Astronomer Wins Golden Mile for Air Force Blue

One start after breaking his maiden by 5 ¼ lengths, Astronomer (2c Air Force Blue x Qaraaba, by Shamardal) was a Breeders’ Cup day winner when the colt took home the Golden Mile Stakes at Del Mar on Friday.

Ridden by Ryan Moore, the colt was always near the front of the field in the one mile race when positioned just inside a keen horse from his rail position. Moore started to ask his mount for the colt’s best with a quarter of a mile left to go and Astronomer quickly picked up.

As they turned into the stretch, a hole opened right in front of Astronomer and it was just the thing needed. Astronomer entered a brief battle with Optimising before starting to inch away to cross the line half a length in front and become Air Force Blue’s fourth stakes winner.

The colt is trained by Simon Callaghan for breeder and co-owner Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor with two wins in four starts to his name.

“He had a breakthrough race winning at Golden Gate Fields and he is improving. He’s out of a mare that I trained for owners Michael and Alice, which is very nice. And it was an excellent ride from Ryan Moore,” Callaghan said.

Astronomer is the third stakes winner out of the Grade 3 winning Qaraaba. That mare has also produced Uncle Mo’s Grade II winner Harvest Moon and the Grade II winning Californiagoldrush among her five winners from five to race – with the others including Munnings’ Grade III fourth place finisher Mr. Impossible.

Champion 2-Year-Old Air Force Blue is the sire of four stakes winners and seven stakes performers with 50 winners overall.