DEL MAR, Calif. – Ten years after winning the first stakes of his solo training career, Michael McCarthy had a day to remember Sunday at Del Mar with two juvenile colts that give him much to look forward to in 2025. Bullard won the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes, a sprint McCarthy won with No Problem in 2014, the first stakes of McCarthy’s solo career. No Problem never developed afterward, but the career of 2 for 2 Bullard is just getting started. The same applies to McCarthy-trained Journalism, whose impressive maiden-route victory Sunday suggests the son of Curlin could make noise this coming winter and spring in the major races for 3-year-olds. Bullard is making noise this fall. Favored off an impressive last-to-first maiden win, Bullard and jockey Umberto Rispoli settled at the back of the five-runner Bob Hope field while three dueling leaders insured a blazing pace in the seven-furlong race. The opening quarter-mile was 21.63, the half went in 43.93, and Bullard picked up steam on the turn. He ran past pacepresser McKinzie Street in the stretch to win by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:22.55. Madaket Road, a first-time starter, rallied from fourth to finish second. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. McKinzie Street finished third, front-runners Maximus and Kalea Bay finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Bullard was making his first start his debut victory on Sept. 1, a race that required a longer recovery than expected. “He had three weeks he just seemed like he was having a hard time getting over the race,” McCarthy said. “Just needed to wait on him, which is exactly what we did.” McCarthy got four works into Bullard, which was enough for the Bob Hope. “Obviously, 43 and 4 certainly helped a little bit,” the trainer said. The race unfolded perfectly for his closing style, and McCarthy looks forward to stretching him out. “You see his style, the way he does things in the morning, pretty effortless, and finishes up well with plenty of enthusiasm,” McCarthy said. “I would think two turns should not be an issue.” Although the Bob Hope is often a segue into the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 14, McCarthy downplayed running Bullard back in that two-turn race. And while Bullard earned his first graded stakes victory, his stablemate Journalism ran at least as well winning a one-mile maiden race earlier Sunday. Journalism rallied from fifth to win race 6 by 2 1/2 lengths in a solid time of 1:36.49. Journalism was making his second start, and first around two turns, following a third-place sprint debut. He is bred top and bottom to run long. “Looking at his pedigree, being out of a (Grade 2)-winning mare, two turns would be up his alley being by Curlin,” McCarthy said.” Journalism finished strongly and won the dirt mile going away. McCarthy is credited with four graded stakes in 2007 while assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher. No Problem’s win in the 2014 Bob Hope was McCarthy’s first stakes win after leaving his position with Pletcher. Based on what transpired Sunday at Del Mar, McCarthy will enter 2025 with something he has never had – two promising colts who figure to be among the elite 3-year-olds this winter at Santa Anita. *** Bettors wagered $402,697 on the pick six Sunday at Del Mar, chasing a carryover of $47,595. The $1 wager returned $2,772. The winners of the races 4-9 sequence were Cloudy Rose ($4.60 favorite), Fomo Joe ($11.80), Journalism ($11.80), Zio Jo ($15.60), Bullard ($4.20 favorite) and Rashmi ($3.80 favorite). :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.