Omaha Beach resumes galloping

DEL MAR, Calif. – Omaha Beach, who was briefly out of training earlier this month because of illness, resumed galloping at Del Mar on Saturday morning in advance of an expected return to racing next month.

“He had a good gallop,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “He was full of it. His nose was clean and he didn’t cough. We’re going on.”

Omaha Beach won the Arkansas Derby in April, but has had setbacks in recent months that have disrupted his season. He was withdrawn from the Kentucky Derby in the days before the race with an entrapped epiglottis that required a minor procedure. Omaha Beach was an intended starter in Sunday’s $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes until the recent illness was diagnosed.

Mandella has mentioned the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on Sept. 28 and the Grade 3 Ack Ack Stakes at a mile at Churchill Downs on the same day as potential races for Omaha Beach.

Owned by Rick Porter, Omaha Beach has won 3 of 7 starts and earned $1,121,800. He won a division of the Grade 2 Rebel Stake at Oaklawn Park in his stakes debut.