Omaha Beach filly remains perfect after Key Cents S. win

With the Angels kept her record intact after scoring a two-length victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Key Cent S. at Aqueduct.

The 2-year-old daughter of leading Second-Crop sire Omaha Beach has won all four of her starts, three of them in stakes, by a combined 26 ½-lengths.

Unlike her three prior starts, With the Angels was not on the lead on Sunday, but sat between horses while behind fast early fractions of :22.21 and :45.92. Midway on the turn, she moved further away from the inside and came four-wide into the stretch. Finding her best stride in the final furlong, she flew past the leaders to win going away in 1:10.56 on a fast track.

“I told [jockey] Jose [Ortiz] the one hole kind of wasn’t ideal, and I anticipated a lot of speed in this race and that it was probable we’d want to take the opportunity to sit off of it and see how she [With the Angels] handled that,” said winning trainer Linda Rice. I think keeping her from six [furlongs] to a mile, six and a half or seven might be her sweet spot – who knows. We’ll find out in the long run. Today she was running on the end of it like she almost needed a little more ground to get there – I was concerned. It’s a great way to cap off her 2-year-old season, so we’ll send her home and give her a couple months off.”

Owned by Winning Move Stable, John C. Oxley, Lady Sheila Stable, Rideau Racers LLC and Sanford H. Robbins LLC, With the Angels has earned $283,250 in her four victories. She was bred by Joseph DeRico and sold for $350,000 at this year’s OBS Spring 2-year-olds sale.

Pedigree Notes from the TDN

One of 12 stakes winners overall for Omaha Beach, With the Angels was a $350,000 OBS April purchase for Justin Casse and is her dam Sister Margaret’s second stakes winner, joining SP Maggy’s Palace.

Omaha Beach leads this year’s Second-Crop list with nearly $7 million in progeny earnings, 10 stakes winners, and 20 stakes horses. His 2025 fee is scheduled to be $35,000 LFSN.