Kentucky-bred KOPION, a three-year-old filly by Omaha Beach from the Sovereign Award-winning Outstanding Broodmare GALLOPING AMI, upset the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita on opening day at the California track.
Kopion, owned by Spendthrift Farm and trained by Richard Mandella, was bred by Toronto’s IVAN DALOS AND COLLEEN DALOS under their Tall Oaks Farm name, and ridden by multiple Canadian champion jockey KAZUSHI KIMURA.
The largest opening day crowd in eight years ushered in Santa Anita Park’s 90th year on Thursday, joining horseplayers around the world in betting on the races with a total all-sources mutuel handle of more than $21.4 million. The handle was the third-highest in the track’s history for an opening day and an increase of 17.4 percent over last year, marking the fourth time in the last seven years that the opening day handle topped $20 million.
The on-track attendance of 41,562 was the largest non-weekend or holiday crowd on opening day since 1990. This was the 11th Thursday opening for Santa Anita, which traditionally opens on the day after Christmas.
Early Thursday, Mandella had to scratch Spendthrift’s highly-regarded Tamara from the Grade I $300,000 La Brea Stakes for three-year-old fillies after she spiked a fever. Left to carry the banner for Mandella and Spendthrift in the seven-furlong sprint was Kopion, a longshot who was making her first start in more than eight months.
Kopion’s layoff, or anything else for that matter, would wind up being of no consequence. Sent off at 37-1, the Omaha Beach filly rolled to a dominant 2 ¾-length victory under Kazushi Kimura in the La Brea, earning her second graded stakes win and first at the Grade I level.
“We are high as a kite right now,” said Eric Gustavson, owner and president of Spendthrift Farm. “We had a bunch of friends and family come in for the race. It was such a crazy day because we had Tamara and she scratched. We got the text from Richard this morning, so we were all down. Now this. This is racing. It is great.
“This is such a big deal. A Grade 1 winner on the dirt for Omaha Beach. All glory to God, we are over the moon.”
Kopion and Kimura broke alertly and proceeded to press pacesetter Sandy Bottom through fractions of 22.17 and 44.32. At the top of the stretch, Sandy Bottom began to drop anchor while Kopion continued to motor. The winner would never be threatened. Kopion extended her lead late and crossed the wire an easy winner in a final time of 1:22.08.
“She has been getting better and better,” Mandella said. “I told Kaz [Kimura] that she is quick and you don’t need to rush her.”
Splendora, a 25-1 longshot, rallied to be second. Sugar Fish (7-1) was another two lengths back in third with Hope Road rounding out the superfecta.
One Magic Philly, the 7-5 favorite who was exiting the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, tracked the pacesetter in third through the opening half mile before fading to sixth in an eight-horse field.
Kopion paid $77.40, $31.20 and $16.00. Splendora, ridden by Joel Rosario for trainer Bob Baffert, returned $25.20 and $13.60. Sugar Fish, with Tyler Baze up for trainer Jeff Mullins, paid $4.60.
With the win, Kopion improved to 5: 3-1-0 with $314,600 in earnings. She won her debut last November at Del Mar followed by a victory in the GII Santa Ynez in her three-year-old debut in January. Kopion then finished second in the GIII Las Virgenes and fourth in the GII Santa Anita Oaks in April before hitting the sidelines.
Kopion is the 10th named foal for Galloping Ami, a fourth generation IVAN AND COLLEEN DALOS mare who was voted Outstanding broodmare in 2016. While she was unraced, Galloping Ami, a daughter of Dalos-bred Victory Gallop, has been superior in the breeding shed. She produced Aragorn Ami, winner of the 2014 Martha Washington Stakes, 2016 Champion three-year-old colt in Canada, Amis Gizmo and Grade 3 winner Ami’s Flatter. Kopion was bought by Spendthrift for $270,000 at the Keeneland September Sale.
Galloping Ami’s 2022 offspring, the Authentic colt Authentic Gallop., was a $300,000 yearling and he recently won his maiden at Oaklawn Park for trainer Tom Amoss.
Galloping Ami will be 19 years old in 2025 and her foals are Kentucky-bred now to avoid her shipping to Canada.
~ with files from edited press release
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