BC Internationals: Juvenile contender U S Navy Flag

Like big sister Roly Poly, U S Navy Flag has not only stood up to a busy campaign, but positively blossomed the more that trainer Aidan O’Brien has asked of him. By ending his European season with a rare Middle Park (G1)/Dewhurst (G1) double, the War Front colt has earned an ambitious crack on the dirt in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).

U S Navy Flag’s pedigree, superb for turf, doesn’t promise a great deal on the American main track. Sire War Front can get a good dirt horse with help from the right mare, but U S Navy Flag’s dam likely reinforces the turf angle herself. He’s out of four-time Group 1 vixen Misty for Me, a daughter of pre-eminent turf influence Galileo. Further back, he descends from Broodmare of the Year Anne Campbell, dam of Kentucky Derby (G1) runners-up Desert Wine (1983) and Menifee (1999). But the intervening generations are characterized by turf success, notably with juvenile stars Fasliyev and Ballydoyle.

While U S Navy Flag does have an aggressively forward running style that could theoretically transfer to dirt, he faces the simultaneous challenge of stretching out and carrying his high speed around two turns. O’Brien’s only Juvenile winner, the transatlantic champion Johannesburg, passed his dirt test around the one-turn 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park.

If Johannesburg was a budding star from day one, U S Navy Flag has taken time to build steam. He was unveiled in a May 1 five-furlong dash at Naas (click link for replay), where stablemate Dali was odds-on. The market proved accurate about the result, with second-time starter Dali knowing his job and U S Navy Flag a bit green in fourth.

That was clearly an educational run, but he needed additional tutorials as he stepped up to six furlongs. Wheeling back 12 days later as the favorite at the Curragh, U S Navy Flag was into the game early when pressing the pace, only to drop back to third. O’Brien sent him into a listed stakes two weeks later, the Marble Hill, and U S Navy Flag set the pace before tiring on the rain-softened going. Although he was a well-beaten third, stablemate Sioux Nation – who’d win the Norfolk (G2) and Phoenix (G1) in his next two – was a slow-starting sixth.

U S Navy Flag, despite being a thrice-raced maiden who’d yet to make the exacta, was part of Ballydoyle’s Royal Ascot squad. He tried the Coventry (G2) as a 33-1 shot, found it all beyond him, and wound up 14th of 18.

O’Brien fitted him with blinkers and returned him to maiden company at the Curragh July 1, and U S Navy Flag was now ready to roll. Opening up on the front end by 3 1/2 lengths, he looked stronger the farther he went.

Back to Britain 12 days later for the July (G2) at Newmarket, U S Navy Flag was cool in the market at 10-1, but belied his odds. He set a pressured pace, beat off favorite (and reliable yardstick) Invincible Army, and dug in against Cardsharp before that Mark Johnston veteran wore him down late. Rajasinghe, the Coventry winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) contender, was only third (carrying three pounds extra).

The Mark Johnston-trained Cardsharp wins the Arqana July Stakes in game fashion under James Doyle. pic.twitter.com/uzs0fQk5Yi

— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) July 13, 2017

Plans called for U S Navy Flag to contest the Richmond (G2) at Glorious Goodwood, until soft ground prompted his withdrawal. He instead rose to Group 1 company at home in the Phoenix (G1) at the Curragh, where he led early but folded to fourth behind better-fancied stablemate Sioux Nation and favored Beckford (a threat in the Juvenile Turf).

Just when U S Navy Flag appeared to have hit his high water mark, he reached the crest of an ever higher succession of waves. Two weeks later in the August 27 Round Tower (G3) over the same course and distance as the Phoenix, he slammed them by six front-running lengths.

U S Navy Flag runs out a convincing winner of the Group 3 @Plusvital Round Tower Stakes at @curraghrace: pic.twitter.com/JgecGMOtED

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 27, 2017

U S Navy Flag continued his progress as a 10-1 outsider in the Middle Park, flashing his customary speed, but now with a more consistent ability to see his race through to the end and not weaken. Turning the tables on old foes Cardsharp, Beckford, and Sioux Nation, he held his 25-1 stablemate Fleet Review in a massive O’Brien exacta.