The 2026 Bob Hope Stakes (Listed) is scheduled to run as Race 8 at Del Mar Racetrack on Sunday, November 15, 2026, with a post time of 4:03 PM PT (7:03 PM ET). Bob Baffert-trained Domus tops the morning-line odds at 8/5, and stablemate Kivo sits second at 3/1.
Seven two-year-olds are set to run 7 furlongs on the Del Mar dirt for a $100,000 purse. Doug F. O’Neill will saddle five of the seven runners, and Bob Baffert will send out the other two.
Bob Hope Stakes Odds, Post Positions & Entries
The morning-line favorites are led by Domus, with Kivo next. Sip It follows at 5/1, followed by Fractious, Dats Improbable, Dang Son and High Pronto. The race will test the two-year-old division at a key point in the season.
- Date: Sunday, November 15, 2026, at Del Mar Racetrack.
- Post time: 4:03 PM PT / 7:03 PM ET (Race 8).
- Favorite: #4 Domus at 8/5 on the morning line.
- Distance: 7 furlongs on dirt, two-year-olds, 120 lbs. each.
- TV: FanDuel TV carries the race live.
When Is the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes?
The 2026 Bob Hope Stakes takes place on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. It goes as Race 8 on the card. The race anchors week two of Del Mar’s Bing Crosby Season fall meet.
The Bing Crosby Season runs from November 6 through November 29, according to BloodHorse. This year marks the 13th edition of the fall meet. The Bob Hope Stakes returns after Del Mar canceled the 2025 renewal.
Nominations closed on November 5, 2026, with 12 early nominees. High Pronto joined the field as a supplemental entry. His connections paid a $1,500 fee to start, per the official race conditions.
What Time Is the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes?
The 2026 Bob Hope Stakes has a 4:03 PM PT post time, which equals 7:03 PM ET, 6:03 PM CT, and 5:03 PM MT. It sits eighth on the Sunday program at Del Mar Racetrack. Fans should tune in a few minutes early to catch the post parade and final odds.
Late money often moves juvenile prices. Watch the tote board in the last five minutes before the gates open.
How Can I Watch the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes?
FanDuel TV broadcasts the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes live, according to America’s Best Racing. Viewers can find FanDuel TV on most cable and satellite packages. The race streams to FanDuel TV subscribers on supported devices.
What Is the Weather Forecast for the Bob Hope Stakes?
The current forecast calls for a high of 71°F and a low of 57°F in Del Mar on Sunday, November 15, 2026. The chance of rain sits at just 10%. Saturday looks similar, with a high of 69°F and a 15% chance of rain.
Dry skies point toward a fast main track. Del Mar will post the official track condition on race day; until then, the surface rating remains TBA. A fast track usually favors horses with tactical speed at 7 furlongs.
Who Is the Favorite in the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes?
Domus, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Juan J. Hernandez, leads the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes odds as the 8/5 morning-line favorite from post 4. Kivo, also trained by Bob Baffert, ranks second choice at 3/1. Sip It follows at 5/1.
Domus brings the most stakes experience in the field. He ran fourth in both the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and the American Pharoah Stakes (G1). Now he drops to Listed company.
2026 Bob Hope Stakes Odds and Contender Analysis
Here is a horse-by-horse breakdown of the full field. Every price below comes from the official morning line. Use it alongside the latest Bob Hope Stakes odds on race day.
#1 Sip It (5/1) – Jockey Kazushi Kimura, Trainer Doug F. O’Neill. This son of Greatest Honour endured a rough debut in Kentucky. He hit the gate, and his rider lost his irons, per America’s Best Racing. He bounced back with a 3/4-length win in a 6-furlong turf sprint at Santa Anita Park on October 11.
Sip It now switches from turf to dirt. That remains the big question. Kazushi Kimura knows this race well, having ridden 2/1 favorite McKinzie Street in the 2024 edition. At 5/1, Sip It offers a price if he handles the surface.
#2 Fractious (6/1) – Jockey Joel Rosario, Trainer Doug F. O’Neill. This son of Volatile keeps improving. He rallied from a slow start to finish second in a 6-furlong debut at Del Mar in September. He then won a 6 1/2-furlong maiden optional claiming race at Santa Anita Park on October 9.
Fractious won that race going away by 3 1/4 lengths. He has posted sharp workouts since. Joel Rosario, a Hall of Famer, takes the call. Another step forward makes him a serious threat at 6/1.
#3 Dats Improbable (8/1) – Jockey Umberto Rispoli, Trainer Doug F. O’Neill. This son of Improbable ships in from Maryland. He crushed a sprint maiden race at Timonium by 10 1/4 lengths in September. He then ran fourth of five in a 6-furlong juvenile stakes at Laurel Park.
He moves to the Doug F. O’Neill barn for this start. His speed figures look modest against this group. Still, Umberto Rispoli won the 2024 Bob Hope Stakes aboard Bullard. That local success adds intrigue at 8/1.
#4 Domus (8/5) – Jockey Juan J. Hernandez, Trainer Bob Baffert. This son of Uncle Mo won his Del Mar debut by 5 1/2 lengths in July. He then faced stablemate Hughes, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, twice. Domus ran fourth in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and fourth in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1).
He finished more than 16 lengths behind Hughes each time. Now he cuts back to 7 furlongs and drops in class. Juan J. Hernandez won the 2022 Bob Hope Stakes on Havnameltdown. Domus deserves his favorite status, but 8/5 offers thin value.
Del Mar Racecard Analysis for the Weekend
Juveniles own the stakes spotlight at Del Mar this weekend. On Saturday, November 14, 2026, Del Mar runs the Desi Arnaz Stakes (Listed), a 7-furlong dirt race for two-year-old fillies. Entries include Vino Vino Vino for Doug F. O’Neill, plus Sea’s No Joke and Holmby for Bob Baffert, per Horse Racing Nation’s stakes tracker.
Post time and odds for the Desi Arnaz Stakes remain TBA at publication. Expect the same two barns to dominate both juvenile features. Sunday’s card builds to the Bob Hope Stakes in Race 8.
The stakes action keeps rolling after this weekend. The Native Diver Stakes (G3) follows on November 21. The Hollywood Derby (G1) runs November 28, and the Matriarch Stakes (G1) closes the meet on November 29.
Who Won the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes?
The 2026 Bob Hope Stakes runs on Sunday, November 15, 2026, so the winner remains TBA. This article will add the winner, jockey, trainer, final time and $2 win payout after the official results post. Bullard won the most recent edition in 2024.
Bob Hope Stakes Past Winners
Bob Baffert dominates this race’s history. He holds a record 13 wins, according to America’s Best Racing. He also won seven of the 11 editions at Del Mar, per BloodHorse. Here are the last 10 runs, according to Equibase charts.
Bob Hope Stakes Past Winners
Year Winner Jockey Time 2024 Bullard Umberto Rispoli 1:22.55 2023 Nysos Flavien Prat 1:21.71 2022 Havnameltdown Juan J. Hernandez 1:21.68 2021 Messier Flavien Prat 1:22.74 2020 Red Flag Victor Espinoza 1:23.56
The 2025 Bob Hope Stakes was canceled and is omitted from the completed-editions table.
Nysos turned his 2023 score into a stellar career. He won by 8 3/4 lengths that day and later captured the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1). Lion Heart holds the stakes record of 1:20.63, set in 2003.
The race began in 1981 as the Hollywood Prevue Stakes at Hollywood Park. Del Mar renamed it the Bob Hope Stakes when Hollywood Park closed in 2013. The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association downgraded it from Grade 3 to Listed status for 2025.
How Much Does the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes Pay?
The 2026 Bob Hope Stakes carries a $100,000 guaranteed purse. The winner earns $60,000, second place takes $20,000, third gets $12,000, fourth earns $6,000, and fifth collects $2,000, according to the official race conditions. The $2 win payout for 2026 remains TBA until the race goes final.
For reference, a $2 win bet on Domus at his 8/5 morning line would return $5.20 (example price only). A $2 win bet on Kivo at 3/1 would return $8.00 (example price only). Final pari-mutuel odds will differ.
How Do I Bet the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes?
The official wagering menu for Race 8 includes a $1 exacta, a $2 quinella and a 50-cent trifecta. It also offers a $1 superfecta with a 10-cent minimum, a $5 late double and a $2 win-place-show parlay. Smart betting starts with the morning line and compares it to the live tote.
Bob Hope Stakes Betting Angle: Value, Exacta and Trifecta Plays
The Bob Hope Stakes odds frame this as a two-horse race between the Bob Baffert runners. Domus brings class, but 8/5 leaves little margin for error. He has lost by double-digit lengths in both stakes starts.
Kivo offers stronger value at 3/1. His dirt debut produced a powerful late rally. The outside post lets Emisael Jaramillo avoid traffic. America’s Best Racing also tabs Kivo as its top selection, with a 7-2-4 trifecta.
Fractious stands out as the overlay among the O’Neill runners. He has improved in each start and won his latest by 3 1/4 lengths. At 6/1, he fits in every exotic ticket.
Here are sample Bob Hope Stakes betting structures (example costs only). A $1 exacta box of 4-7 costs $2. A 50-cent trifecta of 4,7 over 4,7 over 1,2,3 costs $3. A win bet on Kivo covers the value play directly.
Sip It earns attention as a live longshot. America’s Best Racing names him its best long shot at 5/1. Add him to the bottom of trifecta and superfecta tickets.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes
What is the Bob Hope Stakes?
The Bob Hope Stakes is a Listed 7-furlong dirt race for two-year-olds at Del Mar Racetrack. It carries a $100,000 purse and runs each November during the Bing Crosby Season.
When is the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes?
The 2026 Bob Hope Stakes runs Sunday, November 15, 2026, as Race 8 at Del Mar Racetrack, with a 4:03 PM PT (7:03 PM ET) post time.
Who is the favorite in the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes?
Domus is the 8/5 morning-line favorite in the Bob Hope Stakes odds. Bob Baffert trains him, and Juan J. Hernandez rides from post 4.
What channel is the Bob Hope Stakes on?
FanDuel TV airs the 2026 Bob Hope Stakes live, according to America’s Best Racing.
Who won the Bob Hope Stakes in 2024?
Bullard won the 2024 Bob Hope Stakes under Umberto Rispoli for trainer Michael W. McCarthy, stopping the clock in 1:22.55.
Why was the 2025 Bob Hope Stakes canceled?
Del Mar canceled the 2025 Bob Hope Stakes because too few eligible juveniles came forward, as the Daily Racing Form reported amid California’s shortage of two-year-old winners.
Is the Bob Hope Stakes a graded race?
No. The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association downgraded the Bob Hope Stakes from Grade 3 to Listed status for 2025, and it will keep Listed status in 2026.
Which trainer has won the Bob Hope Stakes the most?
Bob Baffert holds the record with 13 wins, according to America’s Best Racing. He sends out Domus and Kivo in 2026.
Final Call: Two Baffert Bullets, Five O’Neill Hopefuls
Bob Hope himself loved Del Mar, and this race still delivers a show worth watching. Domus brings the class, Kivo brings the closing kick, and Fractious brings the upset upside. Seven juveniles chase a $60,000 winner’s check and a ticket to bigger dreams. Check the final Bob Hope Stakes odds, build your tickets, and catch the action at 7:03 PM ET on Sunday. The gates open soon, so don’t watch from the sidelines.
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.
