Santa Anita: Obviously may have company on lead in City of Hope Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – For the first time this year, Obviously may have company on the front in Saturday’s $150,000 City of Hope Mile Stakes on turf at Santa Anita.

So far in 2012, no one has challenged Obviously in the first half of three turf miles, resulting in wins by the Choisir gelding in the Grade 2 American Handicap and Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Betfair Hollywood Park and the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 25.

Obviously will be favored to make it four consecutive wins in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile, and the presence of another speed horse in Endorsement does not overly concern the horse’s rider, Joe Talamo.

“What makes it so nice is he’s a fighter,” Talamo said. “He’s never really run off a horse. Hopefully, we’ll be in front the whole race.”

Owned by Joe Scardino and Anthony Fanticola and trained by Mike Mitchell, Obviously was third in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita. He won the Grade 2 Arroyo Seco Mile here last October, a race that has been renamed the City of Hope Mile this year.

Since the Del Mar Mile, Obviously has thrived, according to Talamo and Mitchell.

“He seems to be getting better and peaking at the right time,” Talamo said.

Mitchell said he was impressed with Obviously’s workouts through September, notably five furlongs in 59.40 seconds on Sept. 21.

“It’s just him,” Mitchell said. “I love the way he’s training. I see it every day when I watch him. I can’t wait to run him.”

Endorsement has been erratic in recent starts for trainer Hector Palma. After a game second to Indy Point in the restricted Wickerr Stakes on turf at Del Mar on July 24, Endorsement was 10th of 12 runners in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 25 and last of seven in the Ralph Hinds Invitational at Barretts Sales and Racing in Pomona on Sept. 22.

“I’m trying to figure out what happened at Pomona,” Palma said. “He ran a big race at Del Mar on the grass. Let’s see if it was the track at Pomona. I’ll take a chance.”

Endorsement is winless in six starts this year. Palma expects the 6-year-old horse to be near the front early.

“He has to run close [to the pace],” Palma said. “I want him to run a decent race.”

He B Fire N Ice was second to Obviously in the Del Mar Mile, closing from two lengths off the pace to lose by a half-length. Trainer John Sadler was encouraged by the performance and is hoping Obviously is occupied by Endorsement in the first half of Saturday’s race.

“Our chance with a bigger field is does someone go?” Sadler said. “If there is a horse that pushes him, that would be good.”

Sadler also saddles Barocci, who was fifth in the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar on July 20. The field of nine includes one 3-year-old in No Jet Lag, who makes his graded stakes debut after winning an optional claimer at Del Mar on Aug. 11.

Despite the presence of those runners, Obviously will be a heavy favorite to win his sixth stakes in the last 14 months.