The 2026 Bob Hope Stakes (Grade 3) runs Sunday, November 15, 2026, as Race 8 at Del Mar Racetrack, with post time at 4:03 PM PT (7:03 PM ET). Domus, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Juan J. Hernandez, leads the Bob Hope Stakes odds as the 8-5 morning line favorite in a seven-horse field.
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sip It | Kazushi Kimura | Doug F. O'Neill | 5/1 |
| 2 | Fractious | Joel Rosario | Doug F. O'Neill | 6/1 |
| 3 | Dats Improbable | Umberto Rispoli | Doug F. O'Neill | 8/1 |
| 4 | Domus | Juan J. Hernandez | Bob Baffert | 8/5 |
| 5 | Dang Son | Kyle Frey | Doug F. O'Neill | 8/1 |
| 6 | High Pronto | Edwin A. Maldonado | Doug F. O'Neill | 12/1 |
| 7 | Kivo | Emisael Jaramillo | Bob Baffert | 3/1 |
The Bob Hope Stakes is scheduled for November 15, 2026, at Del Mar (Race 8, Post Time: 4:03 PM PT). Check for scratches and wagering updates before betting.
Source: official Del Mar Race 8 entries and morning line. All seven colts carry 120 pounds.
Domus is the favorite in the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes at 8-5 on the morning line. Bob Baffert trains the ridgling, and Juan J. Hernandez rides from post 4. Domus won his July debut at Del Mar by 5 1/2 lengths, then faced champion-caliber rival Hughes twice in Grade 1 company.
The Bob Hope Stakes odds reflect class. Domus ran fourth in both the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes. He trailed Hughes by more than 16 lengths each time, according to Horse Racing Nation.
Now Domus drops into Grade 3 company. He also cuts back from 1 1/16 miles to seven furlongs. Bettors must decide if that class relief justifies a short price.
The 2026 Bob Hope Stakes goes off at 4:03 PM PT, or 7:03 PM ET, on Sunday, November 15, 2026. It runs as Race 8 on a nine-race Del Mar card. First post that day is 12:30 PM PT, and gates open at 11 AM PT, per the Del Mar racing calendar.
FanDuel TV carries the race live, according to America's Best Racing. Del Mar offers a $1 exacta, a 50-cent trifecta, a $1 superfecta with a 10-cent minimum, and a $2 WPS parlay on the race.
Seven 2-year-olds entered the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes. Twelve horses were nominated by the November 5 deadline. High Pronto joined through a $1,500 supplementary payment, per the official conditions.
Doug O'Neill sends five of the seven runners. Bob Baffert sends the other two, Domus and Kivo. Those two Baffert colts hold the top two spots in the Bob Hope Stakes odds.
Recent form splits into two groups. Fractious, Kivo and Sip It all won their last start at Santa Anita Park in October. Domus, Dang Son and High Pronto took on graded stakes company and struggled.
Horse Racing Nation speed figures add context. Fractious earned a 108 in his Santa Anita win on October 9. Kivo posted a 107 in his maiden victory on October 11. Domus registered a 90 in the American Pharoah Stakes.
History favors Baffert. America's Best Racing credits him with a record 13 Bob Hope Stakes wins. Past winners include Shared Belief in 2013, Mucho Gusto in 2018 and Nysos in 2023.
Nysos won in 2023 by 8 3/4 lengths at 1-5 and stopped the clock in 1:21.71. Havnameltdown won in 2022 in 1:21.68. Bullard won in 2024 in 1:22.55, per Horse Racing Nation.
First, the favorite brings the toughest résumé but the weakest recent figures. Domus faced elite company twice and lost badly twice. Smart Bob Hope Stakes betting treats him as a contender, not a lock.
Second, the fastest recent numbers belong to Fractious and Kivo. Both colts won with authority in October. Both rallied from off the pace. Fractious at 6-1 carries the best figure in the field at a higher price than Kivo at 3-1.
Third, the pace shape matters. Domus wired his debut field. High Pronto should press early from post 6, according to America's Best Racing. That early speed sets up closers like Kivo, Fractious and Sip It in the stretch. Any Bob Hope Stakes betting plan should account for a contested pace.
Sip It endured a rough debut in Kentucky. He hit the gate, his rider lost his irons, and the colt got eased in a turf sprint. He returned in October at Santa Anita Park and rallied to win a six-furlong turf dash by three-quarters of a length.
Kazushi Kimura rides for Doug O'Neill. Sip It now switches from turf to dirt. America's Best Racing named him its live longshot. At 5-1, he fits underneath in trifecta tickets.
Fractious, a son of Volatile, started slowly and rallied to finish second in his six-furlong Del Mar debut in September. He then won a 6 1/2-furlong maiden optional claiming sprint at Santa Anita Park on October 9 by 3 1/4 lengths, going away.
That win earned a 108 Horse Racing Nation speed figure, the top last-race number in this field. Joel Rosario takes the call for Doug O'Neill. Fractious has posted good workouts since, per America's Best Racing.
Among the Bob Hope Stakes odds, Fractious stands out as the value play at 6-1. He owns the speed figure and the rallying style that this pace setup rewards.
Dats Improbable ships in from Maryland. He crushed a maiden sprint at Timonium in September by 10 1/4 lengths. He then finished fourth of five in a six-furlong juvenile stakes at Laurel Park.
The colt now runs for Doug O'Neill after a trainer change. Umberto Rispoli rides. His speed figures sit on the modest side, according to America's Best Racing. He needs a big step forward at 8-1.
Domus, a son of Uncle Mo, opened his career with a wire-to-wire 5 1/2-length win at Del Mar in July as the favorite. Bob Baffert then tested him twice against stablemate Hughes, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner.
Domus finished fourth in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs. He finished fourth again in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. He lost by more than 16 lengths both times, per Horse Racing Nation.
Juan J. Hernandez rides from post 4. The class drop and the return to a one-turn sprint give Domus a clear path. His early speed could control a soft pace. Still, 8-5 offers little cushion if he regresses again.
Dang Son finished 12 lengths behind Domus in his dirt debut at Del Mar. He then upset a one-mile turf maiden race at Del Mar in his second start.
He followed with a 10-length third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. He then ran last of six and got eased in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes. Kyle Frey rides for Doug O'Neill. A win here would surprise, per America's Best Racing.
High Pronto, a Florida-bred, has won one of four starts. He won a Del Mar dirt sprint by two lengths in August, his second career race.
He finished last in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. Most recently, he ran fourth of six, beaten 4 1/4 lengths, in a turf sprint stakes at Santa Anita Park. Edwin A. Maldonado rides for Doug O'Neill. He should press the pace if he breaks cleanly, but 12-1 tells the story.
Kivo, a son of Omaha Beach, debuted in a one-mile Del Mar turf race in September. He met trouble and finished fifth of 10. Bob Baffert then switched him to dirt and cut him back to six furlongs.
Kivo answered with a rallying 2 1/4-length maiden win at Santa Anita Park on October 11. He earned a 107 Horse Racing Nation speed figure. Emisael Jaramillo rides from the outside post.
America's Best Racing picked Kivo to win. At 3-1 in the Bob Hope Stakes odds, he offers a fair price for a colt with a fast figure and a clean outside trip.
The numbers point to three colts: Kivo, Fractious and Domus. Kivo and Fractious bring the top two speed figures. Domus brings class and early speed. America's Best Racing published a 7-2-4 trifecta: Kivo, Fractious, Domus.
A tight trifecta box of 2, 4 and 7 costs $3 at the 50-cent minimum. That ticket covers all six orders of Fractious, Domus, and Kivo.
A wider structure adds Sip It underneath. Play 2, 4, 7 on top; 2, 4, 7 second; and 1, 2, 4, 7 third. That ticket also costs $6 at 50 cents and protects against a Sip It rally into third.
For value-driven Bob Hope Stakes betting, Fractious at 6-1 deserves a win bet. Pair him with Kivo and Domus in a $1 exacta box for $6 total. A Fractious win at those Bob Hope Stakes odds lifts every exotic payout.
You can bet on Bob Hope Stakes wagers through an online sportsbook like BUSR. Open an account, fund it, find Del Mar Race 8 on Sunday, November 15, and pick your bet type. BUSR offers win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta wagers on the race.
New players can claim up to a $1,000 Welcome Bonus at BUSR. That bonus gives more ammunition for Bob Hope Stakes betting tickets across the Del Mar card.
Sunday, November 15, 2026, as Race 8 at Del Mar, with post time at 4:03 PM PT (7:03 PM ET).
Domus is the 8-5 morning line favorite. Kivo is the second choice at 3-1.
Seven furlongs on dirt, for 2-year-olds.
$100,000 guaranteed. The winner earns $60,000, second $20,000, third $12,000, fourth $6,000 and fifth $2,000.
FanDuel TV broadcasts the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes live.
Bob Baffert, with a record 13 wins, according to America's Best Racing.
Comedian Bob Hope, a Del Mar regular. The race began in 1981 as the Hollywood Prevue Stakes at Hollywood Park and moved to Del Mar after that track closed in 2013.
Check live Bob Hope Stakes odds on our race page and at BUSR before post time.
Get up to a $1,000 Welcome Bonus when you join BUSR. Lock in your trifecta, exacta and win bets on Del Mar Race 8. Check the latest Bob Hope Stakes odds and Bob Hope Stakes betting options, then bet on Bob Hope Stakes contenders before the gate opens at 4:03 PM PT.
Domus carries the class and the 8-5 tag. Kivo and Fractious carry the speed figures and the momentum. That tension creates the betting opportunity. If the favorite falters again, the October winners take over the trifecta. Seven colts, seven furlongs, one Sunday at the beach. Build your ticket and let them run.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
