by Alex Poletti

After winning the Arkansas Derby and Rebel Stakes earlier this year, Kentucky Derby favorite Omaha Beach was scratched with a breathing issue on Wednesday. Trainer Richard Mandella has promised that Omaha Beach will still be instrumental in the world of horse racing going forward.

“We do expect him to be the glue of the sport,” Mandella says. “In this case, literally. Some of the buildings in Louisville are a little shoddy, and we could use some Elmer’s to help out.”

Now contemplating retirement, Omaha Beach is considering options for post-racing horses. He has received an offer from a prominent glue factory, but is looking at other options as well.

“I think a sponsorship from Gorilla Glue or Elmer’s would be huge for Omaha,” Mandella continues. “He has a bright future ahead of him, whether it be in strong adhesives or general arts and crafts.”

The thoroughbred has earned over $1,000,000 in his two years of competition, but at three years old, it may be time for him to hang up the hooves.

“The Derby would have been big for me, and I’ve always wanted to compete in it,” Omaha Beach says in an exclusive interview with The Second String via horse interpreter. “I would love to compete next year, but it’s hard when you’re getting older like me.”

With a successful surgery on Thursday, Omaha Beach could be ready for the second and third legs of the Horse Racing Triple Crown.

“Running in the Preakness would be great, but we really don’t want to rush him,” a representative of Fox Hill Farms says. “We see no reason he shouldn’t be ready for the Belmont, but we can’t be sure.”

If Omaha Beach does decide to retire, he has all of the options for race horses after their athletic career ends: all two of them.

“If being turned into glue doesn’t work for me, I could always work at Ikea,” Omaha Beach says. “I hear they’re always looking for new horses. Quite the attrition rate over there, I guess.