Omaha Beach’s Desert Gate a runaway winner of the Best Pal S. (G3)
August 9, 2025
Desert Gate toyed with the competition in Saturday’s $150,000 Best Pal S. (G3) at Del Mar, rolling home an 8 ¾-length winner in the six-furlong race for 2-year-olds.
The Omaha Beach colt was making his stakes debut following June 13 maiden special weight win at five furlongs.
Desert Gate, ridden by Juan Hernandez for trainer Bob Baffert, sat just off the early leader Punto Forty, who got a quarter-mile in :22.26. Desert Gate pulled alongside the pacesetter going into the turn, then without being asked at all, started to pull away. He was under a hand ride down the stretch and coasted under the wire to stop the timer in 1:10.37 on a fast track.
“It’s nice to see these horses develop like this,” said Baffert. “He’s been kind of quiet down here, but he broke well and that’s the most important part of these 2-year-old races is that they come out clean. This horse is very professional since day one. It’s nice to have these horses. That’s what we’re in the business for. We just got to keep him healthy and sound.”
Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Desert Beach has earned $126,000 in his two victories. The chestnut colt was bred in Kentucky by Twin Oaks Bloodstock and sold to his owners for $260,000 at the 2025 OBS March sale.
Pedigree notes from the TDN
The runaway leader among third-crop sires of 2025 to date, Omaha Beach is also one of just three current North American stallions with two 2-year-old black-type winners thus far for the year. Desert Gate joins Schuylerville Stakes winner Kingsolver as 2-year-old stakes winners from Omaha Beach’s third crop, making Omaha Beach the only 2025 sire with one juvenile stakes winner to date at each of the two big summer tracks: Del Mar and Saratoga. Desert Gate is among the six graded winners and 24 black-type winners for Omaha Beach.