The Oaks Stud Acquires U S Navy Flag

Rick Williams, general manager of The Oaks Stud in Cambridge, New Zealand, confirmed to TDN AusNZ that The Oaks Stud has purchased U S Navy Flag (War Front) outright from Coolmore Stud.

“The deal was finalised on Friday, so we own him now. The timing has been perfect for us, and I hope it is a coup for the New Zealand industry,” said Williams.

U S Navy Flag's first Southern Hemisphere crop yielded 98 foals, 21 of which have hit the track resulting in six winners of seven races, four stakes performers and one stakes winner.

From U S Navy Flag's Northern Hemisphere crops, he has produced Ocean Vision (Ire), a four-time winner, including the Listed Prix de la Vallée d'Auge at Deauville and the Listed Prix de Pontarme at Longchamp. Ocean Vision was also placed in the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte at Chantilly, and Love Reigns (Ire) won two Listed races before running fourth in the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot.

Williams is pleased with the performance and feedback from the first crop of U S Navy Flag.

“Most of my social friends are horse trainers, so I get pretty accurate feedback on what they think of a horse, whether good or bad. “He seems to be throwing horses similar to himself. They cope with racing and keep improving. U S Navy Flag is not a big horse, but he's one of the best-moving horses you'll ever see.”

“We couldn't be happier right now. I'm more excited about the spring because many trainers I've spoken to have had trial winners by the stallion that haven't raced yet, and they've put them away for the spring. He's got plenty of unraced stock with high opinions on them to come through,” Williams told TDN AusNZ.

“Whether he'll be a top-notch stallion, time will tell, but the way he's going, he's not a bad stallion. Let's hope the success continues, and it's a good investment for us and the New Zealand breeding industry.”

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Love Reigns Tops Ward Exacta In FanDuel Limestone S.

Topping a Wesley Ward-trained exacta, Love Reigns got her 3-year-old campaign off on the right foot with a late-charging win in Friday's FanDuel Limestone S. over her preferred 5 1/2-furlong distance. Named 'TDN Rising Star' off a 9 3/4-length romp at first asking over this same track nearly a year ago, the daughter of U S Navy Flag then tried her hand across the pond at Royal Ascot, checking in fourth beaten three lengths in the G2 Queen Mary S. Back in the States and back in the winner's circle for Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. last August, Love Reigns ended her season with a distant finish against the boys in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Stuck behind rivals after a sharp break Friday, the filly was at least able to save ground as she beat only a handful of horses up the backstretch led by Accomplished Girl (Street Boss). Still boxed in as the field swung past the quarter pole, Love Reigns had to check sharply before tipping inside to regain her momentum. Under an expertly-timed ride by Joel Rosario, she dove through an opening between rivals with a sixteenth to run and charged up the fence to nail stablemate Lady Hollywood just before the wire as the 5-2 favorite.

“She's a special filly,” praised trainer Wesley Ward. “I've kind of been waiting for this to come out since her maiden win here. She likes Keeneland, she loved the course when she broke her maiden here a year ago, and we're just real, real happy it worked out. (Jockey) Joel (Rosario) is kind of my come-from-behind guy that I ride on horses that I like to do that with–which aren't many, but this being one. He's just a phenomenal rider. He gets them back there, gets them to relax. He had us a little worried there at the eighth pole, but thank God the seas parted and he came through and he won.”

Love Reigns has a pair of younger siblings–a 2-year-old half-sister by Kodiac (GB) and a yearling half-brother by Mehmas (Ire). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

FANDUEL LIMESTONE S., $208,188, Keeneland, 4-14, 3yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.45, fm.
1–LOVE REIGNS (IRE), 120, f, 3, by U S Navy Flag
                1st Dam: Humble And Proud (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
                2nd Dam: Delauncy (GB), by Machiavellian
                3rd Dam: Casey (GB), by Caerleon
'TDN Rising Star'. (€160,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR). O-Stonestreet
Stables LLC; B-Patrick Grogan (Ire); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Joel
Rosario. $114,700. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-0, $242,065. *1/2 to
Glorious Empire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), GISW,
$977,227.
2–Lady Hollywood (GB), 120, f, 3, Havana Grey (GB)–Dubai
Legend (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB). (11,000gns RNA Wlg
'20 TATFOA; €25,000 Ylg '21 GOFSPT; 58,000gns RNA 2yo '22
TATBRE; $600,000 2yo '22 FTKNOV). O-AMO Racing USA; B-D.
& S. L. Tanker Transport Ltd (GB); T-Wesley A. Ward. $37,000.
3–My Sweet Affair, 118, f, 3, Twirling Candy–Illicit Affair, by
Midnight Lute. ($72,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE.
O-R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables; B-Highclere Inc., Dr. Amy
Rabanal & Constance Wickes (KY); T-George Weaver. $23,125.
Margins: HF, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.69, 3.23, 9.90.
Also Ran: American Apple, Sassy Nature, Just a Care (Ire), Accomplished Girl, Stone Silent, Camp Akeela, Twirled, Alluring Angel (GB). Scratched: Danse Macabre.

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Observations: Paddington Back in the “Madrid”

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of not returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Observations features the return of 'TDN Rising Star' Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) as well as the daughter of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

3.45 Naas, Hcp, €45,000, 3yo, 7fT
PADDINGTON (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) will be one of the key attractions if Naas's card evades the forecast heavy rain and gets the go-ahead, being Ballydoyle's chief representative in this Madrid Handicap won in 2016 when it was staged at The Curragh by the subsequent Irish 2000 Guineas hero Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}). Labelled a 'TDN Rising Star' following his emphatic maiden win over this trip at The Curragh in October, the joint-second highest-priced lot at €420,000 at the 2021 Arqana October Sale is the pick of Ryan Moore over the stable's Londoner (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), a son of the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye heroine Gilt Edge Girl (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}) who also impressed when taking his maiden at Dundalk in October.

4.55 Naas, Mdn, €16,000, 3yo, f, 8fT
RED RIDING HOOD (IRE) (Justify) accompanies stablemate Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) to Naas, as she did when they both travelled to Ascot in early September for their debuts. Not seen since finishing runner-up over this trip on that occasion, it may be significant that the daughter of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine and 1000 Guineas runner-up Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) linked to Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and War Front's U S Navy Flag and Roly Poly is in the maiden won in the last two years by Galileo's subsequent Classic-winning sisters Empress Josephine (Ire) and Tuesday (Ire).

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Coolmore Fees: No Nay Never Up To 175k and Blackbeard To Start At 25k

Off the back of a star-studded season, No Nay Never will stand for €175,000 in 2023, which represents a €50,000 rise, while his dual Group 1-winning son Blackbeard (Ire) will join him on the Coolmore roster next year at a price of €25,000. 

No Nay Never has had an exceptional year. Older filly Alcohol Free (Ire) landed the G1 July Cup at Newmarket, but it has been his Coolmore-owned and Aidan O'Brien-trained juveniles that have set tongues wagging this term. 

Like his father, Blackbeard landed the G1 Prix Morny in Deauville before doubling his tally at the highest level in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket. 

While he was prematurely retired due to a training injury, Group 1 scorers Little Big Bear (Ire) and Meditate (Ire) sit at the head of the ante-post markets for the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas respectively. 

Coolmore's director of sales, David O'Loughlin said, “No Nay Never has had an unbelievable year. The quality of the mares he got off the back of his success has really been shining through and, to have three individual Group 1-winning two-year-olds in the one year, he has caught the attention of a lot of people. 

“It has been another big week for him with Meditate winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and she is now a leading fancy for the 1,000 Guineas. Little Big Bear is favourite for the 2,000 Guineas, so No Nay Never has a big chance for the first two Classics of the season. That means a lot for us because we are trying to win the Classics.”

Sioux Nation hails from the same sire line being a son of Scat Daddy, and enjoyed a terrific debut season at stud at Coolmore with 43 winners. He will have his fee increased from €10,000 to 17,500 next year. Blackbeard is being backed to make a similar splash in his debut season by O'Loughlin. 

He said, “To get a horse like Blackbeard on the roster is hugely exciting as well. Breeders love fast horses and he proved himself of the highest quality this season and was reminiscent of his father when winning the G1 Prix Morny is some style before following up in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket. That was the icing on the cake of another big season. 

“Blackbeard is very like his father-the same colour, shape and he has the movement. Everything a breeder wants, he has. He's also out of a very fast mare who Eddie Lynam trained [Muirin (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire})] so I think a lot of people will be keen to use him.”

O'Loughlin added, “Commercially, what is driving the market is international appeal. When the international market zones in on a particular sire line, it puts a lot of value on that, much more than the domestic market can. No Nay Never is a good example of that as he has international appeal.

“Take Justify as another example, he has had two Group winners in Europe and three stakes winners in America. It's obvious that he is working both sides of the Atlantic-he has the dirt horses and horses who can do it in Europe as well. For breeders, it will help when they use Arizona, Blackbeard and Sioux Nation because they all hail from that exceptional Scat Daddy line. It's all the one line.”

Like Sioux Nation, Coolmore's Saxon Warrior (Jpn) made a big impression with his first crop of runners. As well as having the highly-touted Auguste Rodin (Ire) to look forward to this season, Saxon Warrior came up trumps with Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road (Ire), one of 21 international winners in his first season. 

O'Loughlin said, “Saxon Warrior had an exceptional year. Again, he's a horse with international appeal being a son of Deep Impact (Jpn), who was the best horse to stand in Japan. Auguste Rodin is a very special horse and Victoria Road crowned a remarkable year with his victory in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf. 

“It's remarkable because Saxon Warrior wasn't the most precocious of horses and, for him to be getting all of these top-class two-year-olds is a big statement. He has some very good two-year-olds and who's to say that Greenland (Ire) won't be the best of them all. I know that a lot of people think he is a high-class horse to look forward to next year. Some big breeders have latched on to him after his debut season and I even sold a nomination to him out here in Keeneland the other day. They think the horse is great value at €35,000.”

Wootton Bassett will stand for €150,000, St Mark's Basilica's 2023 fee is €65,000, and Camelot (GB) is at €60,000. Churchill (Ire), the sire of dual Group 1 winner Vadeni (Fr), has had his fee increased to €30,000, Starspangledbanner (Aus) will stand for €50,000, Australia (GB) and Sottsass (Fr) for €25,000 and Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and Gleneagles (Ire) for €17,500. 

Footstepsinthesand, Circus Maximus, Calyx and US Navy Flag are set at €10,000, Arizona (Ire) is €5,000 and Gustav Klimt (Ire) will be available at €4,000. 

 

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