Omaha! War Front Colt Makes Statement in Thrilling Comebacker

Omaha Beach | Benoit

Omaha Beach, last seen taking the GI Arkansas Derby over nine panels in April before an entrapped epiglottis and subsequent surgery knocked him out of a GI Kentucky Derby try for which he likely would have gone favored, reasserted his claim to the title of most talented horse in training as he reeled in the brilliantly fast Shancealot over a trip far short of his best.

Breaking with the pack, the dark bay was a close third while riding the rail through sharp fractions of :21.87 and :44.38 established by the heavily favored Shancelot, best known for his 12 1/2-length romp in the GII Amsterdam S. this summer that earned a gaudy 121 Beyer Speed Figure. Traveling nicely at the top of the stretch beneath Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Omaha Beach shot through an inviting opening along the inside in the lane and gamely nosed out Shancelot on the wire.

“He's a throwback to those classic horses,” Smith said. “He can do anything. Three quarters to a mile and a quarter. He's extremely fast and he's got tremendous stamina. When you need him to be quick, he is. He can do it all. The only thing that surprised me today was that I had to stay inside. His last work was his best one, no question. Today, he hit his best stride late.”

Omaha Beach began his career on the turf with a trio of on-the-board efforts, and then finished second going a mile on the dirt here Jan. 4 before cutting back a furlong and breaking through by nine lengths in the slop Feb. 2. He stretched out and bested champion juvenile Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) by a nose in a division of Oaklawn's GII Rebel S. Mar. 16, and then handled that one's Grade I-winning stablemate Improbable (City Zip) in the final Kentucky Derby prep in Hot Springs Apr. 13. Third that day was Country House (Lookin At Lucky), who would go on to be put up by the stewards at 65-1 in Louisville.

Forced to miss his original return target, Del Mar's Shared Belief S. in August, due to illness, the Fox Hill colorbearer was then expected to contest Churchill's GIII Ack Ack S. last weekend, but his connections decided to stay home for this after Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella was unhappy with his final breeze for that spot. The colt came back to fire a half-mile bullet in :46 3/5 last Friday (XBTV Video).

“I'm just very relieved to have him back,” Mandella said. “At the eighth pole, I thought we were [going to be] clear, but it took some race riding…This horse has a heart of gold and he's got the greatest personality of any horse I've ever had. I would say anything's possible.”

The big question now is where Omaha Beach could end up next month, but Mandella wasn't making any decisions Saturday, “I want to enjoy this one, but the [GI Breeders' Cup] Sprint, the [GI Dirt] Mile and the mile and a quarter [GI Classic] are all possible…We're gonna run in the Breeders' Cup! For now I'll just drink that big bottle of champagne and think it over.”

Saturday, Santa Anita
SANTA ANITA SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP S.-GI, $300,351, Santa Anita, 10-5, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:08.79, ft.
1–OMAHA BEACH, 122, c, 3, by War Front
1st Dam: Charming, by Seeking the Gold
2nd Dam: Take Charge Lady, by Dehere
3rd Dam: Felicita, by Rubiano
($625,000 RNA Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Fox Hill Farms Inc.; B-Charming Syndicate (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella; J-Mike E. Smith. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 8-4-3-1, $1,301,800. *1/2 to Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway), Ch. 2yo Filly, MGISW, $1,692,126; Full to Courage Under Fire, G1SP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Shancelot, 120, c, 3, Shanghai Bobby–True Kiss, by Is It True. ($50,000 Ylg '17 FTSAUG; $245,000 2yo '18 OBSMAR). O-Gelfenstein Farm, Crawford, Albert and Crawford, Michelle; B-Charles Muth & Patrick Murphy (KY); T-Jorge Navarro. $60,000.
3–Flagstaff, 121, g, 5, Speightstown–Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy. ($475,000 Ylg '15 FTSAUG). O-Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing LLC; B-Summer Wind Farm (KY); T-John W. Sadler. $36,000.
Margins: HD, 2HF, 6 1/4. Odds: 2.60, 0.30, 9.40.
Also Ran: California Street, Horse Greedy, One Flew South.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:
One of 87 stakes winners (48 of which are graded) for War Front, Omaha Beach is the product of a stellar female family. Winning dam Charming, a $3.2 million yearling at Keeneland September in 2006, has produced three Grade I performers from four foals to race, including 2014 Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway), who sold as a broodmare prospect in 2015 for $6 million at Keeneland November, and Ireland's 2016 G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. runner-up Courage Under Fire (also by War Front). Charming is out of triple Grade I winner and 2013 Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady (Dehere), another big seller at $4.2 million at the 2004 Keeneland November sale when carrying her first foal, who happened to be Charming. Her runners include champion 3-year-old Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song) and Grade I winner Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy). Seeking the Gold, who, like War Front, held court at Claiborne Farm, has been an outstanding broodmare sire with his daughters producing 171 stakes winners, including over a dozen champions, to date.

 

 

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