Unbeaten Kopion is Omaha Beach’s first Graded SW after Santa Ynez-G3 romp

Omaha Beach, who finished 2023 as a top Freshman Sire, sired his first Graded Stakes winner on January 7th when his undefeated filly Kopion won the Grade 3 Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita.

After breaking clear and in front, Kopion rolled to an easy victory by 5 3/4 lengths under jockey Flavien Prat for trainer Richard Mandella, who also trained her sire Omaha Beach to three Grade 1 wins. The seven furlong race was run in 1:23.89 on the main track.

Bred in Kentucky by Tall Oaks Farm, Kopion was bought by Spendthrift from the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $270,000. She is out of the unraced Victory Gallop mare Galloping Ami, who is also the dam of multiple stakes winners including Canadian Champion Amis Gizmo.

Ten points was rewarded to Kopion towards this year’s Kentucky Oaks, placing her comfortably on the early leaderboard. Kopion made her first start a winning one in last November, and backed it up with a winning stakes debut as the heavy 1-5 favorite.

Richard Mandella praised not only his filly after the race, but her sire “…he [Omaha Beach] was such a class horse, a good horse, and this filly has just been a star ever since she came back.”

Omaha Beach will stand the upcoming breeding season for a fee of $40,000 S&N and is booked full.