Run Away was pre-entered to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) but connections ultimately elected to stay at one-turn distances. As a result, the Grade 2 winner will be the one to beat at Del Mar Saturday when he lines up for the $100,000 Bob Hope (G3) at 7-furlongs.
A son of Run Away and Hide, who stood for $5,000 at conception, Run Away commanded a whopping $325,000 from owner Kaleem Shah when passing through the Barretts 2-year-old sale in March. The bay colt did not disappoint at first asking for Simon Callaghan, romping in a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita, and followed with facile tallies in the 5 ½-furlong Santa Anita Juvenile and 6 ½-furlong Best Pal (G2) at Del Mar.
Run Away sustained his lone defeat when checking in third to highly-regarded Bolt d’Oro in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and rebounded last time with a game score in the September 23 Barretts Juvenile at Los Alamitos. He easily tops a six-horse Bob Hope field in BRIS Prime Power (140.8) and retains the services of Flavien Prat.
Beautiful Shot will bring a perfect mark into his graded bow, breaking his maiden at Del Mar in late August and winning the Speakeasy at Santa Anita on October 15. Conditioned by Keith Desormeaux, the Trappe Shot ridgling will keep Kent Desormeaux up for his third career appearance.
Mourinho rolled to a 4 ½-length debut score in last September for Bob Baffert and checked in second as the 1-5 favorite in the Speakeasy. A $625,000 juvenile purchase, the Super Saver colt will race sans blinkers for the first time and be ridden by Drayden Van Dyke.
Speakeasy third Here Is Happy also returns for the Bob Hope and Joe Talamo has the call for Craig Lewis. Rounding out the line-up are last-out maiden scorer Italiano and Greyvitos, who is winless from a pair of starts.
