Omaha Beach Fends Off Improbable in $1M Arkansas Derby
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Favored Fox Hill Farm's Omaha Beach grabbed the lead on the backstretch and then kept Improbable at bay in the stretch to capture the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) over a sloppy track at Oaklawn Park April 13.
"I was just hoping he'd hang in there (in the stretch) and he did," winning trainer Richard Mandella said.
With 100-40-20-10 qualifying points going to the top four finishers, Omaha Beach (137.5 points), Improbable (65) and third-place finisher Country House (50) secured spots in the field of 20 for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
Laughing Fox was fourth.
Final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.91.
Prior to Saturday, six of the last eight betting favorites in the Arkansas Derby were trained by Bob Baffert, who sent out second choice Improbable. Included in that group is 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah , the last winner of both the Arkansas Derby and the Kentucky Derby
This story will be updated.