California Diamond Steps Up in Bob Hope

After a run of three straight stakes wins, Rockingham Ranch's California Diamond will wade into graded stakes waters for the first time Nov. 19 in the $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes (gr. III) at Del Mar.

 

Rockingham purchased the California-bred 2-year-old Harbor the Gold colt for $125,000 out of the Barretts July Paddock Sale at Del Mar after he started his career with two victories for trainer John Brocklebank.

 

Moved to trainer Peter Miller, he ran second in the Graduation Stakes for Cal-breds Aug. 3 and was again runner-up in the I'm Smokin Stakes Sept. 2, both at Del Mar. Since then, he has been dominant, with confident scores in the Barretts Juvenile Stakes at Los Alamitos Race Course Sept. 18, the Speakeasy Stakes Oct. 16 at Santa Anita Park, and the Golden State Juvenile Stakes Nov. 5, also at Santa Anita.

 

California Diamond, with $377,780 in earnings already, will have to contend with a pair of colts from the barn of Bob Baffert, who has won the Bob Hope (previously run as the Hollywood Prevue Stakes at Hollywood Park) seven times, including in 2015 with Toews On Ice.

The Baffert standout appears to be Cheyenne Stable's Mastery, who set the pace and drew clear in his six-furlong debut Oct. 22 at Santa Anita. The Candy Ride   colt was a $450,000 purchase at the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale.