San Vicente: Captain Obvious Tries Dirt

Trainer Ben Cecil is hoping the success jockey Mario Gutierrez had with owner J. Paul Reddam in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes rubs off in Sunday’s San Vicente Stakes.

Gutierrez rode I’ll Have Another to a 43-1 upset for Reddam in the Grade II Lewis on Feb. 4. The 25-year-old jockey rides Captain Obvious for Reddam in Sunday’s Grade II, $150,000 San Vicente Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs.

Fourth after a slow start under Joel Rosario in the Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood Park on Nov. 12, the Irish-bred Captain Obvious must prove he can handle traditional dirt for the first time and conquer favored Creative Cause in the San Vicente, which marks the 3-year-old debut of the latter colt, a leading Triple Crown contender.

“He broke very slow first time out in the Real Quiet,” Cecil said of Captain Obvious. “The question mark is how he handles the dirt. He doesn’t really have a dirt pedigree, but you don’t know until you run him.

“He worked out of the gate and worked well enough, but it’s when they go a little bit quicker is when we’ll find out.”

The field for the San Vicente, race seven of nine: Let’s Get Crackin, Victor Espinoza; Creative Cause, Joel Rosario; Drill, Martin Garcia; Smoking G, Corey Nakatani; American Act, Martin Pedroza; and Captain Obvious, Mario Gutierrez.