A day after Gin Gin lit up the toteboard at odds of 38-1 in the Doubledogdare Stakes (G3), Utah Beach delivered another healthy stakes payoff for the Keeneland crowd with an 11-1 upset victory in the $394,188 Elkhorn Stakes (G2T) April 19.
While the betting public may not have expected the win, for the connections of Utah Beach, the gelding was only executing a long-laid-out plan.
"We thought about this race early in the winter, and the plan was to get here," said winning trainer Ignacio Correas IV. "Sometimes everything pans out and sometimes not, but I'm happy for the owners and my crew. It's always very nice to win a stakes at Keeneland."
While Utah Beach's résumé may not have jumped out on paper, the 5-year-old English Channel gelding turned in a promising runner-up finish in the H. Allen Jerkens Handicap at Gulfstream Park over the winter and was a good third in the Sycamore Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland last fall. Stabled at Keeneland year-round for Correas, the turf router made another trip to Florida, finishing a disappointing ninth in the William L. McKnight Stakes (G3T), before running fourth in Turfway Park's much-too-short Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes (G3) at 1 1/8 miles March 22.
"I knew he needed that race (at Turfway)," Correas said. "The purpose in that race was not to beat him up and just give him that race to bring him here."
Racing in midpack under Vincent Cheminaud, the Elkhorn took an unexpected twist halfway through the race when second-choice Limited Liability launched an early bid for the lead as the field passed the grandstand for the first time. Limited Liability not only took command but widened his advantage under Frankie Dettori, appearing all but home free until Utah Beach roared into contention late. The two geldings sparred stride for stride, with Utah Beach proving victorious in the battle of the grays.
Utah Beach prevailed by a head in a final time of 2:29.78 for the 1 1/2 miles on a firm turf course. His backers pocketed $25.40 for a $2 win ticket.
"We always thought he was a really good horse and now he proved it," Correas said. "He always runs well at Keeneland. Probably his best races, numbers and everything are here. "
Limited Liability was second by 1 1/4 lengths over Brian Lynch-trained Anglophile in third. Favored Missed the Cut, making his second start since transferring from California to the barn of Cherie DeVaux, checked in eighth.
A homebred for his owners, Jeffrey Amling and Merriebelle Stable, 5-year-old Utah Beach is out of the multiple stakes-producing Lasting Approval mare, My Own Story. Selling for just $10,500 as a yearling, My Own Story has proven to be a gem of a broodmare, now producing three black-type stakes winners. In addition to Utah Beach, she beget the graded stakes-winning Fast Bullet gelding Real Story, who was also trained by Correas for Amling and Merriebelle and went onto bank $349,592, as well as My Afleet (Afleet Alex), winner of the 2014 Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs.
