Omaha Beach Favored From Gate Twelve in Derby 145

[Wandering Eyes]

Fox Hill Farm’s Omaha Beach (War Front), recent winner of the GI Arkansas Derby, was assigned gate 12 and was made the 4-1 favorite on Mike Battaglia’s morning line for Saturday’s 145th running of the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

The first starter in the Run for the Roses in 15 years for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, Omaha Beach is the choice of fellow Hall of Famer and two-time Derby winner Mike Smith, who opted off of the Bob Baffert-trained ‘TDN Rising Star’ Roadster (Quality Road).

“Mike will probably let him run out of there and having the 12 post he’ll have the option of being able to size up how fast they’re going and he’ll use his best judgment,” said Mandella. “He just matured mentally each race. He’s just a kind, easy horse to be around and I think it took a race or two to really put the fight in him.”

The latter, who defeated stablemate, Eclipse Award winner and fellow ‘Rising Star’ Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Santa Anita Derby earlier this month, drew post 17, with Florent Geroux taking over in the irons. The gray colt was pegged as the joint-third choice at odds of 6-1, while Game Winner was made the 5-1 second pick returning to the scene of his victory in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Game Winner is one of two in the field for owners Gary and Mary West, who will also be represented by Maximum Security, a homebred son of their Breeders’ Cup Juvenile hero New Year’s Day, who punched his ticket to the Derby with a front-running success in the GI Florida Derby Mar. 30. Maximum Security has drawn nicely for his style in the seven hole.

The same cannot be said for Gary Barber’s War of Will (War Front), a horse who was at or near the top of most every Derby Top 10 after winning the GIII Lecomte S. and GII Risen Star S. He stubbed his toe and suffered a minor muscle strain in the GII Louisiana Derby, but has since trained extremely well. A speedy type by his nature, he will have to leave there running from the dreaded one hole to have his best chance.

‘Rising Star’ Improbable (City Zip) was very fractious when drawn one and having to wait for the rest of the field to load in the Arkansas Derby last time, but the blinkers that were on that day have come off and he will be loaded at about the midpoint of the process after landing gate five.

Juddmonte Farms has yet to be represented by a Derby winner and the operation will rely on GII Wood Memorial S. hero Tacitus (Tapit) to right that particular wrong. Posted at what appears to be a generous 10-1 on the morning line, the homebred son of champion Close Hatches (First Defence) will depart gate eight.

KENTUCKY DERBY-GI, $3,000,000, 3yo, 1 1/4m, post time: 6:46 p.m. ET

1 War of Will (War Front), Gaffalione, Casse, 20-1

2 Tax (Arch), Alvarado, Gargan, 20-1

3 By My Standards (Goldencents), Saez, Calhoun, 20-1

4 Gray Magician (Graydar), Van Dyke, Miller, 50-1

5 Improbable (City Zip), Ortiz Jr., Baffert, 6-1

6 Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}), Castellano, Weaver, 20-1

7 Maximum Security (New Year’s Day), Saez, Ja Servis, 10-1

8 Tacitus (Tapit), Ortiz, Mott, 10-1

9 Plus Que Parfait (Point of Entry), Santana Jr., Walsh, 30-1

10 Cutting Humor (First Samurai), Lanerie, Pletcher, 30

11 Haikal (Daaher), Maragh, McLaughlin, 30-1

12 Omaha Beach (War Front), Smith, Mandella, 4-1

13 Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), Velazquez, McGaughey, 15-1

14 Win Win Win (Hat Trick {Jpn}), Pimentel, Trombetta, 15-1

15 Master Fencer (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}), Leparoux, Tsunoda, 50-1

16 Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}), Rosario, Baffert, 5-1

17 Roadster (Quality Road), Geroux, Baffert, 6-1

18 Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy), Court, Asmussen, 30-1

19 Spinoff (Hard Spun), Franco, Pletcher, 30-1

20 Country House (Lookin At Lucky), Prat, Mott, 30-1

AE Bodexpress (Bodemeister), Landeros, Delgado, 30-1

 

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