West Omaha, a daughter of $8,000 mare purchase Birthday Bash, leapt into the picture for the Kentucky Oaks on Saturday with an impressive display in the SIlverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds.
Her win came hot on the heels of that of Shanaghai City at Jebel Ali and Sehar in the Prince Mohammed bin Abdurahman bin Faisal Cup, the day’s feature event at Riyadh on Friday. Eight-year-old Shanaghai City was a yearling purchase on behalf of Brown Island Stables and is a multiple winner while three-year-old Sehar cost just $25,000 at the OBS March Sale from Nick de Meric and races for Fehaid Muteb F. Alsubaie.
A homebred for Gary and Mary West, West Omaha broke her maiden for Brad Cox in a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs before running second in the Untapable Stakes. The daughter of West Coast took another step forward on Saturday, drawing clear for an emphatic five-length win to earn 20 points on the road to the Kentucky Oaks.
“She broke pretty well, she’s pretty fast and you can put her wherever you want to be,” said jockey Luis Saez. “When she came to the top of the straight, it was all about her.”
West Omaha is a half-sister to two winners including Fighting Back, a recent winner at Churchill Downs. Her dam, Birthday Bash, is a Medaglia d’Oro granddaughter of Grade 2 winner Call Now.
