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Red Flag Tops Los Al Futurity

Red Flag (Tamarkuz), last seen romping in the GIII Bob Hope S. Nov. 15, headlines Saturday’s GII Los Alamitos Futurity S. Off the board in his main track debut Sept. 6, the chestnut graduated in a turf sprint at Santa Anita Oct. 10 and romped by 7 1/4 lengths in Del Mar’s seven-panel Bob Hope back on dirt, earning an 81 Beyer Speed Figure. This will be his first try around two turns.

The only horse in the field to run a faster number is Spielberg (Union Rags), who earned an 83 Beyer when graduating two starts back going a mile at Del Mar Nov. 1. Second to Dr. Schivel (Violence) in his first two attempts, including the Sept. 7 GI Del Mar Futurity, the $1-million KEESEP buy was third as the favorite in the 1 1/16-mile GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita Sept. 26. Breaking his maiden going a mile in SoCal Nov. 1, the chestnut was fourth last time in the Bob Hope. His trainer Bob Baffert has won the last six straight renewals of this event and took home the Los Al Futurity trophy 12 times total.

Weston (Hit It a Bomb) opened his account with a pair of victories, including the GII Best Pal S. Aug. 8. The gelding was third in the Del Mar Futurity and fifth in the Bob Hope. He also navigates a route of ground for the first time here.

Richard Mandella saddled leading sire Into Mischief to a win in this event when it was a Grade I and known as the CashCall Futurity S. back in 2007. The Hall of Famer saddles one of that stallion’s sons in this year’s renewal in Bass homebred Petruchio. Third in his first two starts at Del Mar Aug. 1 and Aug. 29, respectively, the bay missed by a neck going a mile on the lawn in Arcadia Oct. 4 and broke through going that distance on the Del Mar sod Oct. 31.

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Spielberg Favored to Continue Baffert Streak in Bob Hope

With the ongoing Del Mar meet renamed a few years ago to honor Hollywood icon Bing Crosby, it seems only fitting that a colt named Spielberg (Union Rags) would take his shot in the GIII Bob Hope S., the race formerly known as the Hollywood Prevue S. The $1-millon Keeneland September graduate should jump a warm favorite for the seven-furlong affair, a race won by his trainer Bob Baffert no fewer than six times in its last nine runnings and 10 times dating back to 1996.

Runner-up on debut and in the GI Del Mar Futurity to the talented Dr Schivel (Violence), the chestnut was never truly dangerous when third in the GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita Sept. 20. He was more workmanlike than spectacular in graduating by a mile here 13 days ago, but is nevertheless the one they’ll have to beat.

Weston (Hit It a Bomb) is the only member of the Bob Hope sextet with a graded victory to his credit, having earned a neck success in the GII Best Pal S. Aug. 8 prior to a third in the Futurity, where Spielberg was 3 3/4 lengths ahead of him.

Ambivalent (Constitution) enters the Bob Hope a five-time maiden, though he did cross the line third in the Best Pal, only to be disqualified to fourth. A close third in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. Sept. 7, he turns back off a distant sixth to Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music) in the GI Champagne S. over a mile Oct. 10.

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Million Dollar Baby: Spielberg Tops Sunday’s Bob Hope At Del Mar

SF Racing, Starlight Racing or Madaket Stables, et al's Spielberg, a $1-million yearling purchase at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, takes the next step in his racing career at Del Mar on Sunday as he heads a field of six juveniles in the seventh edition of the G3 Bob Hope Stakes, a seven-furlong spin that carries a $100,000 purse.

Del Mar's morning line maker Jon White has hung the chestnut colt as the 6-5 favorite in the extended sprint, a race named for the show business icon who laid the path for his big Hollywood breakout when he became good pals with Bing Crosby during post-race parties at the shore oval in its first season (1937). Crosby and Hope went on to make nine “Road to….” movies, considered by many to be the most successful “buddy” pictures ever.

Spielberg, of course, has a Hollywood connection all his own, having been named for Steven Spielberg, the towering Tinsel Town figure who has proven to be one of cinema's quintessential figures as a director, producer and screenwriter with dozens and dozens of major movie credits on his ledger.

Spielberg, the racehorse, is a son of the top stallion Union Rags and has had a four-race career this season that has seen him twice go stakes-placed in Grade I races and then finally find the winner's circle in a straight maiden race at Del Mar on November 1. Trainer Bob Baffert sends his charge back two weeks later and will have the meet's leading rider, Abel Cedillo, in the tack for his run in the Hope.

Here's the full field for the Sunday stakes in post-position order with riders and morning line odds:

Reddam Racing's Ambivalent (Mario Gutierrez, 7/2); Spielberg; Drakos or Hanson's Weston (Drayden Van Dyke, 3-1); Saratoga West's Coastal Kid (Tyler Baze, 15-1); Tina and Jerome Moss' Red Flag (Victor Espinoza, 6-1), and Eric Homme's Uncle Boogie (Flavien Prat, 5-1).

Spielberg's chief threat would appear to be Weston, a gelded son of the War Front stallion Hit It a Bomb who has a pair of wins under his belt, including a tally in the Best Pal Stakes during the Del Mar summer meet. His last start saw him chase home Dr. Schivel and Spielberg in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity on September 7. The bay since has put in a series of sharp workout at Santa Anita for trainer and part-owner Ryan Hanson.

Ambivalent will have his backers in the sprint, too. The Constitution colt, a $550,000 2-year-old-in-training purchase earlier this year in Florida, is still a maiden, but it isn't for want of trying. This will be his sixth start and he's got a pair of stakes placings on his resume, as well as a pair of second-place finishes in straight maiden races. He runs out of the stable of trainer Doug O'Neill.

First post Sunday is the usual 12:30 p.m. with the featured Hope scheduled to go off at approximately 4 p.m.

The post Million Dollar Baby: Spielberg Tops Sunday’s Bob Hope At Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Million-Dollar Spielberg Looms Large In American Pharoah Stakes

A gutty runner-up in two summertime starts, Bob Baffert's highly regarded Spielberg looms the horse to beat in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita. For 2-year-olds at a mile and one sixteenth, the American Pharoah has attracted a field of eight.

Most recently second, beaten 1 ¾ lengths in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity going seven furlongs on Sept. 7, Spielberg, a $1 million Keeneland September Yearling, will try two turns for the first time and be ridden for the first time by eastern-based Luis Saez.

Third in the Del Mar Futurity, trainer Ryan Hanson's Weston, a Grade II winner going six furlongs in his second start, retains the services of Drayden Van Dyke, while trainer Rafael Becerra's Touchdown Brown, who owns the best last-out Beyer Speed figure in the field, is a California-bred facing open company for the first time.

The American Pharoah, named for Baffert's 2015 Triple Crown winner, is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Race qualifier to the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

SPIELBERG

Owner: SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, et al

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Second twice to Del Mar Futurity winner Dr. Schivel, Spielberg dug in gamely late while clearly second best. In what will be his third start, he'll try to provide Baffert with his record 10th American Pharoah victory.

WESTON

Owner: Chris Drakos & Ryan Hanson

Trainer: Ryan Hanson

Ridden in all three of his starts by Drayden Van Dyke, this bargain $7,000 Keeneland September Yearling showed brilliant speed in his June 21 debut here, winning by 1 ¼ lengths going 4 ½ furlongs. From there, he fought gamely to prevail by a neck in the Grade II Best Pal Stakes going six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 8 and was subsequently third, beaten 5 ½ lengths in the Del Mar Futurity after vying head and head for the early lead. Trained and co-owned by Ryan Hanson, who is married to Santa Anita simulcast television personality Michelle Yu, Weston is battle-tested and retains the services of Van Dyke.

TOUCHDOWN BROWN

Owner: Edward Brown, Jr., Alan Klein & Phillip Lebherz

Trainer: Rafael Becerra

The lone California-bred in the lineup, this colt by Cairo Prince was ultra impressive in his 4 ½ furlong debut on June 19, winning by 5 ½ lengths as the 3-2 favorite. Away awkwardly in the 5 ½ furlong Graduation Stakes on Aug. 2, he never got untracked and finished last, beaten 5 ½ lengths in a field of seven. Ridden for the first time by upstart Juan Hernandez in the six furlong I'm Smokin Stakes Sept. 4, Touchdown Brown was second, beaten a half length in a resolute effort that provided him with a lofty 75 Beyer Speed figure. With Hernandez back aboard, he looms dangerous going two turns in his fourth career start.

THE GRADE I AMERICAN PHAROAH STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 11 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Touchdown Brown—Juan Hernandez—122
Rombauer—Mike Smith—122
Dyn O Mite—Victor Espinoza—122
Notable Exception—Abel Cedillo—122
Spielberg—Luis Saez—122
Get Her Number—Flavien Prat—122
Weston—Drayden Van Dyke—122
Waspirant—Umberto Rispoli—122

First post time for an 11-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. Although there is no public admittance, Santa Anita's livestream video is free of charge at santaanita.com.

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