Omaha Beach, dealing with foot problem, has work pushed back a few days
Omaha Beach, scheduled to make his final career start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 25, will have his first local work at Gulfstream Park postponed, likely until Sunday, to deal with a minor foot issue, trainer Richard Mandella said Wednesday.
"This far out, I don't see it as a problem," Mandella said from South Florida while describing the issue as a "hot foot."
"It's likely a bruise," he said. "We pulled the shoe off and poulticed the foot overnight. He should be able to have a shoe got back on in the next couple of days, but the work's off for a few days. What is it, Wednesday? He should work Sunday-ish. It's no big deal."
Mandella said the timing was fortuitous, because if this occurred on the eve of the race, it wouldn't allow time to get it cleared up.
Omaha Beach won the Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 28 in his last start. He flew to Florida on Dec. 30 and has been at Gulfstream Park a little more than a week. Mandella arrived in Florida on Wednesday morning following a red-eye flight from California.
Omaha Beach is scheduled to begin stud duty at Spendthrift Farm this spring.
