Beach View upsets Hoppertunity in Del Mar's Cougar II Handicap

Given a ground-saving ride by jockey Rafael Bejarano, Beach View swept to the front along the rail turning into the stretch and easily defeated odds-on favored Hoppertunity in the featured $100,000 Cougar II Handicap Wednesday at Del Mar.

Beach View, owned by Levy Racing and trained by Leonard Powell, won the mile and one-half marathon over Del Mar’s main dirt track by four and three-quarter lengths over Hoppertunity, who went to the post at 3-5 under jockey Flavien Prat while conceding nine pounds to the winner, 125-116.

“My horse has speed, but we came away from there nice and easy and he was relaxed, so I took a little hold," Bejarano said. "My position was good throughout. Then coming for home I got through inside and he went. He likes the distance. It’s good for him.”

Third in the field of seven older horses was Full of Luck, two and one-quarter lengths behind the second horse and a length ahead of fourth-place Twentytwentyvision. Deal With It Dude was scratched.

Beach View, a son of Giant’s Causeway, accomplished the distance in 2:34.02 and returned $20, $5.80 and $3.80 while earning $60,000 with his third win in 10 outings. It was the 5-year-old horse’s initial success in a stakes event.

"We’ll see how he comes back," Powell said. "Maybe the mile and three eighths (Del Mar Handicap, August 18), which is a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In, or we may look out of town. We have options with him.”

Hoppertunity, a winner of almost $4.7 million and several significant stakes in his career, paid $2.60 and $2.10, while Full of Luck returned $4.20 to show.