Bob Baffert Has A Strong Opportunity To Win Bob Hope Stakes For 12th Time With A Trio of Talented Horses

Bob Baffert sends three horses to the Bob Hope Stakes on Nov. 20 in an attempt to extend his record wins total to 12 in the event. Baffert won last year’s Bob Hope Stakes with Messier for his third win in the past five.

Bob Baffert Has A Strong Opportunity To Win Bob Hope Stakes For 12th Time With A Trio of Talented Horses

Legendary trainer Bob Baffert holds records at several tracks and has won many big races, but he may have the most success at Del Mar Racetrack. Baffert particularly enjoys the fall season at DMR.

Baffert started the fall meet well this year as well, winning three of five races where his horses entered in DMR’s opening weekend. He looks to continue that success this weekend in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes on Sunday, where three of his talented horses will run.

The Bob Hope Stakes is a seven-furlong race for two-year-olds. Originally known as the Hollywood Prevue Stakes in 1981 at Hollywood Park, it was renamed in honor of actor Bob Hope following the closure of Hollywood Park and the event moving to Del Mar in 2014. Hope was a regular feature at the race track, where he filmed seven musical comedies.

Bob Baffert won the 2021 rendition with Messier, giving him five wins in eight years of the Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar. He has a record 11 victories in the event.

The 2022 Bob Hope Stakes, with a purse of $100,000, is the biggest race of the weekend at Del Mar. Six colts will go to post at 7 p.m. (ET) on Nov. 20, with Giver Not a Taker being scratched.

Baffert’s three entries are the morning line favorites led by Havnameltdown (6/5). Newgate (5/2) and Hard to Figure (3/1) are his other entries. Tim Yakteen-trained Practical Move is 5-to-1, while Mixto and Lloyd’s Logic are both listed at 12-1.

Havnameltdown

The son of Uncaptured will start from post 2 on Sunday. He has two wins and a second-place finish in three starts after not starting to race until August.

Havnameltdown finished a distant second behind Cave Rock in the Runhappy Del Mar Futurity the last time out. Havnameltdown won the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes and broke his maiden at Del Mar earlier in the session.

Juan J. Hernandez, the leading rider from the summer and again atop the standings at the current meeting, will pilot the Florida colt for the second time after being on board Cave Rock in the Futurity.

Hard to Figure

Like Havnameltdown, Three Amigos Stable also owns Hard to Figure. Hard to Figure broke his maiden the last time out, winning the Capote Stakes by three lengths (Sept. 25). The son of Hard Spun finished third in his two outings at Del Mar. Flavien Prat gets his first ride on Hard to Figure, who will start from the inside post.

Newgate

Newgate is Baffert’s third entry and starts from post 7. The son of Into Mischief has missed landing in the “money” the last two times out but has faced some excellent company. He was fifth in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland the previous time out.

Newgate was fourth in the Run Happy Futurity, over 10 lengths behind Cave Rock. John Velazquez will again be on board Newgate, who broke his maiden at the end of July at Del Mar.