Los Alamitos.

Making his first start as a gelding and first since being claimed for $40,000 Sept. 17 by trainer Craig Dollase for owner Mark Mathiesen , the 4-year-old son of Tale of the Cat was never far off the pace, gained a slim lead at the head of the stretch, was overtaken on the inside the final sixteenth by 5-2 second choice Sheer Flattery, but found renewed energy to prevail by a head.

Ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Mr. Opportunist, who had lost seven in a row since capturing the three-horse Desert Code Stakes May 7, 2016 when trained by John Sadler, completed the mile in 1:36.75 and paid $49, $12.60 and $7.

The victory was worth $27,000 for Mr. Opportunist, who is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Far Out Freebie, and pushed his career bankroll to $131,190.

Sheer Flattery, who had a perfect trip stalking the pace, returned $3.60 and $2.60 while finishing 2 ½ lengths in front of 3-1 third choice Image of Joplin. The show price on Image of Joplin, who was seeking his third consecutive win, was $3.20.

Completing the order of finish were Donworth, the 3-2 favorite in his initial try as a gelding, Lucky J Lane, pacesetter Got Even and Friendly Outthedor.

Jockeys Drayden Van Dyke and Geovanni Franco both doubled Thursday.

Van Dyke’s wins aboard first time starter Heck Yeah in the sixth and 10-1 shot Thirteen Squared were in tandem with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert while Franco’s victories aboard Get Em Up Scout in the first and Devil’s Beauty in the fourth were for trainer Steve Miyadi.

Through five days of the Winter Meet, apprentice Evin Roman, who was the leading rider at the Summer Thoroughbred Festival in July and the Los Angeles County Fair meet in September, tops the standings with seven wins.

Baffert and Genaro Vallejo share the lead in the trainer’s race with four victories apiece.

There was one winning ticket in the Pick Six worth $112,340. The ticket – the cost of which wasn’t immediately available - was purchased through a satellite wagering facility in Connecticut.