U S Navy Flag leads throughout to win July Cup

U S Navy Flag confirmed his prowess as a sprinter with his third Group 1 win in Saturday’s $661,800 July Cup at six furlongs at Newmarket, England.

Ridden by Ryan Moore for trainer Aidan O’Brien, U S Navy Flag (8-1) led throughout and prevailed by 1 1/4 lengths over 14-1 Brando, who finished three-quarters of a length in front of 50-1 Fleet Review, also trained by O’Brien.

Blue Point, the 5-2 favorite, stalked the pace to the final furlong and faded to finish 4 3/4 lengths behind U S Navy Flag in the field 13.

U S Navy Flag was second in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas in May and 11th in the St. James’s Palace Stakes for 3-year-old milers at Royal Ascot on June 19. The July Cup was U S Navy Flag’s first start at six furlongs since a win in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes for 2-year-olds at Newmarket last September.

Owned by the Coolmore partnership of Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, and Susan Magnier, U S Navy Flag has won 5 of 16 starts. A Kentucky-bred by Galileo, U S Navy Flag had a remarkably busy season at 2, winning 4 of 11 starts, including the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at seven furlongs at Newmarket last October. He was later 10th behind Good Magic in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar in November.

O’Brien indicated that U S Navy Flag will remain in sprints and will be pointed for the $9.65 million Everest Stakes at six furlongs at Randwick Racecourse near Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 13. The Everest Stakes, which was launched last year, has a structure similar to the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January, in which owners purchase berths for the race to finance a majority of the purse.