Obviously (IRE)

A little added ground was all Obviously needed to go from solid stakes performer to potential major player in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile. While the bay gelding routinely hit the board while sprinting and won three of eight starts, it wasn’t until trainer Mike Mitchell stretched him out to a mile that a heightened dimension of talent emerged.

Obviously’s first try at this distance saw him run away to a five-length victory in an allowance race in August 2012, and 24 days later the front-running gelding became a graded stakes winner when he captured the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile Handicap in a course record time of 1:32.10.

Obviously finished third in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Mile. He earned a breakthrough Grade 1 win in the 2013 Shoemaker Mile Stakes and then scored a repeat win in that race in 2014. But it was in 2016 when Obviously earned a career-defining victory.

After four attempts in the Breeders' Cup Mile, trainer Phil D'Amato entered Obviously in the Turf Sprint and he led from start to finish. Obviously took command from the jump and held off hard-closing Om to prevail by a nose in a thrilling finish.

After beginning his career in Ireland, Obviously came to the states and joined Mitchell’s barn, making his U.S. debut in March. As a yearling, Irish-bred Obviously brought a modest final bid of $2,578 at the 2009 Goffs February mixed sale but later was purchased for $217,758 at the 2011 Tattersalls October horses in training sale. Mitchell died of cancer in 2014 and that year, Obviously joined the barn of Phil D'Amato, Mitchell's longtime assistant.

Obviously has the pedigree to be a major player with the likes of multiple Grade 1 winner Hawkster included in his family tree.