U S Navy Flag was a Group 2-placed winner in the first few months of his juvenile year, but it was from late August that he truly showed what he was capable of at that age. He was a wide-margin winner of the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes, a half-length winner of the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, and then a two-and-a-half-length conqueror of Mendelssohn in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes.
The merit of the latter performance was above what he achieved before, and it earned for him the title of European champion two-year-old.
His three-year-old campaign saw him reach the frame twice, but those two standout efforts were when chasing home Romanised in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas and when beating Brando and 11 others by one and three-quarter lengths in the Group 1 July Cup.
He is by the sire of Declaration Of War and The Factor, both of whom got a first-crop top-level winner, and he is a full-brother to the classic-placed triple Group 1 star Roly Poly. He is also a half-brother to US Grade 3 scorer Cover Song (by Fastnet Rock), and they are the first three foals out of the former Aidan O’Brien-trained ace Misty For Me (by Galileo).
That dual Irish champion won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas, and Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes, and the races in which she was placed featured the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Misty For Me’s full-sister Twirl is a dual pattern-placed listed scorer, while she is also a full-sister to Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Ballydoyle who was a runner-up in both the Group 1 1000 Guineas and Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.
Butterfly Cove (by Storm Cat), their unraced dam, is a full-sister to Group 3 1000 Guineas Trial Stakes scorer Kamarinskaya, but a half-sister to Fasliyev (by Nureyev).
He was the undefeated European champion two-year-old when his wins featured the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and Group 1 Prix Morny. An injury ended his career and he stood initially in Ireland. He got winners at all levels, including Group 1.
Similar can be said of US-based Desert Wine (by Damascus), the multiple Grade 1-winning half-brother to Fasliyev’s dam Mr P’s Princess (by Mr Prospector). Their dual Grade 1-winning sibling Menifee (by Harlan) found success in South Korea, where he has been a multiple champion sire.
U S Navy Flag is a classic-placed juvenile Group 1 star from the family of Fasliyev, and though that horse was by a great sire who had a somewhat spotty record with stallion sons, Coolmore’s new addition is a grandson of the dynasty-maker Danzig (by Northern Dancer).
He should get winners in all age groups, with the best of them being sprinters and milers, and the mare being influential in whether or not they get 10 furlongs.
U S NAVY FLAG (USA). Champion two-year-old colt in Europe in 2017. Won five races, £1,021,755, from six furlongs to seven furlongs, at two and three years including, Darley Dewhurst Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, Darley July Cup Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, Plusvital Round Tower Stakes, Curragh, Gr.3, also placed second in Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, Curragh, Gr.1, Arqana July Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.2, and third in Cold Move EBF Marble Hill Stakes, Curragh, L.
Retires to Stud in 2019.
Stands at: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Co Tipperary, Ireland.
Contact: Christy Grassick, David O’Loughlin, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Tim Corballis, Maurice Moloney, Gerry Aherne, Neil Magee, Tom Miller, or Jason Walsh
Telephone: +353 (0)52 6131298
Email: sales@coolmore.ie
Web: www.coolmore.com.
Fee: €25,000