Air Force Blue Retired to Ashford Stud
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Photo: Caroline Norris
Air Force Blue was a European champion and Irish highweight in 2015.
Last season’s European champion 2-year-old male Air Force Blue , described by trainer Aidan O’Brien as the best juvenile he has ever trained, has been retired from racing and will stand at Ashford Stud in Central Kentucky, Coolmore announced Sept. 28. A 2017 fee will be announced at a later date.
The son of War Front , bred by Stone Farm and from W.T. Young’s grade I family of Flanders and Surfside, broke his maiden in May of his juvenile season, despite being a May foal, and went on to capture three straight group I successes in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes, Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, and the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes. Timeform and Racing Post were unanimous in rating him five pounds superior to the next best colt of his generation.
“With the exception of Frankel who has made such a brilliant start to his stud career, Air Force Blue is Timeform’s highest-rated juvenile in nearly 20 years. In fact, he’s the highest-rated juvenile ever from the Danzig line,” said Ashford Stud manager Dermot Ryan.
Air Force Blue was purchased by M.V. Magnier for $490,000 at the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale and became the second stakes winner and first graded stakes winner out of the stakes-placed Maria's Mon daughter Chatham. Stone Farm owner Arthur Hancock III bought Chatham for $190,000 out of a dispersal of Overbrook Farm's breeding stock during the 2009 Keeneland November sale.
“Arthur Hancock has bred many very good horses over the years and all of our team loved Air Force Blue when we saw him as a yearling at Keeneland. He was a very racy sort with plenty of size and scope and a great action so he very quickly went on the short list. He proved himself to be a brilliant 2-year-old and it’s great to see War Front now heading the leading 2-year-old sires table. Aidan O’Brien already has four group-winning juveniles by him this year including the 1-2 in last weekend’s group I Cheveley Park Stakes. We’re thrilled his best 2-year-old son is coming to Ashford,” Ryan added.