Omaha Beach Back Galloping For Pegasus After Foot Issue

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Omaha Beach Back Galloping For Pegasus After Foot Issue
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Omaha Beach and jockey Mike Smith after winning the Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park

On the rebound from a minor foot setback, Fox Hill Farms' Omaha Beach  galloped at Gulfstream Park Jan. 10 in preparation for his highly anticipated career finale in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Presented by Runhappy (G1) Jan. 25.

"He galloped about a mile and a half this morning and looked good," trainer Richard Mandella said. "He had a bruise in his foot the other day. We took the shoes off. We poulticed it for a day and put some new shoes on (Thursday). I'll give him a few days to get used to that. I'll probably work him next Monday. It could be Sunday. We'll just see how things go."

In an interview with TVG, Mandella said the colt was equipped with glue-on shoes.

Omaha Beach concluded a highly successful 3-year-old campaign with a dominating 2 3/4-length victory in the Dec. 28 Runhappy Malibu Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park. Earlier in the year, the son of War Front  won the Rebel Stakes (G2) and Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park to earn the role as morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve(G1), only to be scratched due to an entrapped epiglottis. Following surgery to correct that ailment, he returned from a six-month layoff to win the six-furlong Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G1), before finishing second behind Spun to Run in the Breeders' Cup Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita and winning the seven-furlong Malibu.

"It's a pleasure to have a horse like him. Not many people in the world get the chance to have a horse like him," Mandella said.

Following the Pegasus, Omaha Beach is scheduled to begin stud duty at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky. for the 2020 breeding season.

"I still haven't given up the idea of kidnapping him," Mandella quipped.

Omaha Beach is the anticipated favorite in the Pegasus from an invited field that includes Spun to Run, who defeated him in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

"I'm anxious get it on. It's great for racing and there are a bunch of pretty nice horses," Mandella said.            

A victory in the Pegasus World Cup would be one of many defining moments of an already productive career for his trainer. 

"It would be very validating, but he's already done a lot for us already and proven how good he is," Mandella said. "But we expect something big on the day"