For the second consecutive weekend, War Front has had two Grade/Group 1 winners. Two weeks ago, it was U S Navy Flag and Avenge, and this time it was Roly Poly and War Flag.
Roly Poly, who is U S Navy Flag’s full sister, kicked things off by taking the Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (G1) at Newmarket in England.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien for Coolmore, Roly Poly held off Persuasive to win the contest by 1 ¼ lengths, and in doing so, she notched her third top level victory of the year.
“She’s a great filly, with a great heart,” said O’Brien. “She’s tactical and tough, amazing really. She’s incredibly bred, out of a very good Galileo mare (Misty for Me) and by War Front, and the lads do a great job with her at home.”
The following day, War Flag won the Flower Bowl Stakes (G1) at Belmont for trainer Shug McGaughey. The game filly ran down Grand Jete in deep stretch and outkicked a charging Dacita by a head to win the 40th running of the prestigious race.
“My filly ran hard in the last sixteenth,” said winning jockey Jose Ortiz. “She pinched her ears and just kept trying, and thank God she hit the wire first. She handled everything great.”
Out of the Arch mare Black Speck, War Flag races as a homebred for Joseph Allen, who also bred and raced War Front.
Both the connections of War Flag and Roly Poly are now considering pointing toward the upcoming Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
War Front has 30 stakes horses to his credit this year, including additional G1 winner American Patriot. North America’s #1 sire of stakes winners in 2016, War Front stands for $250,000 at Claiborne.
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