WAR FRONT’s First World War bounced back on Friday evening from a rare off-the-board performance with a win in the Penn Mile Stakes (G3) for his second graded stakes victory.
Racing over a mile on the turf with Frankie Dettori, First World War had a rough start when checked soon after the break before settling a few lengths off the leader. Pushed between runners with half a mile left to run, First World War was then sent wide by Dettori when turning into the stretch.
Closing strongly from that point on, he reached the leader just in time to win by a nose for a third career victory.
Trained by Brendan Walsh for Qatar Racing and Hunter Valley Farm, First World War has won or placed in five of seven starts with placings in three stakes and a close fourth in one other.
First World War is the first foal out of Grade 3-paced Sundaysatthebeach. That one already has a connection to WAR FRONT as a half-sister to his four-time stakes winning Belgrano. They are out of the dual Grade 1 winner Ask The Moon, who produced five winners from six to race.
The stakes victor was the second of the month for WAR FRONT, whose 2-year-old Bullet is eying Royal Ascot after a stakes win on debut May 12.