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Obviously turns on speed in Shoemaker title defense
But Obviously was gone beyond recall. After reaching seven furlongs in 1:20 with a five-length lead, he safely held Summer Front by 1 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:32 3/5. In the process, Obviously became the first repeat winner of the Shoemaker, formerly held at old Hollywood Park, since Silic in 1999-2000. "I knew Pulpit's Express had a lot of speed," Talamo said, "and would try and go to the front with us and Winning Prize too, but I didn't really think we would go as fast as we did. We were rolling right along. He's all class. He was going fast, but he was doing it fairly easily. With him, you didn't have a choice though. "His thing is going to the front. If I would have taken him back, we wouldn't have won. You give him his head and let him do it. He is one of the best I've ever sat on. I just waited as long as I could to make my move because I knew we had closers coming after us. It's amazing he could still accelerate after running as fast as he did." "He (Talamo) let him out a little earlier than last time (in the American)," said D'Amato, who was winning his first Grade 1 as a head trainer. "He was going 1:08, but there were no horses putting pressure on him, so he ran away and hid. This horse is just a special horse. "Going 1:08 for him, most horses can't do that, but just not having a horse right on top of him, I think he can do those fractions and keep going like he showed today." Co-owners Fanticola and Scardino were obviously delighted. "He obviously doesn't like horses in front of him! Obviously likes to be in front," Fanticola quipped. "This means a lot to me 'cause at my age (82), you gotta savor these," Scardino said. "I realize how difficult it is to win one of these. You appreciate it more as you get older." Summer Front surged to grab second by a half-length from Silentio and Tom's Tribute, who dead-heated for third, just in front of Jack Milton. There was a 10 1/4-length gap back to Winning Prize, followed at the same long interval by Pulpit's Express. Obviously, who furnished $5.40 to win, now sports a mark of 20-11-4-2, $1,337,347. Victorious in two of his first three starts in his native Ireland, he was sold for $217,635 at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale in 2011 and imported to Southern California. Obviously placed in a pair of turf sprint stakes at Hollywood in the summer of 2012, but improved markedly once Mitchell stretched him out to a mile. He captured the Del Mar Mile in course-record time of 1:32.10, added the Arroyo Seco Mile, and capped his breakout season with a third to Wise Dan and Animal Kingdom in the Breeders' Cup Mile. Runner-up in the San Simeon in his 2013 debut, Obviously reeled off a three-win streak commencing with the American and followed by the Shoemaker Mile and Del Mar Mile. He went off form when fourth in the City of Hope Mile (formerly Arroyo Seco) and fifth in the Breeders' Cup Mile, but is back to his best in 2014. With the Shoemaker being a "Win & You're In," as a Breeders' Cup Challenge event, Obviously is guaranteed a spot for his third consecutive tilt at the Breeders' Cup Mile. D'Amato is keeping to a familiar path. "We'll give him a little breather, look for his usual prep down at Del Mar, one race, then maybe another prep at Santa Anita before the Breeders' Cup," the trainer said. 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 at Santa Anita in the 1989 Oak Tree Invitational; 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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