McKinzie Street Is Yakteen’s ‘Hope’ In Sunday’s Bob Hope

[Wandering Eyes]

The field for Sunday's GIII Bob Hope Stakes, a seven-furlong event for 2-year-olds at Del Mar, features a small and somewhat eclectic group of six. Take, for example, MGISP McKinzie Street (McKinzie). The Tim Yakteen trainee impressed in his sprint debut earlier in the summer but has had the misfortune of running second and third in a pair of Grade I's including a last-out third to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) in the GI American Pharoah Stakes Oct. 5. He breaks from the rail and cuts back to the distance of his second two starts back (to Breeders' Cup runner up Gaming {Game Winner}) in the GI Del Mar Futurity.

Trainer Mike McCarthy brings back the field's sole 'TDN Rising Star' as Bullard (Gun Runner) makes his second start since putting up an 84 Beyer Speed Figure in his six-furlong debut Sept. 1 where he closed to defeat Kalea Bay (Authentic). In fact, four of the six runners, Bullard included, will be stretching out to seven furlongs for the first time Sunday.

The aforementioned Kalea Bay, one of a pair of Bob Baffert runners in the field and the pricier of the two at $700,000, ran into Citizen Bull has shown his own steady improvement over three starts, first behind Citizen Bull before losing the lead to Bullard in that Sept. 1 spot. The third time proved to the charm as he wired a field by 8 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita Sept. 28. He joins wildcard stablemate Madaket Road (Quality Road) who would make his first start in this spot Sunday. The $650,000 FTSAUG purchase was also cross-entered in a maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs Saturday.

Completing the field are a pair of maidens, Maximus (Maximus Mischief) for Cesar DeAlba and Dr Ruben M (Vino Rosso) for Chief Stipe O'Neill. Both would appear to be part of an early pace set up as Maximus wired his maiden optional claimer by 9 1/4 lengths while Dr Ruben M broke through in his fourth start and cuts back from one mile where he lasted by three-quarters of a length.

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