DANZIG (Northern Dancer) was one of the greatest sires of all time. Active at a time when stallion’s books were what would be considered small today, he sired fewer foals in his lifetime than some now produce in five to seven years, yet he got 46 Group/Grade 1 winners among 198 blacktype scorers.

His strike rate of 18.4% stakes winners to foals is a figure beyond the dreams of most, and he left a profound legacy as a sire of sires and broodmares. His Danehill and Green Desert branches have dominated in various parts of the world, but a third one is also noteworthy. Claiborne Farm’s leading sire War Front has a growing number of sons at stud, with Declaration Of War and The Factor already sires of note.

The former, now in Japan, has seven top-level winners among 42 blacktype scorers, including classic star Olmedo, Melbourne Cup victor Vow And Declare and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Fire At Will. US-based The Factor has two Grade 1 winners among 36 blacktype scorers.

U S Navy Flag was expected to be a major contender for top honours as a freshman sire in 2022, and he duly delivered a dozen juvenile winners, and a pair of stakes winners. His leading performers were Ocean Vision, a dual winner including the Listed Prix de la Vallee D’Auge at Deauville for Tim Donworth and also ran third in the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte at Chantilly. Love Reigns was also a dual winner for Wesley Ward, including a two and a half-length win in the Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga.

Eight of his yearlings last year sold for six-figure sums, realizing up to €160,000 twice.

U S Navy Flag is a full-brother to the classic-placed triple Group 1-winning miler Roly Poly and they are out of the juvenile champion and Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Misty For Me (Galileo). That mare’s own-sister is the classic-placed juvenile Group 1-star Ballydoyle (Galileo), while their dam is a half-sister to juvenile champion and Group 1 sire Fasliyev (Nureyev). The Grade 1 winners Desert Wine (Damascus) and Menifee (Harlan), both of whom have sired top-level winners, appear in the fourth generation of the pedigree.

U S Navy Flag was Europe’s juvenile champion colt of 2017 following wins in the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes (by six lengths), Group 1 Middle Park Stakes and Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes, the latter by two and a half lengths from Mendelssohn.

He was also runner-up in the Group 2 July Stakes and fourth in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes that year.

He followed that by becoming Europe’s champion three-year-old sprinter. His near two-length defeat of the previous year’s Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest star Brando in the Group 1 July Cup sealed the title. Fleet Review, runner-up to him in the Middle Park Stakes, finished third. Less than two months before, U S Navy Flag chased home Romanised in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas, so like Danehill and Green Desert, he is a classic-placed Group 1 sprint star from the Danzig line.

RACE RECORD

U S NAVY FLAG (USA), Bay or Brown 2015. Champion 2yr old colt in Europe in 2017. Champion 3yr old sprinter in Europe in 2018. Won five races, £1,021,755, from 6 furlongs to 7 furlongs, at 2 and 3 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.

AT STUD

Retired to Stud in 2019, and sire of the winners of 24 races, and £448,890, including LOVE REIGNS (IRE), OCEAN VISION (IRE), Fighton (IND), and To Catch A Thief (AUS).

INFORMATION

Stands at: Castlehyde Stud, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland.

Contact: David Magnier, Joe Hernon or Tom Gaffney

Telephone: +353 25 31966

Email: info@castlehyde.com

Web: www.coolmore.com

Fee: €10,000