Omaha: Four-Year-Old Season

 Once Omaha arrived in England, he impressed racing fans with his large size and good looks. He spent several months conditioning before he made his debut in England, which was in the Victor Wild Stakes on May 9th, 1936. He won the mile and a half race by a length and a half. Next he won the two mile long Queen's Plate carrying 130 pounds, and began to gain popularity.

 After that came the most remembered race of his English career: the Ascot Gold Cup. He battled it out with Quashed, England finest long distance runner, up the tracks uphill homestretch, losing only by a nose. In the Prince of Wales Stakes, he similarly lost to Taj Akbar by a neck. What makes the race even more incredible is that he had been weighted 138 pounds, and Taj Akbar only 120 pounds. The British loved Omaha's courage.

When Omaha severed the left tendon on his foreleg while trainer, he was sent back to America to retire on Claiborne Farm. He sired seven stake winners. In 1943, he was sent to the Jockey Club's Lookover Stallion Station in Avon, New York, but was later relocated to a midwestern farm near Omaha, Nebraska. He passed away in 1959. Today, his grave can found at the Ak-Sar-Ben racetrack in his namesake, the city of Omaha.

 In remembering Omaha, one man said, "In action he was a glorious sight; few thoroughbreds have exhibited such a magnificent, sweeping, space-annihilating stride, or carried it with such strength and precision. His place is among the Titans of American turf."

 I agree whole-heartedly with this statement. Omaha was a great, courageous horse, and the races he has lost are few. That says something about him. Most of his losses were by a neck or even a nose, which further shows how great he really was.

Omaha: Three-Year-Old Season

 In 1935, Omaha began his racing season at Aqueduct, where he won, then moved on to the Wood Memorial. He came third by only a nose. Next he went to the Kentucky Derby as the second favorite, the favorite being Man o' War's daughter from Calumet Farms, Nellie Flag.

 Also racing was the victor of that year's Wood Memorial,Today, and Hopeful Stakes winner Physic Bid, and Boxthorn, the third betting favorite. Omaha ended up taking the lead in the backstretch, winning by a length and a half. Nellie Flag had been caught in traffic, and consequently finished fourth behind Roman Soldier and Whiskolo.

 The Preakness came a week later. Omaha almost effortlessly won by six lengths, with a horse known as Firethorn second and Physic Bid third. By the time the Withers Stakes came along between the Preakness and the Belmont, people began to question Omaha's ability to claim the Triple Crown, like his sire before him. Things became worse when he lost by a length and a half in the Withers Stakes.

 On the day of the Belmont Stakes, when the track was slick and muddy, and the cloudy sky drizzled rain, making track conditions less than satisfactory, Omaha made an attempt to follow in his sire footsteps. The horse named Cold Shoulder took an early, followed by Firethorn. Firethorn led well into the backstretch. Then, in one last desperate drive, Omaha gave his all, passing the leaders and becoming the third Triple Crown winner.

In the Brooklyn Stakes, Omaha lost some of the respect he had just earned, as well as Horse of the Year honors. Then he won the Dwyer Stakes, equalling Man o' War's time of 1:49 1/5. After that, he defeat Black Helen in the Arlington Stakes, and broke Sun Beau's record with the time 2:01 2/5. He had finally gained the status of national hero. Yet in the process, he pulled up lame at Saratoga. He was later sent to England for his next season.