Obviously points to City of Hope

Obviously, unraced since winning the Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont Park in June, will start in the $200,000 City of Hope Mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 8.

Trainer Phil D’Amato said a plan of running in the Woodbine Mile in Toronto on Sept. 17 was unworkable because of travel difficulties from California. D’Amato said the Breeders’ Cup Mile on turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 5 is the main goal for the autumn.

“Hopefully, this will set us up for the Breeders’ Cup,” he said.

Obviously has started in the last four runnings of the BC Mile. His best finish in that span was a third in 2012.

D’Amato, the leading trainer at the Del Mar summer meeting that ended on Monday, has three other candidates for Breeders’ Cup races – Bowies Hero in the Juvenile Turf, Hunt in the Turf Sprint, and Midnight Storm in the Mile.