We Speak Horses

Baffert and O’Neill Split All Seven Runners in Sunday’s $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar

Published

22 hours ago

November 14, 2026

Domus, a bay 2-year-old wearing blinkers and Baoma Corp's blue silks with white stars, gallops on the dirt track at Del Mar.

Sunday’s $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar belongs entirely to two barns — Bob Baffert saddles two of the seven 2-year-olds in the seven-furlong test and Doug O’Neill saddles the other five, with Baffert’s Domus installed as the 8/5 morning-line favorite.

Two of the west’s top conditioners – Bob Baffert and Doug O’Neill – have Sunday’s $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes surrounded – literally. The pair have a hand in all seven of the 2-year-old runners in the seven-furlong test with Baffert saddling two of the runners and O’Neill the other five.

Del Mar’s morning line maker, Jon Lies, has hung Baoma Corp’s Domus (a Baffert) as the 8/5 favorite. Baffert’s other charge – Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Kivo – is next at 3-1. Then come’s O’Neill’s Sip It, who runs in the silks of CTR Stables, Hartman Stable, et al, at 5-1.

Everyone of the youngsters in the lineup has won at least one race. Of further note is that for the first time in his fourth race, Domus, a ridgling by the late sire Uncle Mo, will go without blinkers. The bay will be handled by top rider Juan Hernandez as they break from Post 4.

Kivo, who’ll have Emisael Jaramillo in the boot, comes out of the outside Post 7. He’s a colt by Omaha Beach who cost $350,000 as a yearling.

Sip It, who’ll start from the rail, will have Kazushi Kimura aboard. The chestnut is by the Tapit sire Greatest Honour and scored in his second start at Santa Anita when sent off at odds of 20-1. He worked smartly at Del Mar last Sunday, going five furlongs in :59 3/5 out of the gate.

Bob Hope, of course, was one of America’s great comedians and actors. He originally was an English vaudevillian who got his big break at Del Mar when he and Bing Crosby drew raves for their improvised comedy act at afterhours parties in the Turf Club following the races in the 1930s. They subsequently took their magic to the silver screen and made seven “buddy” movies under the titles “Road to…..” They are considered the most popular “buddy” movies of all time.

The Bob Hope is the eighth of nine races on the card with a post time of approximately 4 p.m. First post for the day is 12:30 p.m.

Arctic Wolf Goes Wire to Wire to Win the $175,000 Awad Stakes at Belmont Park

Published

17 hours ago

November 14, 2026

We Speak Media

Arctic Wolf, number 9 with Kendrick Carmouche aboard in black silks with pink polka dots, winning the Awad Stakes at Belmont Park.

Five starts at five different tracks, and Arctic Wolf keeps finding the winner’s circle. The grey son of Frosted took the field gate to wire Saturday at Belmont Park, winning the $175,000 Awad Stakes by three lengths under Kendrick Carmouche.

The Awad, run as the eighth race, was scheduled for the Widener turf course and moved to the new Tapeta track, where Arctic Wolf set fractions of :22.83, :46.00 and :57.28 before finishing six furlongs in 1:08.99. He paid $13.90 to win and earned $96,250 for owners MHM Stables LLC, Chad Calvert and John F. Goldthorpe.

Metallican finished second, a length and three quarters ahead of Riyadh Way in third. Titan Ready was fourth and More Champagne fifth.

Trained by Jack Sisterson, Arctic Wolf was bred in Kentucky by Flying B Ranch Thoroughbreds and is by Frosted out of the mare Firewolves. Carmouche said after the race that Sisterson’s instructions were simple: take the lead and do not hold back.

The Awad was Arctic Wolf’s second stakes win of the fall. He won the Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita on October 3 by two and a quarter lengths, and his five career starts have now come at five different tracks.