Copley Romps to Victory for Air Force Blue
European Champion 2-Year-Old Air Force Blue saw son Copley (2g Air Force Blue x Union Prayer, by Dixie Union) run away with the win at Churchill Downs on Thursday to become the stallion’s 10th winner.
Breaking strongly in the seven furlong dirt race, the Wesley Ward trainee immediately took the lead and controlled the pace throughout. As they entered the far turn, he broke away from the pack with just one horse briefly sticking with him before also fading.
Jockey Geraldo Corrales asked the juvenile to show his best in the stretch and Copley complied, pulling away to win by an easy eight lengths.
A $210,000 weanling purchase from Four Star Sales at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Copley came back last year to sell for $250,000 to Andrew Farm and For The People from Lane’s End. His buyers have been joined by Windmill Manor Farm in his racing ownership.
Bred by Los Samanes LLC, Copley is the first foal out of two-time winner Union Prayer. That mare is a half-sister to stakes placed Pleasantly Mine and the dam of stakes winner Spinning Top with all three out of stakes placed Pleasant Lyrics.
Pleasant Lyrics is one of six stakes horses for her own dam, including Grade I winner Swagger Jack and Grade II winner Tap Dance. Pleasant Lyrics is also one of six stakes producing daughters for her dam with a stakes winning half-sister producing Grade I winner Malibu Prayer and multiple graded stakes winner Valid and another stakes placed half-sister producing Spanish champion Silverside.
Already the sire of a stakes placed runner in Chief Little Hawk, Air Force Blue is among the leading freshman sires in multiple categories.