Obligatory's dull effort still a mystery
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Hours before leaving the winner’s circle triumphantly here Saturday following Art Collector’s impressive victory in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott was scratching his head in consternation following the inexplicably dull performance turned in by his odds-on favorite Obligatory in the Grade 2 Inside Information.
Coming into the seven-furlong Inside Information, the Grade 1-winning and multiple Grade 1-placed Obligatory appeared to tower over her nine rivals from both a class and speed figure standpoint while coming off a bit of a troubled fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. But Obligatory, an easy winner of the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie here last winter, was never a factor in the race, ultimately finishing sixth, more than eight lengths behind race winner Maryquitecontrary.
“She seems fine, she looks good, looks healthy,” Mott said 24 hours after the race. “But she sure didn’t run. She really didn’t show up at all. I never thought Gulfstream had to be her favorite racetrack, although she did win a stakes here last year. I waited a little longer to run her last year, maybe I rushed into it a little too much this time. I don’t know. It didn’t work out, I do know that.”
Mott could find himself in the spotlight at day’s end again Saturday when sending out a pair of promising 3-year-olds, Rocket Can and Shadow Dragon, against just six rivals in the Holy Bull Stakes. The Grade 3 Holy Bull, which will be run as the finale on a 12-race program that also includes four other graded stakes for 3-year-olds, is the first major local prep for the $1 million Florida Derby on April 4.
Rocket Can appears the stronger of the Mott pair as a steadily improving son of Into Mischief coming off a two-length maiden victory and a second-place effort against allowance company to close out his juvenile campaign. Both of those races came at Churchill Downs at the 1 1/16-mile distance of the Holy Bull. Shadow Dragon is a New York-bred who will step up into open company for the first time Saturday.
“Rocket Can broke his maiden and is coming off a good allowance race and has sort of improved steadily with each start,” Mott said. “Shadow Dragon won first out. Didn’t show much the second race. We’re just going to take our shot with him and evaluate and see where we are with him after the race. At first glance, it doesn’t look like a killer, killer race to me.”
Cyclone Mischief, an impressive and well-graded (90 Beyer Speed Figure) winner of a one-mile allowance race here earlier this month along with Legacy Isle and Lord Miles, the first and third horses across the finish line in the Mucho Macho Man on New Year’s Day, loom the other key contenders. West Coast Cowboy, Mr Bob, and Il Miracolo complete the lineup.
◗ Trainer Todd Pletcher will be conspicuous by his absence in the Holy Bull, but he did send out a 3-year-old filly of note, Bandita, who cruised to a popular and eye-catching 8 3/4-length debut win in Sunday’s fourth race. The performance earned the daughter of Gun Runner a 91 Beyer.
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“It was impressive,” Pletcher said. “She trained exceptionally well, so we were looking forward to the race. She was traveling very comfortably and finished up nicely, kind of what we were hoping for. I was glad to see her do it.”
◗ Jockey Leonel Reyes was the early star on Sunday’s card, winning the first three races with first time-starter Coach Abernathy ($24), Sensei Lawrence ($18.60), and Passion Plus ($6.40). The all-Reyes pick three returned a whopping $352.45 for 50 cents.
◗ With nary an allowance event on the card when racing resumes here Wednesday, an $84,000 maiden special weight test for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles over the main track will take center stage. The race lured a field of eight, topped by Pletcher’s Expect More, who was first across the wire in a similarly conditioned event Dec. 31 only to lose the apparent victory when disqualified and placed second for ducking out and briefly impeding eventual runner-up Jungfrau in early stretch.
Expect More, who got to the finish line on top despite breaking poorly and taking a bit of an erratic path in his local debut, will return with blinkers on while also racing with Lasix for the first time. He is one of two leading contenders Pletcher has entered in the race along with Tshiebwe, idle since finishing a distant second behind the extremely well regarded Extra Anejo when making his second and final 2-year-old outing on Oct. 13 at Keeneland.
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