Mastery Takes Bob Hope in Stakes Debut

Cheyenne Stables’ Mastery made his stakes debut a winning one, capturing the $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes (GIII) at Del Mar by 1 ¼ lengths over California Diamond in just his second career race. The bay son of Candy Ride is trained by Bob Baffert and was ridden to victory by jockey Mike Smith.

Mastery won his stakes debut at Del Mar.

Mastery faced a compact but talented field of five in his stakes debut and, after a clean break from post position three, went straight for the lead and led at every call through comfortable splits of :23.23, :47.07 and 1:11.71. After never really facing a challenge, Mastery cruised home to an easy victory, stopping the clock in 1:23.37 for the seven furlongs over a fast main track.

California Diamond held on for second, crossing the wire 1 ½ lengths in front of Ann Arbor Eddie, Ooper Wallah and Bernin Sensation.

“It went well after we got away from there,” Smith said. “He was a little funny in the gate; had some of those second-race jitters. But once we got him rolling he was fine. He’s got a beautiful stride — big, long and powerful. He’ll go two turns, too. These seven-eighths races can be tougher than a two-turner. He handled this race fine. I think two turns will be fine too.”

Mastery was bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm and was a $425,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase 14 months ago. He is out of the winning Old Trieste mare Steady Course.

At odds of just more than 2-5, Mastery was worth $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10. California Diamond was good for $2.60 and $2.10. Ann Arbor Eddie paid $2.40. There was a negative show pool on Mastery of $54,720.40.

Mastery got a bit of a late start, not breaking his maiden until his debut in mid-October at Santa Anita. A May foal, Baffert believes that while it’s too early to dream about the Derby the colt is on the right track after what he showed in his second career start.

“We knew he was a nice horse when he broke his maiden, but from what we saw today he could be something,” Baffert said. “The second out is so important. They can run well in the first outing and then take a step back. We didn’t have him super-cranked for the first out and this one was a lot of him (talent.) He just shipped down this morning and he shipped well. Now he’s got that experience. He didn’t look exhausted afterwards, but he really didn’t have to exert himself.”

“I’m really happy for (Cheyenne owner Everett Dobson); owners are always looking for good horses and dreaming and thinking about finally getting a good one like this one.

“Right now it’s too early (to think about the Kentucky Derby) but from what we saw today we have a nice horse. He’s figured it out.”

Mastery earned $60,000 for his first stakes win, bringing his earnings total to $91,200 from his two wins.

Margaret Ransom

California native and lifelong horsewoman Margaret Ransom is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program. She got her start in racing working in the publicity departments at Calder Race Course and Hialeah Park, as well as in the racing office at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. She then spent six years in Lexington, KY, at BRISnet.com, where she helped create and develop the company’s popular newsletters: Handicapper’s Edge and Bloodstock Journal.

After returning to California, she served six years as the Southern California news correspondent for BloodHorse, assisted in the publicity department at Santa Anita Park and was a contributor to many other racing publications, including HorsePlayer Magazine and Trainer Magazine. She then spent seven years at HRTV and HRTV.com in various roles as researcher, programming assistant, producer and social media and marketing manager.

She has also walked hots and groomed runners, worked the elite sales in Kentucky for top-class consignors and volunteers for several racehorse retirement organizations, including CARMA.

In 2016, Margaret was the recipient of the prestigious Stanley Bergstein Writing Award, sponsored by Team Valor, and was an Eclipse Award honorable mention for her story, “The Shocking Untold Story of Maria Borell,” which appeared on USRacing.com. The article and subsequent stories helped save 43 abandoned and neglected Thoroughbreds in Kentucky and also helped create a new animal welfare law known as the “Borell Law.”

Margaret’s very first Breeders’ Cup was at Hollywood Park in 1984 and she has attended more than half of the Breeders’ Cups since. She counts Holy Bull and Arrogate as her favorite horses of all time. She lives in Pasadena with her longtime beau, Tony, two Australian Shepherds and one Golden Retriever.