OMAHA BEACH CRUISES TO 2 ¾ LENGTH WIN IN GRADE I RUNHAPPY MALIBU STAKES

By Mike Willman —-

OMAHA BEACH
BENOIT PHOTO

OMAHA BEACH CRUISES TO 2 ¾ LENGTH WIN IN GRADE I, $300,000 RUNHAPPY MALIBU STAKES IN PENULTIMATE START; SMITH & MANDELLA TEAM FOR SEVEN FURLONG WIN IN 1:22.33

ARCADIA, Calif. (Dec. 28, 2019)—A mere 24 hours earlier, Mike Smith advised the racing world that Omaha Beach “might do something really special” in Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita.
Mission accomplished. In what is scheduled to be his penultimate performance, Omaha Beach, who was unhurried early, made short work of four rivals in winning by 2 ¾ lengths in a fashion that left many racegoers pining for what might have been had the imposing son of War Front not been forced to miss this year’s Kentucky Derby with an entrapped epiglottis

Owned by Rich Porter’s Fox Hill Farms, Inc., and trained by Richard Mandella, Omaha Beach, who is out of the Seeking the Gold mare Charming, got seven furlongs in 1:22.33 with his reigns dangling and Smith, who notched his record setting 217th Grade I win, sitting dead-still.

“It’s just amazing and this horse speaks for everything,” said Smith, who also registered his fourth stakes win of the day. “He’s just beautiful, so fun to be around, so fun to ride, and so fun to train. It just shows how great this horse really is. I’m so happy and blessed to be a part of it.”

When reminded he had just surpassed retired Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey as racing’s all-time Grade I stakes winning jockey, Smith replied, “Jerry is someone that comes from my hometown. I was born in New Mexico, but raised in Texas in El Paso, where he’s from. His father was my dentist…So he’s always meant a lot to me, so to surpass him means a whole lot.”

With the Grade I, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitation pegged as his career finale prior to what promises to be a lifetime at stud at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky, Omaha Beach, who won both the Grade II Rebel and Grade I Arkansas Derby this past spring, made amends for a disappointing second place finish as the even money favorite in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Mile here on Nov. 2.

“He was supposed to run like this,” said Mandella. When asked if Omaha Beach is as good as any he’s trained in his illustrious Hall of Fame career, he responded, “I can’t think of one better…The few times he ever got beat were my fault…This is really special for us, opening day at Santa Anita. After all the trouble we have been through this year, this place is The Great Race Place and we all need to remember that.”

Off as the 2-5 favorite in a field of five 3-year-olds, Omaha Beach paid $2.80, $2.10 and $2.10.
Winless in his first four starts, three of them on turf, Omaha Beach has now won five out of his last six starts, three of them Grade I stakes. With today’s winner’s share of $180,000, he now has earnings of $1,651,800 from an overall mark of 10-5-4-1.

Roadster, winner of this year’s Santa Anita Derby, was last with a half mile to run and rallied to be second, 2 ¼ lengths in front of longshot Manny Wah. Ridden by Joel Rosario, Roadster was off at 9-1 and paid $3.60 and $3.00.

Ridden by Channing Hill, Manny Wah was easily third and paid $3.80 to show while off at 20-1.

Fractions on the race were 22.43, 45.02 and 1:09.55.

RUNHAPPY MALIBU STAKES (GI) $300,000 QUOTES
JOCKEY QUOTES
MIKE SMITH, OMAHA BEACH, WINNER: “It is very humbling, I am a very blessed man and when you are blessed, opportunities arise, like I get to ride for Mr. Mandella and all kinds of things happen.

“He (Omaha Beach) just gives you that confidence, he eludes it. Mr. Mandella had him trained up so well for this race. I basically stayed as still as I could. I didn’t want to mess it up to be honest. He did it all on his own and he did it pretty handy today.

“It’s just amazing, and this horse speaks for everything. He’s just beautiful, so fun to be around, so fun to ride, and so fun to train. It just shows how great this horse really is. I’m so happy and so blessed to be a part of it. To surpass Jerry (Bailey) on Omaha Beach even makes it that much more special.

“It’s 217? Wow. You shocked me right there to be honest with you. You’re blessed to win one in this sport; 217, man I can’t even tell you.

“Jerry is someone that comes from my hometown. I was born in New Mexico but raised in Texas in El Paso where he’s from. His father was my dentist. I went to the same high school that he did. When his high school gave him an honor, I was in the grandstand watching him. I wasn’t even riding yet; I was just a kid. He’s always meant a lot to me, so to surpass him means a whole lot.

“It’s been an amazing career looking back on it. It’s too bad we don’t look back on things every day in situations like this to appreciate what you’ve been able to accomplish. Passing Jerry Bailey at anything is pretty amazing.”

TRAINER QUOTES
RICHARD MANDELLA, OMAHA BEACH, WINNER: Asked if he was surprised with the easy victory: “He was supposed to run like this.”
Asked if he’s as good as any Mandella has trained: “I can’t think of one better, although he hasn’t been around long enough of those that stayed forever, Beholder and them, but probably the few times he ever got beat were my fault.”

Mandella was asked how he felt about Omaha Beach going to stud after his final start, in the Grade I Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25: “He’s like a son; he’s better than a son. He makes me money; he doesn’t cost money. I thought about it a lot and I should have spoken to Mr. Porter when he was a two year old and suggest castrating him, and I still haven’t. He’s a great horse.

Mandella said the agenda calls for Omaha Beach to leave for Florida on Dec. 30, “so we’ll be in Florida.” Asked about Mike Smith setting a career record of 217 Grade I stakes wins, passing Jerry Bailey (216): “What can you say about Mike? He just keeps doing it over and over.

“This is really special for us, Opening Day at Santa Anita, after all the trouble we have been through this year, this place is The Great Race Place and we all need to remember that.”
NOTES: The winning owner is Rick Porter who races as Fox Hill Farms, Inc.

ABOUT SANTA ANITA PARK
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP
The Stronach Group (TSG) is a world-class entertainment, real estate and development company with Thoroughbred horse racing at the core. The company’s mission is executed through the distinct but interconnected pillars of Racing and Gaming, Entertainment, Technology and Real Estate Development. TSG is dedicated to delivering the best in class Thoroughbred horse racing content and operations. The company holds some of the greatest brands in the industry including, Southern California’s Santa Anita Park, “The Great Race Place”; South Florida’s Gulfstream Park, home to the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series and retail destination, The Village at Gulfstream Park; Pimlico Race Course, home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Laurel Park in Maryland; and the San Francisco Bay Area’s, Golden Gate Fields. TSG is a leader in digital and mobile wagering technology through its subsidiaries AmTote and Xpressbet and is a major distributor of horseracing content to a global audience through Monarch Content Management and XBTV.