Omaha Beach to train locally for the Pegasus World Cup

Rick Porter's Omaha Beach won't stick around Santa Anita Park for long after a smashing victory in Saturday's Malibu Stakes (G1).

Trainer Richard Mandella said the 3-year-old son of War Front, who cruised across the wire 2 3/4 lengths to the good, will ship east to Gulfstream Park on Tuesday, "so we’ll be in Florida." There, he'll do his training locally toward the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup set for Jan. 25.

Omaha Beach is a likely favorite of the event with the Malibu marking his third Grade 1 victory of the season, adding to the Arkansas Derby (G1) and Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G1). Those wins have ranged from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, the same distance as the Pegasus.

“He’s like a son; he’s better than a son," Mandella said. "He makes me money; he doesn’t cost money. I thought about it a lot, and I should have spoken to Mr. Porter when he was a 2-year-old and suggest castrating him, and I still haven’t. He’s a great horse."

That statement, of course, was made in jest. The Pegasus will mark Omaha Beach's final career start before he heads off to stand at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky. A full book of mares awaits a rare type of talent.

“I can’t think of one better," Mandella said, "although he hasn’t been around long enough of those that stayed forever -- Beholder and them. But probably the few times he ever got beat were my fault.”

Omaha Beach did take five starts to break his maiden, beginning his career on turf before a surface switch keyed his rise to Kentucky Derby favoritism. The colt ended up missing the Triple Crown but has come back just as well after missed time due to throat surgery.

Since that first victory on Feb. 2, Omaha Beach's only defeat came after getting shuffled back at the start of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Front-running winner Spun to Run could go in the Pegasus, vying for favoritism with Omaha Beach.