Determined effort earns Omaha Beach filly first stakes win
June 28, 2026
Meilani wore down pacesetter with an unwavering stretch drive to win Sunday’s $100,000 Alywow S. at Woodbine, the first stakes win for the 3-year-old Omaha Beach filly.
Meilani is the eighth stakes winner of the year for Omaha Beach, who leads the 2026 Fourth-Crop sire list with $6.1 million in progeny earnings.
Away from the gate alertly, Meilani made her way into second behind Happy Destination, who posted a quick half-mile of :45.69. The pair remained one-two around the turn and into the stretch, where Happy Destination had a one-length lead with a furlong to run. Meilani kept to task and eventually got the better of her opponent in the final sixteenth to stop the timer in 1:18.17 for the 6 ½-furlongs.
“She’s always shown talent from the get-go. She ran some credible races at 2,” said winning trainer Kevin Attard. “She’s got a lot of speed so she uses that to her advantage and puts herself in a good position. Last time she got beat to a good horse and was gallant in defeat in a sense.
“When she came back and worked really well in the interim. We thought she was going to run a big race today.”
Bred in Kentucky by Jayne Johnson and Fergus Galvin and owned by X-Men Racing V LLC and Madaket Stables LLC, Meilan improved her record to 2-2-2 from 8 starts and upped her bankroll to $112,640. Meilani’s dam, Tide High, has a 2-year-old full sister to Meilani who has yet to start.