The Grade 3, $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar on Sunday drew a field of six 2-year-olds that will race the seven-furlong distance. Bob Baffert entered two, although the Michael McCarthy runner Bullard is the morning line favorite.
Baffert won this race 13 times including seven since it moved to Del Mar and was then named for the comedian Bob Hope who frequently attended the races at the San Diego track.
Here is a full field analysis for the Bob Hope with the official track morning line odds. Post time is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST and is listed as race 8 out of 9.
1. McKinzie Street, 2-1. McKinzie – Tim Yakteen / Kazushi Kimura – 3: 1-1-1 – $141,000. McKinzie Street finished third in the American Pharoah (G1) in October earning three Kentucky Derby qualifying points and a spot in pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager where he closed with odds of 75-1. At 9-5, he was almost eight lengths behind Citizen Bull, who went on to become the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner. In September, McKinzie Street was second in the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity (G1) and in that race he was ahead of Citizen Bull. Top Choice.
2. Dr Ruben M, 20-1. Vino Rosso – Doug O’Neill / Edwin Maldonado – 4: 1-2-0 – $59,700. Dr Ruben M broke his maiden in his fourth try going a mile at Santa Anita Park last month with a front-end effort at 7-1 in a field of eight. As a result, he was part of KDFW pool 1 and closed at 90-1. Toss.
3. Kalea Bay, 9-5. Authentic – Bob Baffert / Juan Hernandez – 3: 1-1-1 – $56,400. Kalea Bay got his first win by more than eight-lengths in his third start which was in a six-furlong maiden at Santa Anita against a field of six as an odds-on favorite. In his second race he finished behind Bullard after setting the pace. Kalea Bay was 30-1 in KDFW pool 1. Use underneath.
4. Madaket Road, 10-1. Quality Road – Bob Baffert / Antonio Fresu – M: 0-0-0 – $0. Madaket Road is an unraced son of Quality Road who sold for $600,000 at the Saratoga yearling sale and is out of a mare that was a Grade 2 winner as a 3-year-old and produced five winners from eight to start. He was also entered as an also eligible in a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs on Saturday. He had bullet ratings in his last five workouts. Unraced, but talented.
5. Bullard, 8-5. Gun Runner – Michael McCarthy / Umberto Rispoli – 1: 1-0-0 – $45,000. Bullard was a debut winner going six furlongs at Del Mar on September 1. He went off at 3-1 and rallied from last to beat a field of seven that included the Baffert runner Kalea Bay who won his next start. At auction he sold for $675,000 and eventually the breeder Three Chimneys Farm retained an interest in the horse. In the KDFW pool 1 he closed at 65-1. Win contender.
6. Maximus, 15-1. Maximus Mischief – Cesar DeAlba / Diego Herrera – 1: 1-0-0 – $20,400. Maximus sold for $100,000 as a yearling but then only brought $30,000 when resold as a 2-year-old. That made him eligible to make his first start in an optional claiming maiden race that was restricted to horses that brought an auction price of less than $150,000. The October 17 six furlong race drew a field of nine that was mostly first-time starters. Maximus broke on top at 7-2 and drew off to win by more than nine lengths. Toss.
Summary: At the seven-furlong distance, the Bob Hope has become a prep race for west coast 2-year-olds that are hoping to make their next start in a Kentucky Derby points race like the Los Alamitos Futurity (G3) in December or the Robert B. Lewis (G3) in February.
This field of six has four recent maiden winners, a Baffert runner making his first career start, and a horse that is two-time graded-stakes placed. McKinzie Street finished ahead of the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in the Del Mar Futurity. Bullard rallied from last to be an impressive debut maiden winner for Michael McCarthy. Madaket Road is working like he could be another talented 2-year-old for Baffert.
McKinzie Street is the top choice with Bullard as the most likely one to complete the exacta.
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