European champion Air Force Blue has been retired from racing and will begin his stallion career at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., for a fee to be announced later. The 3-year-old son of War Front finished his ontrack career with four wins in nine starts for earnings of $844,919. He is owned by the Coolmore partnership and trained by Aidan O’Brien. He was named Europe’s champion 2-year-old male in 2015 after winning the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes and Phoenix Stakes in Ireland and the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes in England. “With the exception of Frankel, who has made such a brilliant start to his stud career, Air Force Blue is Timeform’s highest-rated juvenile in nearly 20 years,” said Ashford Stud manager Dermot Ryan. “In fact, he’s the highest-rated juvenile ever from the Danzig line.” Bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm, Air Force Blue is out of the multiple stakes-placed Maria’s Mon mare Chatham, who is the dam of three winners from five foals to race. He was a $490,000 purchase by Coolmore out of the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale. Air Force Blue is from the family of champions Flanders and Surfside; Grade 2 winners Battle Plan, Fiery Pursuit, and Open Water; and Grade/Group 3 winners Irish Surf, High Celebrity, Storm Star, and Syourinomegami. “Arthur Hancock [of Stone Farm] has bred many very good horses over the years, and all of our team loved Air Force Blue when we saw him as a yearling at Keeneland,” Ryan said. “He was a very racy sort with plenty of size and scope and a great action, so he very quickly went on the shortlist. “He proved himself to be a brilliant 2-year-old, and it’s great to see War Front now heading the leading 2-year-old sires table. Aidan O’Brien already has four Group-winning juveniles by him this year, including the 1-2 in last weekend’s Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes. We’re absolutely thrilled his best 2-year-old son is coming to Ashford.” :: DRF BREEDING LIVE: Real-time coverage of breeding and sales