It was a case of like father, like daughter in the $301,500 La Brea Stakes (G1) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park.
Five years after Omaha Beach landed grade 1 glory in the Malibu Stakes (G1) on the traditional opener to the Santa Anita Park winter-spring meet, the sire's Kopion brought home the holiday cheer with a commanding victory Thursday for Spendthrift Farm, which now stands Omaha Beach.
The stunning victory topped a roller-coaster day for the connections as the La Brea was supposed to be Tamara's long-awaited return to stakes competition but the Bolt d'Oro filly was scratched Thursday morning with a fever.
"We're high as a kite right now, we had a bunch of family and friends fly in for the race," said Spendthrift owner Eric Gustavson. "It was such a crazy day because we had Tamara running (in the La Brea) and then she scratched. We got a text from (trainer) Richard (Mandella) this morning, so we were feeling a little down, and now this (win). This is racing."
Kopion became the second grade 1 winner this season for leading second-crop sire Omaha Beach, who will stand the 2025 breeding season at Spendthrift near Lexington for $35,000. (And One More Time won the Natalma Stakes (G1T) for juveniles earlier this year at Woodbine.)
While Kopion didn't pack the résumé of her grade 1-winning stablemate Tamara, the chestnut fashioned herself a graded winner earlier this year with a 5 3/4-length romp in the Santa Ynez Stakes (G3). Touted for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) following that performance, she was runner-up in the Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) and fourth in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) before being sent to the sidelines.
Despite not racing since April, Kopion manhandled her rivals in her first grade 1 test. Dismissed at 37-1 in a deep field of sophomore fillies, jockey Kazushi Kimura and Kopion hounded the pacesetting Sandy Bottom through spritely fractions of :22.17 and :44.32. Cued past the three-furlong marker, Kopion took command and was uncatchable the rest of the journey, storming to the wire 2 3/4 lengths the best.
Kopion ($77.40) stopped the timer in 1:22.08 for seven furlongs on a fast main track.
The filly's Hall of Fame trainer was one of the few in attendance not surprised by her electrifying exhibition.
"Kopion has been getting better and better. She's trained really well—so well that I didn't mind that we left Tamara at home," Mandella said after the race. "We've had plenty of time to get her ready to run. Seven-eighths can be a tough distance. If you're fast it can be a long way to go, and if you're a long-distance horse you have a lot to make up.
"She's just a great filly, we're happy to have her."
Talla Racing's Splendora, one of three Bob Baffert runners in the La Brea, got up for runner-up honors at 25-1 in her stakes debut with Sugar Fish edging Hope Road for third. Favored One Magic Philly finished sixth.
Kopion, a $270,000 purchase for Spendthrift at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, was bred in Kentucky by Tall Oaks Farm. She is the first grade 1 winner out of her dam, the fruitful Victory Gallop mare Galloping Ami, mother of graded stakes winners Ami's Flatter and Amis Gizmo as well as recent Oaklawn Park maiden special weight victor Authentic Gallop.
