Bye Bye Bobby Steps Up to Graded Company in Cougar II

It's been 15 months since B 4 Farm's Bye Bye Bobby  gave Slow Down Andy  a run for his money in the 2022 Sunland Park Derby (G3). The 1 1/8 mile Kentucky Derby (G1) prep was the Quality Road   colt's last and only attempt at graded company before he tackles six other rivals in the July 23 $125,000 Cougar II Stakes (G3) at Del Mar.

Bye Bye Bobby, shipping in from New Mexico's Ruidoso Downs, enters the 1 1/2-mile test off two easy stakes wins at the local Sunray Park. Although the victories came at the expense of softer company, the Todd Fincher trainee registered the two highest Equibase Speed Figures of his career, signaling the potential of better things to come from the 4-year-old.

In a field void of early speed, Bye Bye Bobby, the controlling pace as he rolled to a wire-to-wire score in the San Juan County Commissioners Stakes May 21, could find himself on the front end yet again under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.

Azul Coast , from the barn of Bob Baffert, makes his first start since November for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. The graded stakes winner was a troubled second to star stablemate Defunded  in that last effort and has been lighting up the work tab in the mornings preparing for his 6-year-old debut.

Kiss Today Goodbye , third in the 1 1/4-mile Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G1) in his most recent start, searches for his first graded win since the 2020 San Antonio Stakes (G2).