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Obrigado emerges in San Luis Obispo Gary Seidler and Peter Vegso's OBRIGADO (Fr) (Enrique) took the lead early in the stretch and gamely held off a quartet of challengers in taking the $150,000 San Luis Obispo H. (G2) at Santa Anita on Sunday. Piloted by Garret Gomez, the four-year-old tracked in third before getting his cue down the lane, gamely repelling all rivals in earning his first graded tally. The Neil Drysdale charge stopped the teletimer in 2:27 1/5 for the 1 1/2 miles over firm turf, and paid backers $9.80, $5 and $3.40 as the nearly 4-1 second choice. On the Acorn (GB) (Inchinor [GB]) closed well while widest of all and finished third, but was moved up to second after being interfered with by One Off (GB) (Barathea [Ire]) in the latter stages. The official runner-up paid $8.40 and $4.60 while completing the $41.30 exacta ($1) at 8-1. One Off was disqualified from his second but retained third, worth $3.60 at 4-1. The winning trifecta ($1) returned $150.50, and the 8-4-2-3 superfecta ($1) gave back $537.70 with Runaway Dancer (Runaway Groom) another nose back in fourth. Notable Guest (Kingmambo), the 9-5 favorite, was next and trailed by Atlando (Ire) (Hernando [Fr]) and pacesetter Bravo Maestro (Stravinsky). A. P. Xcellent (A.P. Indy) was scratched. Obrigado finally revisited the winners circle after placing in four consecutive graded events, the Hollywood Derby (G1), Del Mar Derby (G2), Oak Tree Derby (G2) and San Marcos S. (G2). The gelding captured the second division of the Oceanside S. and also ran third in the Will Rogers S. (G3), amassing a bankroll of $417,654 from a 15-5-3-3 career mark. The winner was bred in France by Didier Blot and Christian de Asis Trem and produced from the Funambule mare Banakill. Obrigado, who was a $27,504 purchase at the 2004 Deauville October sale, is a half-brother to multiple Group 3 heroine Coupe de Champe (Take Risks). "He's trained like a mile and half horse," Drysdale quipped, "and he ran like a mile and half horse. I'm very pleased with his performance." Drysdale was noncommittal on where the gelding would reappear, but suggested that the $200,000 San Luis Rey H. (G2) on March 24 could be next.
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