Omaha Beach fires bullet in Arkansas Derby work

ARCADIA, Calif. – Omaha Beach, who has risen rapidly in the 3-year-old division in recent months, worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Friday in preparation for the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 13.

Working with a stablemate, Omaha Beach ran two wide and pulled clear under Alex Solis to record the quickest time of 25 works at the distance. Solis, the former jockey, assists trainer Richard Mandella and occasionally works horses.

Mandella timed Omaha Beach in 47.16 seconds and the colt finished several lengths clear of his stablemate.

“We let him breeze with company and gave his head for the last furlong,” Mandella said.

The $1 million Arkansas Derby at 1 1/8 miles is a leading prep for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 4. Aside from Omaha Beach, the race is expected to draw Long Range Toddy and Improbable, who were first and second in the first division of the Rebel Stakes on March 16.

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Omaha Beach, who races for Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm, won the second division of the Rebel Stakes, prevailing by a nose over Game Winner, the champion 2-year-old male of 2018.

“It won’t be easy,” Mandella said of the Arkansas Derby. “I hope I have him the way I did before – and I do, as far as I can see.”’

Mandella will start Extra Hope in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 6, which has six probable starters. Extra Hope was fourth behind winner Long Range Toddy in the Rebel Stakes. Last December, Extra Hope was third to winner Improbable in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity.

Game Winner is a leading contender for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby, along with Roadster, who was third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last September and later underwent an operation to correct a breathing problem. Roadster won his 3-year-old debut in an optional claimer at a mile on March 1.

Other projected starters for the Santa Anita Derby are Instagrand, who was third in the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct in his 2019 debut, Nolo Contesto, and Synthesis.

The April 6 program has seven stakes. The leading race for fillies is the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles and is a prep for the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Bellafina and Enaya Alrabb, the first two finishers in the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile on Feb. 9, lead the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks, which is not expected to have a large field.

Bellafina, trained by Simon Callaghan, has won five stakes. She was fourth as the 9-5 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs last November.