Red Flag ($23.40) surprises with lopsided Bob Hope triumph

DEL MAR, Calif. – As the field turned into the stretch for the Grade 3, $100,500 Bob Hope Stakes on Sunday at Del Mar, Red Flag went up, and his five rivals raised the white flag.

It was no contest. Red Flag ($23.40), the fifth choice in a field of six, looked like he should have been even money instead of 10-1 with a lopsided victory in the seven-furlong race for 2-year-olds. Among those who surrendered in his wake was Spielberg, twice placed in Grade 1 stakes and the 3-5 favorite, who faltered after rushing up between rivals and wound up fourth, beaten 9 1/2 lengths.

Even trainer John Shirreffs, who sent out Red Flag, was surprised by the result.

“Not really,” he said when asked if he expected that kind of performance. “We were just hoping to get a placing. That was a real pleasant surprise.”

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Red Flag was in the mix from the start, as four horses volleyed for the lead through an opening quarter in 22.73 seconds and half in 45.34 seconds. But then Coastal Kid stumbled, Spielberg and Weston began to yield, and suddenly Red Flag and jockey Victor Espinoza were all alone on the lead.

Red Flag passed the furlong pole in 1:10.36 for six furlongs, never changed leads, and completed seven furlongs on the fast main track in 1:23.56.

“Victor said he was very relaxed and running easily,” Shirreffs said.

Red Flag, by 2016 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Tamarkuz, had far more speed on Sunday than in his two prior starts, both at 5 1/2 furlongs, one on dirt, the other on turf. He won his second start, on turf, against maidens at Santa Anita, with Shirreffs going on that race because there was no dirt option and Red Flag was ready to go.

“Just had to get a start,” he said. “You bring a horse to a peak and want them to run before they go to the valley.

“He broke his maiden coming off the pace. He’s been doing better and better, but he’s not a brilliant work horse.”

Red Flag is owned by Jerry and Tina Moss, who were in attendance. He was purchased as a yearling for $220,000.

“It’s special because they got to see him run,” Shirreffs said.

Spielberg – coming off a maiden win in which he earned a field-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure, and second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity during the summer meet - broke a step slow, then rushed to contention, but he was done before the quarter pole. His trainer, Bob Baffert, said Spielberg “didn’t ship well” after coming here from Santa Anita.

“He was stall walking,” Baffert said.

Coastal Kid took a scary stumble a little less than three furlongs from the wire. The stewards posted the inquiry sign but could not assign any blame to anyone – it looked like he stumbled of his own accord when he changed leads – and unanimously ruled to let the result stand.