Red Flag Rolls in Bob Hope Stakes
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Red Flag wins the Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar
Jerome and Tina Moss' Red Flag rolled home by 7 1/4 lengths for his first stakes victory in the $100,500 Bob Hope Stakes (G3) Nov. 15 at Del Mar.
The 2-year-old Tamarkuz colt upset five rivals at 10-1 under jockey Victor Espinoza, who only needed hand urging to guide Red Flag to success in the homestretch.
Multiple grade 1-placed Spielberg, the 3-5 favorite, finished fourth.
The seven-furlong Bob Hope was the second consecutive win for Red Flag. The John Shirreffs trainee rallied to break his maiden by a neck second time out Oct. 10 when sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the Santa Anita Park turf. Espinoza was up for both wins.
"I didn't really expect that kind of performance," Shirreffs said. "I was hoping to get a placing. He broke his maiden from way off the pace, and he's been doing better and better in the mornings, but he's not a brilliant work horse. So this was a pleasant surprise. You always hope, but you never know. He's gone from 5 1/2 furlongs to seven, so it looks like he'll be able to go longer. It's special because Mr. and Mrs. Moss were here today and got to see him run."
Transferred to dirt Sunday, Red Flag was fourth early as Weston set the pace from the inside with fractions of :22.73 and :45.34 through a half-mile. The four leading the field were close in contention as they raced side by side into the turn, with Spielberg in the two path and Coastal Kid one more path out. Red Flag was widest of the four while Ambivalent and Uncle Boogie trailed.
Coastal Kid stumbled in the turn and abruptly dropped back before racing on. Red Flag overtook the field and was already clear by the time he straightened out in front of the grandstand. Espinoza shook the reins, and the chestnut continued opening up all the way to the wire.
The final time on the fast track was 1:23.56.
Jockey Victor Espinoza guides Red Flag to the winner's circle after the Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar
"John said, 'You know him, go ahead and see what you can do with him,'" Espinoza said. "He broke running, and he wanted to go. He seemed to be more professional today than last time. He's still a baby, and he was fooling around before. But he was good today and did all the right things. He'll go farther, for sure. With the way he ran today, why not?"
Uncle Boogie came from last to finish second, followed by Ambivalent, Spielberg, Weston, and Coastal Kid.
Stewards reviewed Coastal Kid's stumble past the three-eighths pole and unanimously ruled no change since the video footage could not determine what caused it.
Red Flag is the first black-type winner for Shadwell Farm's freshman sire Tamarkuz, the winner of the 2016 Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) who will stand for $7,500 in 2021.
Bred in Kentucky by Elaine MacPherson, Red Flag is out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Surrender and is a half brother to black-type winner Surrender Now. He was first consigned by Warrendale Sales as a weanling to the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale and purchased for $50,000 by Rosetown Bloodstock. Michael Dorsey secured the chestnut for $220,000 from Eaton Sales at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Red Flag has earned $94,100 in three starts for the Mosses.
Surrender, whose second dam is a half sister to Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sea Hero, is also the dam of a yearling colt by Tiznow named Tiz Toujours and a weanling colt by Mendelssohn named Calm Sea. She was last reported bred to Catholic Boy .