Restoring Hope | Horse Profile
Starts: 5
Wins: 1
Places: 1
Shows: 2
Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings: $149,880
Owner: West, Gary and Mary
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Mike Smith
Pedigree: Giant's Causeway – Symbol of Freedom, by Tapit
Recent Finish: 10th, Pat Day Mile Stakes, G3 (5/5/18)
Restoring Hope Horse Profile
It took Blended Citizen five starts to break his maiden last year, and he did it on the turf. But the late 2015 foal has found his way in 2018. Trained by Doug O’Neil and based on the West Coast, Blended Citizen has a pair of graded stakes wins in 2018 first in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on the synthetic surface at Turfway Park and then in the 1 1/8 mile Peter Pan (G3) May 12 at Belmont Park. That recent win was a Belmont Stakes prep race in which he dug in under a drive to gain steadily on the three race favorites and then find his best gear to get up late for the victory. Blended Citizen is a big horse with a big stride, and his connections believe he’ll handle the longer distance at Belmont without issue. Blended Citizen is a son of the late Proud Citizen, who finished second in the 2002 Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness Stakes. A hotly contested pace is likely needed for Blended Citizen to run down Justify and the top contenders in the Belmont, but Blended Citizen is capable of hitting the board with continued improvement off his good current form.
Restoring Hope Entering Into the Kentucky Derby
Restoring Hope is a well-regarded colt trained by Bob Baffert who made his stakes debut in the Wood Memorial at 7-2 odds and finished 3rd behind Derby contenders Vino Rosso and Enticed. Restoring Hope needed a top-2 finish in the Wood Memorial to earn his way into the Derby, but his late rally was only enough for 3rd place five lengths behind the winner. As the 26th horse in line for a Derby berth, he’s moved up with a few colts dropping out, but will not make it into the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby.
However, Restoring Hope is in Louisville and will run in the Pat Day Mile (G3) May 5 at Churchill Downs on the Derby undercard. Mike Smith will take the mount on Restoring Hope in Race 10 and then ride the Kentucky Derby favorite Justify in Race 12.
Key Speed Figures and Stats for Restoring Hope
- Career-best BRIS Speed Figure of 96 in Wood Memorial
- Only 1 maiden win in 4 career starts, but all in-the-money finishes
Restoring Hope is very well-bred as a son of the late Giant’s Causeway with his dam Symbol of Freedom by Tapit. Baffert seemed to be holding Restoring Hope under wraps, and he didn’t race him in a Derby prep between his maiden win Feb. 2 until the April 7 Wood Memorial, and the track that day indicated the surface put speed at a disadvantage. However, Restoring Hope still showed some good speed in that race, and even more in four workouts at Santa Anita since the end of March.
The fact that Restoring Hope went off at 7-2 odds in the Wood in his stakes debut against two other Derby contenders shows how highly-regarded this colt is to his handlers and bettors. He’ll be one of the favorites in the Pat Day mile and a improving colt to keep an eye on during the rest of his sophomore season.