Air Force Blue Stays Perfect With Second Winner

Air Force Blue took his record to two winners from two races on Wednesday when Chief Little Hawk (2c Air Force Blue x Marylebone, by Unbridled’s Song) led home a first-third finish for his sire at Navan in Ireland.

The favorite in the five furlong race, Chief Little Hawk went straight to the lead and opened up a few lengths on the field with fellow Air Force Blue son Hyde Park Barracks in second. While another runner was able to nab Hyde Park Barracks near the line, there was never any serious danger for Seamie Heffernan's mount, who maintained at least a length on the field throughout the running.

Chief Little Hawk coasted home in the final yards to win by 1¼ lengths on debut for trainer Aidan O’Brien. Bred by Chelston and owned by the Coolmore partnership, the colt now looks primed to represent his sire at Royal Ascot next week in the Group II Norfolk Stakes with Hyde Park Barracks aiming for the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes.

Born on May 20, Chief Little Hawk is out of Unbridled’s Song’s Grade I-winning daughter Marylebone, who has proved to be a successful broodmare. The dam of seven winners from eight to race, her foals include Listed winning Bow Bells and Grade III-placed Sloane Square. The mare is also the granddam of Group III-placed Hug and a Kiss.

Marylebone is a half-sister to two stakes winners in Listed placed Unigold and Shiva Ryan with her full sister Alpha Mama producing Tale of the Cat’s Grade II winning daughter Alpha Kitten.

Marylebone foaled a colt by American Pharoah this year.

Europe’s Champion 2-Year-Old, Air Force Blue is off to a spectacular week with his first winner on Saturday and his $400,000 colt at the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale the second most expensive offering of the sales’ first session on Tuesday.