Twilight Blue Rolls to Churchill Victory for Air Force Blue

Switching to the dirt for his second start, Twilight Blue (2c Air Force Blue x Lily The Pink, by Rahy) proved it was the right choice with an easy two length win in a Churchill Downs Maiden Special Weight to become his sire’s sixth winner.

Racing on the rail in third, Twilight Blue raced just behind the leader through fast early fractions. Ridden patiently by Brain Hernandez Jr., a hole opened up on the rail right in front of him as they entered the stretch and he was off. Twilight Blue slid through down the rail and never seemed to have a real threat from the second place finisher as Hernandez just showed him the whip in the final sixteenth as he raced away in front.

Trained by Joe Sharp for Carl R. Moore Management, Twilight Blue was bred by Knowles Bloodstock out of the stakes placed mare Lily The Pink.

Lily The Pink is one of five winners from a stakes placed half-sister to Grade I winners Cetewayo and Dynaforce and Grade II winner and Grade I-placed Bowman Mill. In all, there are 10 stakes winners and 16 stakes performers under Twilight Blue’s third dam.

European Champion 2-Year-Old Air Force Blue has six winners of seven races, including multiple stakes placed Chief Little Hawk from his first crop. The highest rated 2-year-old Aidan O’Brien ever trained, Air Force Blue is among the leading sires of his generation by earnings.