Obligatory makes furious rally to win Eight Belles

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Benefiting from valuable experience gained making her two-turn debut in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks, Obligatory turned back to seven furlongs and finished full of run down the center of the course, running down the favored Dayoutoftheoffice, to upset Friday’s $300,000 Eight Belles at Churchill Downs.

Obligatory finished fourth, beaten 7 1/2 lengths by Travel Column, after seemingly losing her focus around the second turn of the 1 1/16-mile Fair Grounds Oaks. The outing was just the third lifetime and second this season for the daughter of Curlin, who won her maiden in her 3-year-old debut going one mile five weeks earlier at Gulfstream Park.

With regular rider Jose Ortiz aboard, Obligatory was last in the run down the backstretch of the Eight Belles. She was still nearly 10 lengths behind the leader when she swung out to the middle of the racetrack commencing her rally approaching the stretch before finishing full of run to readily overtake the leader and win off by a length.

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Dayoutoftheoffice, making her first start since finishing second to division champion Vequist in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, stalked a lively early pace set by Euphoric. She advanced three wide to engage for command on the final bend, readily drew well clear upon settling into the stretch, but proved no match for the winner’s closing surge while easily second best. Make Mischief slipped up the rail to best the others.

Obligatory, a Juddmonte homebred trained by Bill Mott, completed the distance over a fast track in 1:21.89 and paid $35. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93.

“She came out of a very big effort when she broke her maiden, having to check and run around horses,” said Mott. “The race was visually impressive, especially to win like that at Gulfstream. At the three-eighths pole it looked like she had no chance to win and she was able to run them down. In the New Orleans race she was very green. I think it confused the heck out of her when she got to the second turn. And maybe, down the road, we’ll find she’s a better one-turn horse, too.

"We knew there was a fair amount of speed in this field and it turned out well for her. She was able to close into it, and had a pretty good kick at the end.”

Mott said Obligatory’s performance winning the Eight Belles earned her a ticket into “another good race,” mentioning the one-mile, Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont on June 5 as the most likely option for her next start.

“I knew there was a lot of speed on paper and I thought the best strategy was to sit way back and make one move,” said Ortiz. “She’s a filly who is improving a lot. Last time" -- in the Fair Grounds Oaks -- "was maybe a little too much to ask of her. And maybe it’s her game, one turn.”