Omaha Beach’s Normandy Coast Splashes Home First in Palisades

[Wandering Eyes]

Normandy Coast, cutting back in distance after being eased in the one-mile GIII Gotham Stakes last time out and missing out on his turf debut when this came off the lawn, skipped home a convincing winner of the Palisades Stakes at Keeneland Sunday. The 5-2 shot tracked favored Long Neck Paula, cut the corner to take the lead into the stretch and strode home 3 1/2 lengths in front.

“We were actually praying for rain this week, so that happened for us. We wanted to run him on the dirt here and it worked out perfectly,” admitted winning trainer Eddie Kenneally. “He got a beautiful ride. Very happy.”

Of his trip, jockey Ben Curtis, who was winning his first stakes race at Keeneland, added, “The horse in front was just getting out a little bit off the rail, and I knew [my horse] stayed very well, so I knew stamina wasn't going to be a problem. So when the opportunity presented itself, I said, 'Perfect, we'll take the shortest way around,' and he went to the front and kept going. That's all you can ask of him.”

Enjoying his first stakes win at the Keeneland racetrack, Curtis said, “It's brilliant. I've only ever been here once, for one day, so to start the meet out like this, and also for Eddie as well–I've known Eddie for years. It's great that he's put me up on a lot of horses and I've had a good few winners, but I think this is the biggest of them, so yeah, absolutely fantastic.”

Normandy Coast, a maiden winner at Ellis Park last July, returned from six months on the sidelines to win a six-furlong optional claimer at Fair Grounds Jan. 11. He rushed up into contention after stumbling at the break of the Mar. 1 Gotham Stakes before being eased under the wire.

Looking ahead for the winner, Kenneally said, “We tried the mile last time in New York. He probably doesn't stay that far. I think we'll be looking at the rest of the sprint dirt 3-year-old stakes going forward for the spring and summer.”

Normandy Coast is the last foal out of Alliteration, who died last year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

PALISADES S., $300,000, Keeneland, 4-6, 3yo, 5 1/2f (off turf), 1:04.35, sy.
1–NORMANDY COAST, 118, c, 3, by Omaha Beach
                1st Dam: Alliteration, by Congrats
                2nd Dam: Royal Card, by Chapel Royal
                3rd Dam: Showmethegreencard, by De Niro
($60,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Red Gate
Racing; B-Haymarket Farm LLC (KY); T-Eddie Kenneally; J-Ben
Curtis. $183,675. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-0, $269,525.
2–Long Neck Paula, 113, f, 3, Uncle Mo–Take Charge Paula, by
Take Charge Indy. ($325,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $500,000 2yo '24
OBSMAR). O-Will Stroud & Debra O'Connor; B-WinStar Farm,
LLC (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward. $59,250.
3–Killjoy, 118, g, 3, Caravaggio–Sally Dangles, by More Than
Ready. ($24,000 RNA Ylg '23 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE.
O-Foster Family Racing, Wargel, William J. and R.K. Eckrich
Racing LLC; B-Davant Latham (KY); T-Eric N. Foster. $29,625.
Margins: 3HF, 7 3/4, 1. Odds: 2.62, 1.36, 16.71.
Also Ran: Flat to Da Mat, Turbulent Force, Brie's in Town. Scratched: Absolutely Hot, Dreamaway, Makeit to Cheyenne, Out On Bail, Warheart.

 

#3 NORMANDY COAST ($7.24) splashes to victory in the $300,000 Palisades Stakes at @KeenelandRacing. This is the first stakes win for the three-year-old Omaha Beach (@SpendthriftFarm) colt. @_benacurtis was aboard for trainer @kenneallyracing. pic.twitter.com/lyAJMUuAFY

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 6, 2025

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