| 1 | Rager (KY) | Martin Garcia | 118 | Andrew Lerner | – |
| 2 | Howbeit (KY) | Rafael Bejarano | 118 | Doug F. O’Neill | – |
| 3 | Thousand Words (FL) | Flavien Prat | 118 | Bob Baffert | – |
| 4 | Zimba Warrior (FL) | Jose Valdivia, Jr. | 118 | J. Keith Desormeaux | – |
| 5 | High Velocity (KY) | Drayden Van Dyke | 118 | Bob Baffert | – |
| 6 | Strongconstitution (KY) | Abel Cedillo | 118 | Doug F. O’Neill | – |
A small but talented field is heading to the Bob Hope Stakes Saturday at Del Mar. Bob Baffert and Doug O’ Neill make up more than half the field with both having two entrants. Baffert sends out Thousand Words with Flavien Prat and High Velocity with Drayden Van Dyke. O’ Neill has Howbeit with Raphael Bejarano and Strongconstitution with Abel Cedillo. The field is rounded out by Zimba Warrior for Keith Desormeaux with Jose Valdivia Jr. riding and Rager for Andrew Lerner with Martin Garcia in the irons.
Bob Baffert will be looking for his 10th win in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes, which is often a prelude to the Los Alamitos Futurity the first week in December. Both Baffert’s runners look formidable coming off wins. High Velocity won Oct. 13, racing 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.60 on his way to a two-length victory, and Thousand Words was a half-length victor Oct. 26, competing 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.77.
Baffert has won three of the last four renewals of the Bob Hope with Toews on Ice in 2015, Mastery in 2016, and with Musto Gusto in 2018. Mastery went on to be an early Kentucky Derby favorite before injury knocked him out of the running and forced retirement.
