D'Amato has multiple Breeders' Cup options with Vyjack, Obviously

ARCADIA, Calif. - The first- and third-place finishes by Vyjack and Obviously in Saturday’s $201,725 City of Hope Mile gives trainer Phil D’Amato a strong roster of candidates for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 5, or a chance to diversify his team in other Breeders’ Cup races.

Sunday, D’Amato said Vyjack and Obviously will be considered for the BC Mile, but that Vyjack is also a candidate for the $1 million BC Dirt Mile on Nov. 4, and Obviously may be pre-entered in the $1 million BC Turf Sprint on Nov. 5.

The stable already has a confirmed runner for the BC Mile in Midnight Storm, who won the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile in June, Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes in July, and Grade 2 Del Mar Mile in August.

Midnight Storm “is for sure” heading to the BC Mile, D’Amato said. “For the others, I’ll play it by ear and see how they come out of their races. In three or four days, I’ll take them to the track and gauge their energy level and go from there.”

In the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile, the 6-year-old Vyjack ($10.60) set a course record of 1:31.69, benefiting from a quick pace.

Vyjack lowered a course record of 1:31.78 set by Wise Dan in the 2012 BC Mile. Santa Anita replaced its turf course over the summer and began using the surface for the first time on opening day of the current autumn meeting, Sept. 30.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Vyjack rallied from sixth to win by a half-length over Om, another candidate for the BC Mile. Obviously was part of a speed duel through fractions of 21.40 seconds for a quarter-mile and 43.97 for a half-mile. Obviously led by 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong to go, but could not keep pace late and was beaten a length.

D’Amato wanted jockey Tyler Baze to put Obviously on the lead, and was surprised the outsiders Frank Conversation and St. Joe Bay were part of the pace. St. Joe Bay faded to finish eighth, while Frank Conversation was last of 10.

“I didn’t expect those other horses to do what they did,” he said. “I told Tyler to go with this horse. I thought for a second he would call an audible into the first turn, but Obviously pulled his way to the front. He fought on valiantly considering the fractions he set, and it set up for Vyjack.”

Vyjack, owned by Pick Six Racing, won his first stakes in more than two years in the City of Hope Mile. Previously trained by Rudy Rodriguez and Bill Mott, Vyjack joined D’Amato stable early this summer.

Vyjack has won 8 of 27 starts and earned $1,321,900. The Grade 2 City of Hope Mile was Vyjack’s first win since an allowance race at Keeneland in April.

The City of Hope Mile was Om’s second start after a five-month layoff caused by a foot ailment. Trained by Dan Hendricks, Om, 4, was second to Midnight Storm in the Del Mar Mile.

“He looks on schedule and ready to go,” Hendricks said. “It’s been the plan since we turned him out to come back in these two races and go for the Breeders’ Cup.”