2026 Bob Hope Stakes Trifecta: How to Build the Winning Ticket
By BUSR Racing Desk
Domus opens as the 8-5 morning line favorite for the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes (Grade 3), Race 8 at Del Mar Racetrack on Sunday, November 15, 2026. Seven 2-year-olds load into the gate at 4:03 PM PT (7:03 PM ET) for this seven-furlong dirt sprint, and the current Bob Hope Stakes odds put Kivo next at 3-1.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Morning line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sip It | Kazushi Kimura | Doug O’Neill | 5-1 |
| 2 | Fractious | Joel Rosario | Doug O’Neill | 6-1 |
| 3 | Dats Improbable | Umberto Rispoli | Doug O’Neill | 8-1 |
| 4 | Domus | Juan J. Hernandez | Bob Baffert | 8-5 |
| 5 | Dang Son | Kyle Frey | Doug O’Neill | 8-1 |
| 6 | High Pronto | Edwin A. Maldonado | Doug O’Neill | 12-1 |
| 7 | Kivo | Emisael Jaramillo | Bob Baffert | 3-1 |
Morning line per the official Del Mar Race 8 entries. Every runner carries 120 pounds.
- Race: 2026 Bob Hope Stakes (Grade 3), Race 8 at Del Mar Racetrack.
- When: Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 4:03 PM PT (7:03 PM ET).
- Morning line favorite: Domus at 8-5, with Kivo at 3-1.
- Distance: seven furlongs on the dirt for 2-year-olds.
- Purse: $100,000 guaranteed; $60,000 goes to the winner.
- Watch and wager: FanDuel TV broadcasts it; bet on Bob Hope Stakes runners at BUSR.
Which Horse Leads the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes Odds?
Domus tops the board at 8-5. Bob Baffert conditions the Uncle Mo ridgling, and Juan J. Hernandez climbs aboard from post 4. Domus earned his favoritism with a 5 1/2-length debut win at Del Mar in July, then spent two starts chasing champion-caliber stablemate Hughes in Grade 1 races.
Those two tries went poorly. Domus finished fourth in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and fourth again in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes. Horse Racing Nation reports he trailed by more than 16 lengths both times.
Sunday hands him an easier task. He drops from Grade 1 to Grade 3 and shortens from 1 1/16 miles to seven furlongs. The Bob Hope Stakes odds price in that edge. The question for bettors: does 8-5 pay enough?
When Does the Bob Hope Stakes Start?
The gates open for the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes at 4:03 PM PT, which equals 7:03 PM ET, on Sunday, November 15, 2026. Del Mar lists it as Race 8 of nine. The card starts at 12:30 PM PT, and the track admits fans from 11 AM PT, according to the Del Mar racing calendar.
FanDuel TV airs the race live, per America’s Best Racing. Del Mar’s wagering menu for Race 8 includes a $1 exacta, a $2 quinella, a 50-cent trifecta, a $1 superfecta with a 10-cent minimum and a $2 WPS parlay.
Bob Hope Stakes Field analysis and Recent Form
Twelve juveniles were nominated before the November 5 deadline, and seven made the final field. High Pronto joined by paying a $1,500 supplemental fee, according to the race conditions.
Two barns own the whole race. Doug O’Neill saddles five horses. Bob Baffert saddles Domus and Kivo, the top two names in the Bob Hope Stakes odds.
Form divides the field cleanly. Fractious, Kivo and Sip It all arrive off October wins at Santa Anita Park. Domus, Dang Son and High Pronto all tried graded company and came up short. Dats Improbable ships west from Maryland.
Speed figures sharpen the picture. Horse Racing Nation gave Fractious a 108 for his October 9 victory and Kivo a 107 for his October 11 maiden score. Domus earned a 90 in the American Pharoah Stakes.
Baffert dominates this race historically. America’s Best Racing counts a record 13 Bob Hope wins for the Hall of Famer. Shared Belief (2013), Mucho Gusto (2018) and Nysos (2023) headline the past winners.
Recent winning times give a benchmark. Havnameltdown stopped the clock in 1:21.68 in 2022. Nysos ran 1:21.71 in 2023, winning by 8 3/4 lengths at 1-5. Bullard finished in 1:22.55 in 2024, per Horse Racing Nation.
Three Angles That Shape Bob Hope Stakes Betting
Angle one: the favorite owns class, not current speed. Domus has faced the division’s best, yet his last figure trails two rivals by 17 points or more. Sharp Bob Hope Stakes betting respects him without overpaying.
Angle two: the October winners bring the numbers. Fractious and Kivo both closed from off the pace to win convincingly. At 6-1, Fractious offers the field’s best last-out figure at double Kivo’s price.
Angle three: pace favors the closers. Domus showed speed when he wired his debut. America’s Best Racing expects High Pronto to press early from post 6. A duel up front sets the table for Kivo, Fractious and Sip It. Build your Bob Hope Stakes betting tickets around that late kick.
Sip It, Post 1, 5-1
Sip It’s career began badly in Kentucky. He struck the gate, his jockey lost both irons, and the rider pulled him up in a turf sprint. The colt bounced back in October at Santa Anita Park, rallying to take a six-furlong turf race by three-quarters of a length.
Kazushi Kimura rides for Doug O’Neill. Sip It now tries dirt for the first time. America’s Best Racing tabbed him as its live longshot, and his 5-1 price makes him a logical third-place piece.
Fractious, Post 2, 6-1
Fractious, by Volatile, broke slowly in his six-furlong Del Mar debut in September and still rallied to finish second. He stepped forward at Santa Anita Park on October 9, drawing off to win a 6 1/2-furlong maiden optional claiming sprint by 3 1/4 lengths.
Horse Racing Nation assigned that effort a 108, the top recent figure in the race. Joel Rosario picks up the mount for Doug O’Neill. America’s Best Racing notes strong workouts since.
Scan the Bob Hope Stakes odds, and Fractious jumps out at 6-1. He pairs the fastest number with a closing style built for this pace scenario. That combination makes him a key piece of any Bob Hope Stakes betting strategy.
Dats Improbable, Post 3, 8-1
Dats Improbable arrives from the Maryland circuit. He demolished a Timonium maiden sprint in September by 10 1/4 lengths, then finished fourth of five in a six-furlong juvenile stakes at Laurel Park.
He moves to Doug O’Neill’s barn, and Umberto Rispoli rides. America’s Best Racing calls his speed figures modest. At 8-1, he needs a major jump to contend.
Domus, Post 4, 8-5
Domus led every step of his July debut at Del Mar and won by 5 1/2 lengths as the betting choice. Bob Baffert then aimed him at the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes, where Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Hughes beat him handily both times.
Domus checked in fourth in each race. He finished more than 16 lengths behind on both occasions, according to Horse Racing Nation.
Juan J. Hernandez guides him from post 4. Easier company and a one-turn sprint suit him, and his speed could dictate terms. Bettors who take 8-5, however, accept real risk if his recent form repeats.
Dang Son, Post 5, 8-1
Dang Son debuted on the Del Mar dirt and finished 12 lengths behind Domus. He turned things around in his next start, springing an upset in a one-mile Del Mar turf maiden race.
He then ran third, 10 lengths back, in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. He finished last of six in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes after his rider eased him. Kyle Frey rides for Doug O’Neill. America’s Best Racing labels him a surprise candidate.
High Pronto, Post 6, 12-1
High Pronto, bred in Florida, carries a 1-for-4 record. His lone win came in an August dirt sprint at Del Mar, by two lengths, in his second start.
He ran last in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. Last time, he finished fourth of six, 4 1/4 lengths back, in a Santa Anita Park turf sprint stakes. Edwin A. Maldonado rides for Doug O’Neill. Expect him near the front early, but the 12-1 morning line reflects his inconsistency.
Kivo, Post 7, 3-1
Kivo, by Omaha Beach, launched his career in a one-mile Del Mar turf race in September. He ran into trouble and finished fifth of 10. Bob Baffert then moved him to the dirt and shortened him to six furlongs.
The change worked. Kivo rallied to a 2 1/4-length maiden win at Santa Anita Park on October 11 and earned a 107 Horse Racing Nation figure. Emisael Jaramillo rides from the far outside.
America’s Best Racing selected Kivo to win. His 3-1 spot in the Bob Hope Stakes odds looks fair for a fast, improving colt with a clean outside path.
Building the Best 2026 Bob Hope Stakes Trifecta
Three colts stand apart: Fractious, Domus and Kivo. Two bring the fastest figures, and one brings the class edge. America’s Best Racing published a 7-2-4 trifecta, ranking Kivo first, Fractious second and Domus third.
Option one: box 2, 4 and 7. That covers six combinations and costs $3 at the 50-cent base.
Option two: add a longshot to the bottom. Use 2, 4, 7 in first; 2, 4, 7 in second; and 1, 2, 4, 7 in third. This ticket costs $6 at 50 cents and catches a Sip It rally into third.
Option three: lean on value. A win bet on Fractious at 6-1, plus a $1 exacta box with Kivo and Domus for $6, gives balanced exposure. If Fractious beats the two Baffert colts, every ticket built off the Bob Hope Stakes odds pays more.
How Can I Bet the Bob Hope Stakes Online?
You can bet on Bob Hope Stakes wagers at BUSR in four steps. Create an account, make a deposit, open Del Mar Race 8 for Sunday, November 15, and choose your wager. BUSR takes win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta bets on the race.
New members can grab up to a $1,000 Welcome Bonus. Put it to work across your Bob Hope Stakes betting slip and the rest of the Del Mar card.
Bob Hope Stakes FAQ
What date is the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes?
It runs Sunday, November 15, 2026, as Race 8 at Del Mar, at 4:03 PM PT (7:03 PM ET).
Who is favored to win the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes?
Domus at 8-5 on the morning line. Kivo is the second choice at 3-1.
What distance is the Bob Hope Stakes?
Seven furlongs on dirt, restricted to 2-year-olds.
How much money is the Bob Hope Stakes worth?
$100,000 guaranteed: $60,000 to the winner, $20,000 to second, $12,000 to third, $6,000 to fourth, and $2,000 to fifth.
Where can I watch the Bob Hope Stakes?
FanDuel TV shows the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes live.
Who holds the training record in the Bob Hope Stakes?
Bob Baffert, with 13 wins, per America’s Best Racing.
Why is it called the Bob Hope Stakes?
It honors entertainer Bob Hope, a frequent Del Mar visitor. Hollywood Park first ran it in 1981 as the Hollywood Prevue Stakes, and Del Mar took it over after Hollywood Park closed in 2013.
Where do I find live Bob Hope Stakes odds?
BUSR posts live Bob Hope Stakes odds up to post time.
Grab Up to $1,000 and Bet Del Mar Race 8
Join BUSR today and claim up to a $1,000 Welcome Bonus. Compare the latest Bob Hope Stakes odds, explore every Bob Hope Stakes betting option, and bet on Bob Hope Stakes contenders before the field breaks at 4:03 PM PT.
The Last Call Before Post Time
One favorite with class to burn. Two October winners with figures to match. Four more chasing a Grade 3 breakthrough. The 2026 Bob Hope Stakes packs plenty of tension into seven furlongs, and the trifecta rewards the bettor who reads it right. If Domus stumbles again, the door swings wide open. Make your call, lock your ticket, and enjoy Sunday at Del Mar.
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