Omaha Beach Returns in SA Sprint Championship

[Wandering Eyes]

Grade I winner Omaha Beach (War Front) makes his highly anticipated and long awaited return to the races Saturday in the GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship S., a “Win and You’re In” event for the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint S. Nov. 2 in Arcadia. Graduating by nine lengths in his fifth start going seven panels over a sloppy main track at Santa Anita Feb. 2, he followed suit with a nose defeat of champion Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in one of the two GII Rebel S. divisions at Oaklawn Mar. 16. He defeated that Eclipse winner’s Grade I-winning stablemate Improbable (City Zip) by a length next out in the GI Arkansas Derby and was installed as the favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby, but was scratched due to an entrapped epiglottis and underwent throat surgery. The dark bay was originally scheduled to make his return in last weekend’s GIII Ack Ack S. going a mile at Churchill Downs, but was re-routed to this six-panel affair over his home track.

“I’m excited,” trainer Richard Mandella told the Santa Anita notes team. “I’m not sure if he’s quick enough to beat some of the top sprinters in there, but he sure acts like he could. We’re anxious to see how it goes, but the main thing is getting him back to the races. We’ll see what might be next after we run.”

Omaha Beach biggest competition will come from another sophomore in the super speedy Shancelot (Shanghai Bobby), who was installed as the 4-5 morning-line favorite. A debut winner at Gulfstream in February, the dark bay wired a Monmouth optional claimer by 6 1/4 lengths June 23 and destroyed the field in Saratoga’s GII Amsterdam S. July 28, romping by 12 1/2 lengths. Heavily favored in that venue’s GI H. Allen Jerkens S. Aug. 24, he dictated terms early, but was run down late by Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) and GISW Hog Creek Hustle (Overanalyze), finishing third by a head in a very tight four-way photo.

Of their elder rivals, Flagstaff (Speightstown), who, coincidentally is a half-brother to Game Winner, boasts the strongest resume. Kicking off this term with an optional claimer score in Arcadia May 4, the gelding was a close second to MGSW American Anthem (Bodemeister) at Del Mar July 20 and returned to winning ways last time in a six-panel affair at the seaside oval Aug. 18, in which California Street (Street Boss) finished third.

 

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