Unbeaten Prime Engine Tests Poly in Bob Hope

Nine 2-year-olds are entered in the $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes (gr. III) Nov. 15 at Del Mar, a race previously contested as the Hollywood Prevue (gr. III) at Hollywood Park and won last year by Shared Belief en route to an Eclipse Award as the nation's top male juvenile.



Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who saddled Shared Belief for a follow-up win in the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) late last year to sew up post-season honors, has a leading contender in the Bob Hope as well in unbeaten Prime Engine. Owned by Mark Dedomenico, the Kentucky-bred son of Northern Afleet   began his career at Emerald Downs, going 2-for-2 in September including a 5 1/2-length romp in the Gottstein Futurity, the Seattle track's major 2-year-old race Sept. 28.



Prime Engine has turned in a couple of flashy moves at Santa Anita Park since, including a bullet six-furlong work in 1:11 flat Nov. 2, followed by another handy six-furlong drill in 1:11 4/5 Nov. 8. Mike Smith has the mount on the chestnut colt in the seven-furlong Polytrack test from post 4 with 118 pounds.



Story to Tell is the 122-pound highweight and the race's most experienced runner. Trained by Dan Hendricks for Cecil Peacock, the son of Bluegrass Cat   won the Willard L. Proctor Memorial Stakes at Los Alamitos in July before finishing sixth in Del Mar's Best Pal Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 3. In his only start since then, the bay colt ran third in the six-furlong Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita Oct. 13.



Joe Talamo has ridden Story to Tell in all five of his prior races, recording two wins, a second, and a third while earning a field-best $130,850. They break from post 2.



Sebastian's Heart, who drew the rail in the Bob Hope, finished second in the Speakeasy at odds of 18-1, 1 3/4 lengths in front of Story to Tell. It was the stakes debut for KM Racing Enterprise and trainer George Papaprodromou's Broken Vow   gelding who broke his maiden at the $75,000 claiming level 10 days earlier. Corey Nakatani is back aboard.



ITA Thoroughbreds' All Indians also comes out of the Speakeasy, finishing sixth after setting the early pace for trainer Bob Hess Jr. Kent Desormeaux, returning from injury, regains the mount on the Latent Heat colt he rode to a 2 1/4-length maiden special weight victory over Del Mar's Polytrack Sept. 3. All Indians is the only Bob Hope entrant with a win over the track.



Diamond Majesty, a son of Lookin At Lucky  , broke his maiden when favored Oct. 29 in his second start at Santa Anita for trainer Patrick Biancone. Alright Alright, by Munnings  , was a first-out graduate for trainer Darrell Vienna Oct. 25 at Santa Anita.