Air Force Blue’s Mashnee Girl Impresses at Saratoga

Mashnee Girl (2f Air Force Blue x Passionate Diva, by Street Cry) gave her leading freshman sire his fifth winner on Thursday at Saratoga.

The bay filly wasted no time going for the lead in the seven furlong dirt race when breaking strongly, a position she’d keep throughout.

The filly was put under some pressure early in the race but was never winning to fold, keeping her head in front at every call. Asked to speed up just a touch by Jose Lezcano as they entered the stretch, Mashnee Girl soon opened up on the field and coasted home in the final sixteenth to win by 2½ lengths.

Trained by Mark Hennig for owner-breeder Mashnee Stables, Mashnee Girl is the third winner from three runners out of Passionate Diva, a daughter of Grade II winning Roshani.

The filly comes from the same family as Sunset Service, the granddam of Grade I winners Data Link and Hymn Book in addition to Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Caledonia Road.

Sitting atop the freshman sire rankings by earnings, Air Force Blue is also already the sire of a stakes placed horse with two-time winner Chief Little Hawk a multiple stakes placed runner in Ireland.