Obligatory

Obligatory, a Curlin filly homebred by Juddmonte Farms, finished fourth in her October 2020 debut and did not race again until Feb. 7, 2021. The 3-year-old filly won impressively in a one-mile race at Gulfstream Park and was elevated to stakes company for her next start at Fair Grounds. She disappointed when fourth in the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks and was shortened up to seven furlongs in her next stakes try, the Grade 2 Eight Belles Stakes Presented by Smithfield.

Sent off at 16.50-1 odds in the Eight Belles, Obligatory tracked 11 opponents in last heading into the far turn before moving up under Jose Ortiz. After sweeping six-wide at the top of the stretch, she took aim at leading Dayoutoftheoffice and got up late to score her first stakes win by a length.

In her next start, the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5, Obligatory once again rated well off the early pace, then surged wide in the stretch. Although it was an impressive rally, she ended up second, half a length behind victorious Search Results. She earned another Grade 1 placing at Parx Racing on Sept. 25, when she was second in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes behind Clairiere. 

Obligatory earned another graded stakes win in the Grade 2 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 20. She made a looping five-wide rally in the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths. 

On Mar. 12, 2022, Obligatory made her season debut in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie Stakes at Gulfstream Park. She came from behind to win going away as the 6-5 second choice. In her next start, Obligatory made another big rally to win the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff Stakes Presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery at Churchill Downs on May 7, for her first Grade 1 victory. She subsequently suffered her first defeat of the year when coming up a half-length short to Bella Sofia in the Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses Stakes at Belmont Park on June 10.

Obligatory made her next start in the Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga in Aug. 28 and finished third behind Goodnight Olive. She was subsequently sent off as the 6-1 third choice in a field of 12 in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on Nov. 5 at Keeneland and was defeated by that same opponent to settle for a fifth-place finish.

Obligatory is out of the stakes-winning Macho Uno mare Uno Duo and from the family of French Group 1 winner Etoile Montante and U.S. graded stakes winners Starformer, Bonny South and Country Grammer.