McKinzie Street Tackles Baffert Pair in Bob Hope Stakes

Twice grade 1-placed, McKinzie Street  holds a definitive class edge over his five rivals in the $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes (G3) for 2-year-olds Nov. 17 at Del Mar.

Originally pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), McKinzie Street's connections opted for the Bob Hope with the Dec. 14 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) as the long-term target for their promising colt. Unraced since a third-place effort over 1 1/6 miles in the Oct. 5 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) to eventual Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull , he cuts back to seven furlongs in the Bob Hope.

"I felt that trying to do all three would be a big ask. So we freshened him up a little bit," trainer Tim Yakteen said. "It's worked well for us in the past and we're hoping to have a similar result." 

Yakteen and the colt's owners, Pierre and Leslie Amestoy and Roger Beasley, followed the same path with the late Practical Move, who finished third in the 2022 Bob Hope before going on to win the Los Alamitos Futurity, 2023 San Felipe Stakes (G2), and 2023 Santa Anita Derby (G1).

As for the change in distance, Yakteen added, "I think that still has yet to be determined if he's a one-turn horse or a two-turn horse. He's run well for us going one turn. His Del Mar Futurity was a really good race."

After earning his maiden win sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar in July, the son of McKinzie   was a gritty runner-up to Gaming  in the seven-panel Del Mar Futurity (G1) Sept. 8. McKinzie Street will break from the inside post with regular rider Kazushi Kimura in the irons.

Standing in the way of McKinzie Street's first black-type win is the Bob Baffert-trained duo of Kalea Bay  and Madaket Road . Baffert has won the Bob Hope an unprecedented 13 times and aims for his fourth straight score in this year's edition.

Kalea Bay turned in an explosive maiden win Sept. 28 at Santa Anita Park at third asking, romping by 8 1/2 lengths in an eye-catching time of 1:09.67 for six furlongs. A $700,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase for the powerful partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan, Kalea Bay netted a 97 Equibase Speed Figure for his maiden victory. Although the colt has never run in a black-type race, he was third to Citizen Bull and stakes-placed Smash It  in his Aug. 17 Del Mar debut.

Juan Hernandez has the mount on the speedy son of Authentic  .

Baffert also will saddle the unraced Madaket Road for the same connections. The $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale buy has lit up the morning work tab in preparation for his debut, clocking five consecutive bullet works since Oct. 6. He worked a bullet five furlongs from the gate in :58 Nov. 9 at Santa Anita. The Quality Road   colt is out of grade 2 stakes winner Frolic's Dream, by Smoke Glacken, and is a half sibling to two-time stakes winner Bode's Dream (Bodemeister ).

"I entered him in a maiden race last week, and it didn't fill," Baffert said. "He's been working well and I need to get races into these horses. It is a big jump, but I think he's a nice horse and at least I'll get a race into him."

Outside of those three, the Michael McCarthy-trained Bullard  has an excellent chance to steal the show in Sunday's contest. A $675,000 son of Gun Runner  , the colt overpowered Kalea Bay in a last-to-first effort to take his debut in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Del Mar Sept. 1.

Last-out maiden winners Maximus  and Dr Ruben M  complete the field.