Obviously meets only four in Del Mar Mile; Pat O'Brien attracts field of 13

Obviously meets only four in Del Mar Mile; Pat O'Brien

attracts field of 13

Del Mar will host two supporting stakes on Sunday's Pacific Classic card --

the Grade 2, $200,000

Del Mar

Mile Handicap on turf, featuring defending champion Obviously against only

four foes, and the Grade 2, $250,000

Pat

O'Brien on the Polytrack, where sophomore Goldencents tackles a field of 12

older horses.

Obviously, a confirmed front runner, set the course record of 1:32.10 when

just holding on by a diminishing nose in the 2012 Del Mar Mile. The Mike

Mitchell charge came right back to wire the Arroyo Seco Mile, and ended his

breakout season with a third to Horse of the Year Wise Dan and champion Animal

Kingdom in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Just nabbed late in his reappearance in the April 20 San Simeon when

sprinting on Santa Anita's downhill turf, Obviously has been untouchable in his

two subsequent starts at Hollywood. The Choisir gelding has become a bit more

tractable as a pacesetter, and he kicked away in grand style in both the May 25

American Handicap and the June 29 Shoemaker Mile.

Regular rider Joe Talamo will be back aboard Obviously, who will concede

weight all around as the 125-pound highweight here. He once again looms as a

wire-to-wire threat, although multiple Grade 3-placed El Commodore, drawn just

to his outside in post 5, reeled off very fast fractions when landing his debut

for Mike Machowsky. Based on his course-and-distance allowance conquest in 1:32

4/5 on August 1, El Commodore could try to beat Obviously at his own game.

Silentio, hero of the Sir Beaufort at Santa Anita last winter, missed by a

nostril in the March 2 Frank E. Kilroe Mile over the same course. Subsequently a

subpar last of five to Wise Dan in the April 12 Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland,

the Gary Mandella colt enters off a four-month freshening. The

admirably-consistent four-year-old, who has never been off the board in seven

career starts, captured an entry-level allowance in his only prior appearance at

Del Mar last summer.

Trainer John Sadler is double-handed with Tigah and He Be Fire N Ice. Tigah,

who was stakes-placed in France at three, has been in sharp form this campaign.

The son of Dalakhani went last to first in the April 27 San Francisco Mile at

Golden Gate Fields, an effort bookended by thirds in the April 6 Thunder Road at

Santa Anita and in the July 24 Wickerr at this course and distance. In the

latter, Tigah was beaten by Arlington Million favorite Indy Point and Pacific

Classic entrant Endorsement. Stablemate He Be Fire N Ice makes his graded debut

off a rallying score versus restricted company in the July 21 California Dreamin'

Handicap.

In the seven-furlong Pat O'Brien -- a "Win & You're In" for the Breeders' Cup

Dirt Mile -- Goldencents looks for his first victory since the April 6 Santa

Anita Derby. Eased when 17th of 19 in the Kentucky Derby, and a tiring fifth in

the Preakness, the Doug O'Neill colt shortened up to six furlongs for the July

28 Bing Crosby at Del Mar and nearly prevailed. Goldencents, wearing blinkers

for the first time, moved belatedly and came within a head of catching Points

Offthebench.

Goldencents won't have the opportunity to gain revenge on that rival Sunday,

but he does have an extra furlong, and he gets a rider switch to Joel Rosario.

The only three-year-old in the big field will break from post 3.

O'Neill will also send out Handsome Mike, last year's Pennsylvania Derby

winner, who added the April 13 Commonwealth Stakes to his resume at Keeneland.

Things haven't gone right for the Scat Daddy colt since. A troubled fourth in

the Churchill Downs Stakes on Derby Day, he faded to eighth after chasing a

scorching pace in the Metropolitan Handicap on Memorial Day.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is another with two chances in Fed Biz and

Drill. Fed Biz won his only start over the local Polytrack when taking last

summer's El Cajon. The well-bred son of Giant's Causeway showed a similarly

resilient attitude to garner the January 12 San Fernando on the Santa Anita

dirt. Campaigned mostly on turf of late, he exits a fourth in the July 20 Eddie

Read. Drill, who scored in a rough-and-tumble Del Mar Futurity at this trip in

2011, has compiled a string of fourths at present in the San Carlos, San Simeon,

American and the June 29 Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood last out.

Two runners will also represent the Gary Mandella barn -- No Silent, a

front-running allowance winner over the track on July 25, and Grade 1-placed

stakes scorer Mobilized, the fifth-placer in the 2012 Pat O'Brien, who was third

to No Silent in that same allowance in his belated comeback.

Grade 1 veteran Morning Line makes his second start back off a year-long

layoff, and promises to improve off his creditable third in the Triple Bend. The

John Shirreffs pupil has drawn the far outside in post 13.

Multiple Grade 2-winning mare Great Hot, and jockey Chantal Sutherland-Kruse,

team up versus males. The pair were fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Clement L. Hirsch

here on August 3, and cut back to one turn in this spot. Likewise reverting in

distance is Batti Man, a dogged third to Kettle Corn and Paynter in the July 27

San Diego.

Others worth a mention are Grade 1-placed stakes winner Wine Police, winner

of his local debut for Henry Dominguez; Majestic City, demoted to third in

Drill's Del Mar Futurity and most recently fourth in the Bing Crosby; and the

Sadler-trained Gonna Fly Now, who has placed to the likes of Points Offthebench

and Declassify and rallied in time in a July 28 allowance.

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