War Front made a big splash on Labor Day weekend when five of his offspring won races across the United States.
On Sept. 3, Lull represented her sire in the Exacta Systems Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Kentucky Downs; while Diamond Bachelor won The Vid Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
War Front’s hot streak continued the next day when his 4-year-old daughter Avenge took the G2 John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar; and juvenile daughter Black Canary broke her maiden at Saratoga Race Course.
In California, the talented 2yo filly With Honors brought home the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes Sept 5th.
Lull ran down talented pacesetter Caroline Test for a 1 1/4-length victory in the Exacta Systems Juvenile Fillies Stakes. The victory was especially sweet for Claiborne, as they campaign the filly as a homebred in partnership with major client Adele Dilschneider in addition to standing War Front.
Lull came into the race off a three-length victory in her debut at Belmont Park. She was the favorite in the 12-horse Exacta Systems Juvenile Fillies field. Ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., she completed the seven-eighths of a mile in 1:26.04.
“This was a great day for us and the owner,” said Tomas Brandenourger, assistant to trainer Christophe Clement. “They are the biggest farm in Kentucky, so it is great to come here and win for them. This race was (seven) furlongs so now we know that she can stretch out and win again, so that’s a good sign for the future that we can go a mile or even longer.”
Bred in Kentucky, Lull is out of the Tiznow mare Quiet Now.
In The Vid at Gulfstream Park, Diamond Bachelor carried apprentice jockey Lane Luzzi to his first stakes victory. The 5-year-old gelding had not won a race since the 2013 Oak Tree Juvenile Turf at Del Mar.
A $570,000 juvenile auction purchase, Diamond Bachelor covered a firm 1 1/16 mile course in 1:41.98.
Patrick Biancone trains Diamond Bachelor and owns him in partnership with Diamond 100 Racing Club and Robert Trussell. Bred in Kentucky by Jamm Ltd., he is out of the Pulpit mare Seasoned.
Avenge, War Front’s only graded stakes winner of the weekend, struck the lead coming off the turn and outlasted Finest City in the final strides of the John C. Mabee.
The mare was ridden by Flavien Prat and covered the 1 1/8-mile contest in 1:48.82 on firm turf to post her first graded stakes win at odds of 7-1.
Avenge came into the race off a victory in a one-mile allowance race at Del Mar.
“We were kind of worrying about the mile and an eighth, but I thought about it, and said, ‘You know what, we’ll never know if we don’t try,’ ” noted trainer Richard Mandella. “That’s why we’re here. She was doing really well and whenever you’ve got a good horse that’s improving, you never know.
“I told John Mabee’s grandson it was an honor to win this race named for his grandfather,” he added. “I trained for him and we had a lot of good days together.”
Bred in Kentucky by the Lerici Syndicate, Avenge is a half sister to graded stakes-placed winner Lira (Giant’s Causeway) from the winning Woodman mare Lerici. A winner of half of her 10 career starts, including the 2015 Ultrafleet Stakes at Santa Anita Park, the mare was a $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale purchase.
Ranked #1 sire of juveniles by Graded Stakes Winners and Graded Stakes Horses, War Front continues his dominance among the world’s best sires. On the General Sire list, he is currently ranked #3 by Graded Stakes Horses, #2 by Black-type winners, and is tied for third by Graded Stakes winners.
On the year, War Front has 30 stakes horses, 15 stakes winners, and 8 graded stakes winners.