Trip Notes for November 16, 2019: Bob Hope and River City

Churchill
River City Handicap (race 10)

COMMENT: Mr. Misunderstood won this last year but was winless in four starts since in 2019. However, returning to his favorite course the veteran gelding got back on track, finishing smartly to defend his title, winning for the fifth time in six tries on this course. The son of Archarcharch sat midpack from the start as Get Western set a slow pace, bided his time there to the far turn, came out turning for home, pitched wider still into the lane, surged into contention to challenge for the lead and gamely kept to his task to outduel hard-trying rival Cullum Road to his inside. Trainer Brad Cox said the gelding would winter at the Fair Grounds with the Grade 2 Mervin Muniz in late March the likely long-term goal. Cullum Road was in tight soon after the start, still got a good position stalking the pace, came with a smart run between horses into the lane, grabbed the lead by midstretch but couldn’t quite finish with the winner. Admission Office, the 6-5 favorite after running 11th (beaten by just 3 1/4 lengths) in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland Oct. 5, his first start in almost four months, was away slowly, was content to lag back, remained there to the far turn, swung very wide into the lane and finished strongly but just couldn’t quite get to the top two. Emmaus, sixth in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile Sept. 14 and then a smart winner over allowance foes at Keeneland Oct. 18, stalked the pace from the start while inside, came with a threatening run along the rail into the lane, challenged for the lead by midstretch but died on his run. Could be this distance (this was his first try going 1 1/8 miles) is a tad beyond him, at least at this point at this level.

Del Mar
Bob Hope (race 8)

COMMENT: Race complexion changed and the field shortened to five when likely favorite Thousand Words scratched (to await longer races, according to trainer Bob Baffert). Howbeit also scratched, taking the field down to four. Baffert still ended up posing for pictures as his High Velocity, a $350,000 son of Quality Road who was a smart winner of his debut at Santa Anita Oct. 13, showed he’s got ample potential as he won smartly again. He broke alertly, went right to the lead, set a strong pace under pressure from 9-10 favorite Strongconstitution, held a narrow lead on the far turn while staying on the fence, doggedly kept to his task to rebuff a couple challenges from the favorite before edging away in the final half-furlong. The Grade 2 Futurity at Los Alamitos Dec. 7 is probably not in the cards as Baffert said he wants to “have a horse for the spring,” obviously referring to the Triple Crown trail. Regardless, he helps give Baffert a strong hand of potential Triple Crown types (Eight Rings, Thousand Words, Authentic, Garth). Strongconstitution, smart winner of his debut on turf here Aug. 23 and favored off a game second in the Sunny Slope on dirt at Santa Anita Oct. 20, showed he’s the real deal as the $220,000 son of Grade 1 winner and hot young sire Constitution broke well, dogged the eventual winner from the start to his outside, continued to hound that rival to the far turn, kept after him gamely to the eighth pole but couldn’t maintain his challenge thereafter while finishing far clear of the other two. Zimba Warrior, third in the Sunny Slope, though well behind Strongconstitution (5 1/2 lengths), was away a bit slowly to be last of the quartet after the break, remained there to the far turn, tried to go after the top two into the lane, proved no match for those two but kept to his task to be a comfortable third.