Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Omaha Beach coming around
Omaha Beach is quickly coming to hand. In only his third official work since going back in training, he went five furlongs in 59.80 seconds on Sunday morning at Del Mar, the fastest time of the 75 drills at the distance.
Mike Smith, back in town following a Saturday night flight home from Saratoga, where he won the Whitney on McKinzie, was up for trainer Richard Mandella.
Mandella, who might be trying out for “Dancing With the Stars” with the fancy footwork he’s shown following Omaha Beach’s last two works, said watching Omaha Beach was “exciting.”
“I love it,” he said once he brought his short jig to a close. “Most horses wouldn’t move back this fast, but he’s different.”
Omaha Beach has not raced since winning the Arkansas Derby. He was favored for the Kentucky Derby, but was scratched three days before the race owing to an entrapped epiglottis that needed to be surgically repaired. His return to training was delayed after he required a lengthier recovery in Kentucky than originally anticipated.
At the rate Omaha Beach is training, he could be set to return in the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes going one mile at Del Mar on Aug. 25, but that decision won’t be made until after the next couple of works.
– Jay Privman
Arroyo gets third suspension
Jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. received a 10-day suspension from the Del Mar stewards on Saturday for causing interference in Friday’s $100,351 Graduation Stakes that led to the disqualification of his mount from first to third, his third suspension in a little more than two weeks.
Arroyo has amassed 21 days of suspensions since this meeting began on July 17 for causing interference in three races. He was given a four-day suspension on July 19 for causing interference in the second race on July 18. On July 27, Arroyo was given a seven-day suspension for causing interference in a race on July 25.
Arroyo received court stays for both of those infractions, allowing him to continue riding until an appeal is heard.
The latest suspension is scheduled to run for 10 racing days, from Aug. 11 to 24, but Arroyo plans to ask a court for a stay of the penalty which will allow him to continue riding until an appeal is heard, according to his agent, Mike Ciani.
The recent penalties increased in duration because they occurred within a 60-day period. In the ruling issued on Saturday, the stewards wrote that Arroyo is not eligible to ride in designated races, such as graded stakes, during the term of the 10-day suspension.
Friday, Arroyo rode Square Deal, who drifted to the inside after making the lead in the final furlong, causing jockey Abel Cedillo to check Pas de Panique, who faded to finish third. Square Deal finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of Big Returns, who was 1 1/2 lengths clear of Pas de Panique.
After an eight-minute deliberation, the stewards disqualified Square Deal.
The disqualification was part of a difficult two-day period for Arroyo, 43.
Thursday, Arroyo did not ride after he was removed from his mounts by the stewards hours after he tested positive for a prohibited substance in a urine test. A second test conducted Thursday morning did not show the presence of a prohibited substance, according to Arroyo’s attorney, Bing Bush Jr. Nonetheless, the stewards did not allow Arroyo to ride Thursday.
Friday, Bush received a court order from a San Diego Superior Court judge allowing Arroyo to resume riding until the drug tests can be analyzed by a California Horse Racing Board-sanctioned lab.
According to documents Bush provided to the court, Arroyo had similar incidents in April and May, when three preliminary drug tests showed the presence of prohibited substances, which were later “conclusively proven to be inaccurate” by the racing board’s official lab. –Steve Andersen
O’Neill fillies to Debutante
Lazy Daisy and Comical had opposite results for trainer Doug O’Neill in separate races on Saturday at Del Mar, but they remain the stable’s hopes for the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Aug. 31.
Comical finished last of six as the 2-1 favorite in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes, fighting for the lead from a rail position under jockey Julien Leparoux before fading from contention in the final furlong. She finished 12 1/2 lengths behind the impressive race winner Amalfi Sunrise.
“I think she was a victim of being on the rail,” O’Neill said of Comical. “Julien rode her the way we thought would be best. In hindsight, it would have been better to give him more patient instructions.”
Lazy Daisy won her career debut in Saturday’s first race, a maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs. She closed from third to win by a half-length.
“She had a good foundation going into it,” O’Neill said. “I was very impressed. I think the more ground, the better.”
The $300,000 Del Mar Debutante is run at seven furlongs and is the championship race for 2-year-old fillies of the summer meeting. Amalfi Sunrise heads the list of probable starters, which includes Powerfulattraction and Shedaresthedevil, who were second and third in the $200,351 Sorrento.
Amalfi Sunrise and Shedaresthedevil are trained by Simon Callaghan.
Powerfulattraction, trained by Peter Eurton, closed from last in the final quarter-mile of the Sorrento to finish a nose in front of Shedaresthedevil.
“She got some dirt in her face and fell back farther than we wanted to,” Eurton said. “She came running. I would like to run her seven-eighths.”
– Steve Andersen