Holmby © Benoit Photo

The Juveniles grab the spotlight in next weekend’s stakes action at Del Mar. The girls are on tap Saturday, November 14 in the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes. Then the boys are featured in the G3 $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes on Sunday the 15th.

Seven fillies were nominated for the Desi Arnaz, three from the Bob Baffert barn including Holmby, winner of this summer’s G3 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar and runner-up in the G2 Oak Leaf at Santa Anita last month. 

Trainer Peter Miller has nominated a Cal-bred by Stanford. Palo Alto Baby was a maiden winner by nine lengths at Del Mar her first time out. She followed with a stakes win in the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile on Halloween at Santa Anita. 

Another filly who won her first time out been nominated to the Desi Arnaz. Mo Chuisle, a daughter of Omaha Beach, is trained by Michael McCarthy.

This will be the 39th running of the Desi Arnaz. The first 27 years was run at Hollywood Park as the Moccasin Stakes. Past winners include Justique, Nothing Like You, and Dream Tree.

On Sunday the G3 Bob Hope Stakes pits some of the top 3-year-olds in Southern California going seven furlongs on the main track. Eleven colts have been nominated to the race, six by trainer Doug O’Neill. 

Phone Booth is one of them. O’Neill trains the Cal-bred son of Pavel for Reddam Racing. He was runner-up to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Hughes in both the G3 Best Pal and G1 Del Mar Futurity this summer. 

Baffert nominated three horses to the Bob Hope. Hughes is not one of them. Instead, he’s thinking of running a couple of Uncle Mo’s. Domus and Emancipate both broke their maidens at Del Mar during the summer meet. 

Ala Sawab, from the John Sadler barn, was nominated but instead has been entered in the first race on Friday. He stumbled and dropped the rider at the start of his debut at Del Mar in August. He’s a son of Flightline.

This will be the 45th running of the Bob Hope, formerly known as the Hollywood Prevue Stakes. Past winners include Nysos, Mucho Gusto and Mastery.

Entries for the Desi Arnaz will be drawn today and for the Bob Hope on Wednesday.