High Velocity Kicks Into Overdrive for Bob Hope Score
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Photo: Benoit Photo
High Velocity wins the Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar
The next star is always on the horizon.
On a day when owners Gary and Mary West were still processing the dismissal of their Kentucky Derby (G1) lawsuit over the disqualification of Maximum Security, they watched a colt they hope to see run for the roses in 2020 dash across the line at Del Mar.
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The seaside oval's $98,000 Bob Hope Stakes (G3) scratched down to a four-horse field Nov. 16, but the victory wasn't handed to the Wests' High Velocity. Hounded most of the way through the seven-furlong test by Strongconstitution while setting fractions of :23.28 and :46.60 early, the Quality Road colt had to dig deep off the turn for home.
With 4-5 favorite Strongconstitution battling to his outside through three-quarters in 1:10.70, even-money High Velocity kept grinding and inched away in the final sixteenth to a 1 1/4-length score under jockey Drayden Van Dyke. The final time was 1:23.16.
"I was loaded all the way," Van Dyke said. "He's a fast horse, I knew that; I broke him out of the gate the other morning. I got away with some pretty easy fractions here, so I was feeling good about that. He was just hitting his best stride as we went past the wire. He's a nice one."
"The Wests buy nothing but distance horses. They want to get to the Derby," Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. "Every year they send me a bunch of horses, and we're always looking for one good one, and I told Gary I think I found him a good one."
High Velocity stretched out from a two-length debut score Oct. 13 going 5 1/2 furlongs and will follow the natural progression to longer races that often occurs when promising horses transition from 2 to 3.
Unlike the Derby, Mary West even found a bouquet of roses that wasn't taken away from her as she stood in the winner's circle.
High Velocity's connections, including Gary West (second from left) and Mary West (holding roses) in the winner's circle at Del Mar
"He handled everything well," said Baffert, who won the race for a 10th time. "Second out, that's the toughest win, I think, after they break their maiden. He had enough time between races. Drayden said it was nothing for him, he can go to the next step, which we want to do."
Strongconstitution held for second after drifting out and in from the whip in the stretch. It was 4 1/2 lengths to Zimba Warrior, while Rager gave way and finished 8 1/2 lengths back.
Thousand Words and Howbeit were scratched.
Bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm out of the grade 3-placed Dixie Union mare Ketel Twist, High Velocity was a $350,000 purchase by agent Ben Glass from St George Sales' consignment to the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is the first foal out of his dam, who has a Nyquist yearling that sold for $325,000 to Meah/Lloyd Bloodstock for Calvin Nguyen through Dromoland Farm's consignment to the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale in Lexington. The mare was bred to West Coast for 2020.