The Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes for older horses at Santa Anita is the rare stakes in which all nine runners have something to prove. Eight were beaten in their last start, including seven who finished third or worse. The lone entrant to win his last start is Hopper, who is unraced since a victory against three rivals in the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds last June. Newgrange, trained by Phil D’Amato for David Bernsen, the Little Red Feather Racing partnership, and Rockingham Ranch, was third in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Nov. 27 at Del Mar in his last start. Even that performance was puzzling. :: Get ready for Santa Anita racing with DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports.  Newgrange was fourth by three lengths on the backstretch before he faded to trail by more than nine lengths. Newgrange closed late to finish 5 1/4 lengths behind winner Defunded, who starts in Saturday’s Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. “It was a bizarre race,” D’Amato said. Newgrange, winner of two Grade 3 races for 3-year-olds in early 2022 when trained by Bob Baffert, will be ridden for the first time in the San Pasqual by Juan Hernandez, the leading rider at the Santa Anita meeting. D’Amato expects Hernandez to give Newgrange an aggressive ride. “I think the horse needs to be up there,” D’Amato said. “We’re going to break running from the gate. If they want to go with us, great. If he’s sitting second, that’s okay, too. “You have to put him in the race and get him in a tactical position. I think Juan is great at that.” The $200,000 San Pasqual at 1 1/8 miles is Newgrange’s fourth start for D’Amato after the partnership purchased the colt for $325,000 at a horses of racing age sale in Kentucky last July. Hopper has had only three starts, by far the fewest in the San Pasqual field. Trained by Baffert, Hopper drew the rail in the San Pasqual. Hopper led throughout the Affirmed Stakes and is expected to challenge for the lead in the San Pasqual. “I think it’s how the break goes,” Baffert said. “It’s a tough spot. He’s been working well.” Hopper has worked six furlongs in times ranging from 1:12 to 1:12.60 three times this month. The San Pasqual Stakes could be the first stakes win for American Admiral, Breakfast Ride, Go On, or Parnelli. Messier, trained by Baffert, won the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles by 15 lengths last February, but is winless in his last four starts, including a 15th in the Kentucky Derby last May and an eighth in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs on Dec. 26. Perfect Flight won the Zia Park Derby at 1 1/16 miles in November, but was last of nine in the Malibu. Tripoli is best known for winning the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in 2021, but is winless in his last seven starts. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.