Santa Anita: Obviously’s owners will pay $100,000 supplement for Breeders’ Cup Mile

Benoit & Associates

Obviously, unbeaten in three starts going a mile on turf, has become a late candidate for the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Obviously, the winner of Saturday’s Grade 2 Arroyo Seco Mile, will be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program at a cost of $100,000 with a start in the BC Mile on Nov. 3 as a goal.

Obviously was not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup during the summer at a time when he could have been made eligible for $50,000. Instead, owners Anthony Fanticola and Joseph Scrardino opted to wait to make the investment.

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“They said, “If we’re that good, it will be a good problem to have,” trainer Mike Mitchell recalled. “We’ll pay the extra money.”

The deadline for the discounted nomination in July occurred before Obviously had been tried over a mile on turf. He is unbeaten in three starts at the distance – an optional claimer at Del Mar on Aug. 2, a win in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 26 and the Arroyo Seco Mile.

In Saturday’s race, Obviously led throughout and won by a half-length over the Japanese shipper Trailblazer.

A 4-year-old Irish-bred gelding by Choisir, Obviously has won 6 of 11 starts. He was acquired for approximately $220,000 at a sale in England last fall, purchased by former Southern California trainer Jamie Lloyd and Craig Rounsefell.

Lloyd has a bloodstock agency based in his native England. Rounsefell is Mitchell’s son-in-law.

As the sale approached last fall, Rounsefell and Phil D’Amato, Mitchell’s assistant trainer, reminded Mitchell to save some of his clients’ budget for Obviously and not focus too extensively on another prospect at a horses of racing age sale.

“We were going to bid on another horse and we were going to buy Obviously the next day,” Mitchell said. “Phil called and said, ‘Make sure you save some money for that horse tomorrow.’

“I said, ‘Let’s forget the one we were going to buy.’ It was really a blessing.”

Trailblazer, Mr. Commons BC-bound

Trailblazer and Mr. Commons, who finished third in the Arroyo Seco Mile, will start in Breeders’ Cup races.

Trailblazer is being pointed for the BC Turf, although the BC Mile has not been ruled out. Mr. Commons was fifth in the BC Mile at Churchill Downs last year, and will be pointed for the same race this year, trainer John Shirreffs said.

Camp Victory targets BC Turf Sprint

The Mitchell-trained Camp Victory finished sixth of seven in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship and will be pointed for the BC Turf Sprint, the trainer said.

Camp Victory, who won the Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park in June, has won 4 of 11 starts on turf. He has yet to win a stakes on turf, but was second by a nose to Regally Ready in the Grade 3 San Simeon Handicap on the hillside turf course here on April 16.

Regally Ready and Camp Victory were first and seventh in the BC Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs last November.

Julien Leparoux rode Camp Victory in that race and will have the mount next month.