Obviously impossible to catch in Shoemaker Mile

ARCADIA, Calif.- The blazing speed of Obviously was too much for six rivals in Saturday’s $400,500 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita.

Winning California’s top summertime race for turf milers for the second consecutive year, Obviously ($5.40) proved impossible to catch in the Shoemaker, leading throughout to score a convincing win by 1 1/2 lengths.

The style of the 6-year-old gelding’s win displayed his best asset, said Mike Mitchell, the former trainer of Obviously who now assists trainer Phil D’Amato.

“That’s the only way he wants to run,” Mitchell said. “He’s been working with that kind of speed. We don’t take the speed out of him.”

Mitchell turned his stable over to D’Amato earlier this spring to take a less active role, but he was in the winner’s circle with the trainer and owners Anthony Fanticola and Joe Scardino for the Shoemaker. They were celebrating the seventh career stakes for the Irish-bred Obviously, by Choisir, and the first Grade 1 win for D’Amato.

Obviously was ridden by regular rider Joe Talamo, who took a fearless approach to the race. Talamo guided Obviously to the front and led by 1 1/2 lengths for the first half-mile, setting an early pace of 22.06 and 44.50 seconds.

Obviously scooted further clear at the end of the backstretch, leading by 3 1/2 lengths with a quarter-mile remaining and by five lengths in the stretch. The margin was reduced to 1 1/2 lengths at the wire when Summer Front made steady progress to run second.

“I was content until the sixteenth pole,” said Joe Bravo, who rode Summer Front. “That other horse was still running. My horse was ready to run. He was awesome. The other horse was a bear today.”

Obviously was timed in 1:32.66.

Tom’s Tribute closed from last in a field of seven to finish in a dead-heat for third with Silentio, who was fourth for the first half-mile. Jack Milton finished fifth, followed by Winning Prize and Pulpit’s Express, a 64-1 outsider. Pulpit’s Express was entered as a rabbit for Jack Milton, but could never contest the lead with Obviously.

Obviously earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile here on Nov. 1 with the victory in the Shoemaker, part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program.

Obviously finished third in the 2012 BC Mile, and was fifth in the race last year, losing both times to two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan. Obviously has won 11 of 20 starts and earned $1,337,361.

This year, the 36-year-old D’Amato, assisted by Mitchell, 66, has the goal of getting Obviously to the BC Mile again.

“Phil and I are a team,” Mitchell said. “We talk about everything and it’s wonderful.”

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