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Obviously runs away with American Handicap
"With him going (:46 for the half) today, I almost made the sign of the cross. That's like :47 4/5 for any other horse. The main hope is to try to get him back to the Breeders' Cup. "At the three-eighths pole I just kind of gave him his head and hopefully tried to steal the race from there. He's a jockey's dream. You just sit on him and he does the rest. He's just a tremendous horse." The American was truly a land of opportunity for immigrants. Lucayan, last year's French Two Thousand Guineas winner, uncorked a strong late run to deprive Barocci of second by a neck. The French-bred Lucayan was making a fine U.S. debut for Neil Drysdale, while the Japanese-bred Barocci was rounding out the all-import trifecta. Lucayan's connections were delighted with his effort.
The smart prospect then sold for $217,635 at the 2011 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale and arrived in Southern California for 2012. After just missing in his American debut in a downhill sprint at Santa Anita, he scored narrowly over the same about 6 1/2-furlong course. Obviously placed in his ensuing three sprint attempts at Hollywood Park, most notably in the Cool Frenchy over the Cushion Track and in the Robert K. Kerlan Memorial on turf. Mitchell subsequently stretched him out to a mile for an optional claimer at Del Mar, and Obviously was a revelation, romping by five lengths in near course-record time. That was the beginning of a three-race winning streak. Back over the same course and distance in the August 26 Del Mar Mile, he just held from Mr. Commons, and broke the course record by blitzing in 1:32. Obviously completed the hat trick in the October 6 Arroyo Seco Mile at Santa Anita in his start prior to the Breeders' Cup. Reverting to a turf sprint for his comeback in the April 20 San Simeon at Santa Anita, Obviously set scorching fractions, and was still clear in midstretch, only to be collared by Chips All In in the final strides. He was back in his element at a mile, and second off the layoff, here. "He's a good horse, he really is," Mitchell said. "He does things like this so easy. He had a nice tune-up under his belt and he went into this really good. "The thing is when we first got him, my son-in-law (bloodstock agent Craig Rounsefell) picked him out and bought him. We were going to buy a different horse, but he kept saying there's this horse tomorrow. So I said, 'Let's go for that horse tomorrow.' "When they picked him out, he was totally a sprinter. We thought we had a sprinter on our hands. But when we routed him, now all of a sudden, 'Wow!' "We're going to keep him at a mile, take our time with him and go for the (Breeders' Cup Mile November 2 at Santa Anita) again. He'll have another race here (the Shoemaker Mile, on June 29)." The son of sprint supremo Choisir gets some stamina from his dam, Leala, an unraced daughter of Montjeu. His second dam, the unraced Silver Hawk mare Silver Bubble, is a full sister to multiple Grade 1 star Hawkster, who set a new world record of 2:22 4/5 for 1 1/2 miles on turf; U.A.E. highweight older stayer Lightning Arrow; Group 1-placed French stakes victor Silver Kite; and French Group 3 queen Silver Lane, whose progeny include Japanese Grade 1 scorers Black Hawk and Pink Cameo. Bred by Deidre Cogan in Ireland, Obviously was a bargain $2,578 yearling purchase at Goffs February. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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