O'Neill Gears Up for Busy Stakes Weekend

A victory by Richard’s Kid in the 2013 Cougar II Handicap was the first of four stakes victories for trainer Doug O’Neill last summer. And the four-time Del Mar training champion would like to see a repeat circumstance when he sends out Bailoutbobby in the $100,000, Grade III, 1 ½-mile marathon on Polytrack that is Friday’s featured event.

It could be the start of a big weekend for O’Neill, who took the 2006 Pacific Classic with Lava Man as one of the highlights of  22 career stakes victories. In addition to Bailoutbobby in the Cougar II, O’Neill will saddle Handsome Mike in the $200,000, Grade II, San Diego Handicap on Saturday and Goldencents in the Grade I, $300,000 Bing Crosby Handicap on Sunday.

“We’ve got some good ones going, and the highlight will be Goldencents on Sunday; we’re really excited about him,” O’Neill said.

Bailoutbobby, a 4-year-old Mizzen Mast gelding, was shipped east after two claiming level starts here last year. He won three of seven starts, mainly on the Kentucky circuit, from September to May. Returned to California, Bailoutbobby was fourth to Big Kick in the 1 ¾ mile San Juan Capistrano on turf at Santa Anita on June 29.

“He’s doing great,” O’Neill said. “I know he’ll get the distance, it’s just a matter of if he’s good enough.”

Handsome Mike has gone a long time between wins but was a close second to Sky Kingdom last out in the American Flag on July 4 at Santa Anita.

“He’s doing well and we know he loves the track. We’ll have to see how it plays out,” O’Neill said.

Goldencents won the Santa Anita Derby, was second to Points Offthebench in the Crosby and capped a 2013 campaign with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

“He breezed this morning with Rafael Bejarano up (3 furlongs in :34.20) and he’s doing great,” O’Neill said. “It’s hard to say that a horse that has won a Breeders’ Cup race is better than he was then. But he’s as good.”