Obligatory runs away with Hurricane Bertie

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Neither the wind, the rain nor a switch to a sloppy track could keep Obligatory from asserting her class edge and ultimately running away to a convincing three-length victory over the pacesetting Bramble Boy in Saturday’s $100,000 Hurricane Bertie at Gulfstream Park.

Obligatory was sent postward the 6-5 second choice behind even-money Lady Grace, who finished a well-beaten and non-threatening third in the Grade 3 dash for older fillies and mares.

Obligatory came into the 6 1/2-furlong Hurricane Bertie idle since her come-from-behind, 2 1/4-length victory going a mile in the Grade 3 Chilukki at Churchill Downs on November 20, completing a stellar 3-year-old campaign that included a victory in the Grade 2 Eight Belles and a close second-place finish in the Grade 1 Acorn. She was also returning to Gulfstream for the first time since earning her diploma with a 2 1/2-length maiden win, also going a mile, over a year ago.

With Tyler Gaffalione aboard the daughter of Curlin for the first time, Obligatory dropped to the rear of the field, as expected, during the early running over a track downgraded from fast to sloppy as the field came into the paddock for the Hurricane Bertie. Obligatory commenced her bid leaving the backstretch, saved ground while moving to closer contention nearing the stretch, readily ran down the tiring Bramble Berry a sixteenth from the wire and won off as much the best.

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Bramble Berry quickly opened a commanding advantage after breaking alertly from the rail, remained well clear into the stretch but proved no match for the winner while easily best of the rest. Four Graces, runner-up in the Grade 2 Inside Information in her previous outing, raced within striking distance while kept a bit wide down the backstretch but failed to respond when set down on the final turn. She was followed by Starship Nala, Feeling Mischief and My Destiny.

Obligatory, a Juddmonte Farm homebred, is trained by Bill Mott. She completed the distance in 1:17.92 over the wet going and returned $4.40.

"We knew she would come from behind," Gaffalione said. "We were hoping there was enough speed in front of her. Bill said she normally doesn’t take the turn well, but today she was taking it the whole way.”

Captiva

The mid-afternoon rains may have played a major role in determining the outcome of the $100,000 Captiva Stakes, prompting the scratch of morning-line favorite Tobys Heart and giving an edge to Headline Hunter when the race was switched from turf to the synthetic Tapeta course. Headline Hunter, a steadily improving filly, took full advantage of the situation by rallying to an easy 2 1/4-length decision over the pacesetting Miss Auramet in the five-furlong dash for older fillies and mares.

Headline Hunter came into her stakes debut having posted three victories and a second in four previous starts over synthetic surfaces, two of those wins coming over the local Tapeta course. Haltered by D’Angelo out of a winning effort for $35,000 here in mid-November, Headline Hunter was ridden to victory by the Maryland-based Jevian Toledo. She completed the distance in 57.51 and paid $6.20.

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The win was the first in a stakes in the U.S. for D’Angelo.

Miss J McKay did not have the smoothest of trips and finished third, a length behind Miss Auramet. She was followed by La Libertee and Bernie’s Mistress. Naughty Shirley pulled up in early stretch and was vanned off.

“I feel incredible," said D’Angelo, who is currently fifth in the trainer standings during the Championship meet. "I don’t have words to describe my first stakes win here in the USA, after all the hard road with Jesus’ Team. I am glad and happy and very proud of my team. This filly ran a really huge race. She came from the claim and she improve and improve and improve every morning, every day.”