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 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) as the long-term target for their promising colt. Unraced since a third-place effort in the Oct. 5 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) to eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull , the Tim Yakteen trainee cuts back to seven furlongs in the Bob Hope.

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. Owned by Pierre and Leslie Amestoy and Roger Beasley, 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 retains the mount on the speedy son of Authentic .

Baffert also will saddle the maiden Madaket Road for the same connections. The $650,000 buy has lit up the morning work tab in preparation for his debut, clocking four consecutive bullet works in a row. 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 (by Bodemeister).

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 event at Del Mar Sept. 1.

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