Bob Hope Stakes Picks

By Jarrod Horak

Del Mar’s Bing Crosby Season continues on Sunday, Nov. 19 and this post features Bob Hope Stakes picks. The Grade 3 event for 2-year-olds has a purse of $100,000 and the five entrants will be traveling seven panels on the main track. It goes as the 8th race on Nov. 19. 

Bob Hope Stakes Analysis & Final Time Ratings

Tejon Pass broke slow from the inside post and missed the show by a nose in his local debut. He set the pace from an outer post and went all the way on a wet fast track on Sept. 30. The son of Justify will probably impact the pace from the inside post under Mike Smith.   

Mission Beach pressed and scored in his local sprint bow, and battled through quick splits before weakening in the Grade 1 Hopeful second time out. Bob Baffert has three entrants in this race and has saddled the winner of this event a dozen times. The $400k son of Curlin needs to do a bit better. 

Wine Me Up wired the field in his local sprint bow on Sept. 2. He stretched out, set the pace, and was second best in the Grade 1 American Pharoah second time out, and chased the pace and was nowhere in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last time. Bob Baffert’s colt removes blinkers and turns back in distance. 

Stronghold was clearly second best in his six panel bow, and stalked and graduated as the chalk at one mile at Churchill Downs on Oct. 1. He drilled a local bullet for this on Nov. 12. 

Nysos was excellent in his Santa Anita bow. He dueled outside and widened throughout in a facile triumph that day. Bob Baffert excels with the blinkers off move and he got a great draw in this compact field. 

Bob Hope Stakes Picks

The Bob Hope Stakes is the sixth race in my Horse of the Day video series. I will cover one race each day during the 13-day Del Mar Bing Crosby Season, and the bulk of my videos will include stakes action. Check out my Bob Hope Stakes picks video below.