$100k Bob Hope – Del Mar 11/17

$100,000 Bob Hope (G3)
Del Mar

Race 8 (Saturday, November 17, 2018: 7:00 p.m./ET; 4:00 p.m./PT
7 furlongs on the main track (two-year-olds)

Let’s try to pick out a future star where the turf meets the surf:

#1 METROPOL won at first asking in a six-and-a-half furlong maiden special weight race at Santa Anita. Today, he draws an undesirable post position (one-for-14 during the 2018 Summer meet at this distance) and will be stretching out an additional sixteenth of a mile.

#2 EXTRA HOPE cuts back from a mile-and-a-sixteenth to this seven furlong distance for trainer Richard Mandella. The Jay Em Ess Stable homebred most recently added blinkers and dusted his competition by almost nine lengths. Drayden Van Dyke opts to ride #1 METROPOL, so Flavien Prat picks up the mount.

#3 MUCHO GUSTO is the second Bob Baffert entrant in the race. $625K son of MUCHO MACHO MAN went straight to the lead in his career debut and never looked back, winning by four lengths. Has always been well regarded.

#4 SAVAGERY broke his maiden over this track on August 15 by 11 lengths in a maiden $62,500 claiming race. He came back three months later at Santa Anita and ran second at 9/5 to #6 SPARKY VILLE in the Sunny Slope at Santa Anita, continuing his improving Beyer Speed Figure pattern. Interesting.

#5 OWNING broke his maiden by two-and-a-half lengths in his first start on July 8. Since then, the FLASHBACK colt has run twice: a fourth place finish behind INSTAGRAND and #6 SPARKYVILLE in the Best Pal (G2) and a distant midfield finish in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf on September 2. He makes his first start in two-and-a-half months for trainer Simon Callaghan, who wins at 20% when removing blinkers.

#6 SPARKY VILLE won the Sunny Slope Stakes at Santa Anita last time out, stalking the pace before defeating #4 SAVAGERY in that six-and-a-half furlong contest. But in two starts over this main track, he has failed to be competitive against much tougher. Nonetheless, merits respect off that last run.

#7 SUENO makes his first start since a four-and-a-half length win at the maiden $80K claiming level on August 31. He only has four recorded workouts since then, so whether he’ll be at his fittest is a major question mark.

SELECTIONS

1. #2 EXTRA HOPE – Blinkers produced improved speed.
2. #3 MUCHO GUSTO – King of two-year-olds trains.
3. #1 METROPOL – DVD elects to stay with him.

LONGSHOT VALUE PLAY- #4 SAVAGERY – Will be on the early pace.

WAGERING STRATEGY
I’ll box my top two picks and longshot value play in exactas and make a straight win bet on my top choice.

BANKROLL PLAY ($50 Budget)
$5 Exacta Box: #1 METROPOL and #2 EXTRA HOPE and #4 SAVAGERY ($30)
$20 Win: #2 EXTRA HOPE

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