Bullard gets the nod in Bob Hope Stakes

Mike McCarthy’s #5 Bullard, a fine debut winner on the surface on Sept. 1, takes top billing in Sunday’s $100,000 Bob Hope S. (G3) at Del Mar. The seven-furlong heat for juveniles attracted a compact field of six, and I expect the expensive son of Gun Runner to move his mark to a perfect 2-for-2 following the dash. 

Bob Hope Wagers

• $30 win #5 Bullard ($30)
• $5 exacta box 1-5 ($10)

Bred in the Bluegrass State, Bullard took a good amount of money when sent postward at 3-1 odds in his unveiling and showed why he was popular at the windows. The dark bay colt broke slowest and was last after the first call of the six-furlong jaunt, but he made a strong move into and through the lane en route to a decisive, 1 1/4-length score, and the April foal was flattered when runner-up #3 Kalea Bay came back to graduate by more than eight lengths at Santa Anita on Sept. 28. 

Bullard comes in fresh with a quartet of drills in advance of Sunday, which includes a quick five-furlong spin in his latest morning work. And I feel that he will move forward off of his initial try for a conditioner who is generally better with horses having some experience. Umberto Rispoli, the go-to pilot for this outfit, will be in the silks once again. 

#1 McKinzie Street broke his maiden on debut on the oval and returned to finish a clear second in the subsequent Del Mar Futurity (G1), splitting the eventual top two finishers in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) in the process. Conditioned by Tim Yakteen, the $290,000 two-year-old purchase ran a creditable third in the American Pharoah S. (G1) in his route debut most recently, and I feel that the colt will appreciate the cutback in distance against this group. I also believe that he will benefit from not trying his hand in the Breeders’ Cup, as this is a more sensible spot for him to annex his first stakes race. Regular pilot Kazushi Kimura has the assignment and will have the March foal stalking the pace early on.