Omaha Beach was one of the best 3-year-olds in the land in the spring, when he won the Arkansas Derby and wound up as the morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby, and in the fall, when he returned from a layoff of nearly six months to win a Grade 1 sprint, and in the winter, when he won yet another Grade 1 race. He began the racing year in January and ended it in December, overcoming several twists and turns along the way, with his talent and the skill of his Hall of Fame trainer, Richard Mandella, winning out more often than not.