Obviously, Tom's Tribute set to enter Breeders' Cup Mile fresh

ARCADIA, Ca. – The waiting game nearly is over for the two top turf milers in California, Obviously and Tom’s Tribute, who will be among a full gate of starters in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile.

By design, neither has raced since Aug. 24 in the Del Mar Mile, which Tom’s Tribute won and in which Obviously finished fourth as the 2-5 favorite. On Saturday, Obviously sizzled through a five-furlong turf work timed in 58.40 seconds by track clockers and in about 59 by trainer Phil D’Amato. Tom’s Tribute had an easier drill Sunday, going five furlongs in 1:00.80 in his final Mile breeze.

Jim Cassidy, Tom’s Tribute’s trainer, briefly toyed with the idea of running Sept. 14 in the Woodbine Mile before deciding to hew to a plan hatched in August to bring a fresh horse into the BC Mile. For D’Amato, the choice was clear: Sit chilly with Obviously during September and October, and this year, bring a lightly raced horse into the BC Mile.

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This will be Obviously’s third try in the Mile. Trained until this season by Mike Mitchell, he finished third to Wise Dan in 2012 and fifth behind Wise Dan last year. In 2012, Obviously had started eight times during the year before his Mile run, and last year, the BC Mile was his sixth start of the season. This year, Obviously so far has raced only three times.

“We decided early this year to run a little less before this race,” D’Amato said. “He looks as good today as he did at the beginning of the year.”

Obviously, a 6-year-old Irish import, blitzed his opposition his first two starts this season, winning the American Stakes by 5 1/2 lengths in May and the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile by 1 1/2 in June. In the Del Mar Mile, Obviously broke poorly from the rail, rushed up, and faded in deep stretch, beaten more than two lengths by Tom’s Tribute. The slow start on the rail did not help, and D’Amato said the Del Mar turf course, troubled by a series of early-meet injuries, had been watered, aerated, and allowed to grow longer than normal during the period before the Del Mar Mile. Speed horses like Obviously were struggling, and D’Amato expects a better performance Saturday.

Meanwhile, Tom’s Tribute has come to hand nicely during this, his 4-year-old season. Decent last year at 3, he has emerged as a top regional force in middle-distance turf races this year.

“It was all up here with him,” Cassidy said, pointing to his head. “He’s much better now.”

Better, yes, but good enough to beat a strong group of Europeans in the 2014 Mile? That’s a question that will be asked of both Tom’s Tribute and Obviously on Saturday. And the answer probably is no.