The field for the Bob Hope Stakes (USA-G3) on November 15 may not have been as deep or classy as the one that contested the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but winner Red Flag nonetheless fired a warning shot at other potential contenders for next year's Triple Crown events. In spite of running four-wide down the backstretch and around the turn, the son of 2016 Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt MIle (USA-G1) winner Tamarkuz went past the leaders in a matter of strides and drew away easily down the stretch, leaving Grade 1-placed Grade 2 winner Weston and multiple Grade 1-placed Spielberg up the track. It was the first stakes victory for the colt after breaking his maiden in a 5.5 furlong turf race in his last outing and made him the first stakes winner for his freshman sire. If the ease with which he disposed of his rivals means anything, it will not be the last time the promising colt visits the winner's circle in a graded race.
Had the odds been placed on female families instead of past performance lines, Red Flag would probably not have been 10-1. He is a great-great-grandson of one of the greatest modern matrons in the American Stud Book, Glowing Tribute. A multiple Grade 2 winner on turf during her own racing days, Glowing Tribute was honored as the 1993 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year after producing five stakes winners, headed by 1993 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) and Travers Stakes (USA-G1) victor Sea Hero (by Polish Navy) and multiple turf Grade 1 winner Hero's Honor. Her Grade 2-winning daughter Wild Applause (by Northern Dancer) became a first-rate broodmare in her own right, and another Grade 2-winning daughter, Glowing Honor (by Seattle Slew), is the third dam of 2014/2015 Chilean Horse of the Year Il Campione.
Not contented to rest on her laurels, Glowing Tribute produced two more daughters who won stakes after her selection as Broodmare of the Year. The elder, Coronation Cup (by Chief;s Crown), won the 1994 Nijana Stakes (USA-G3). The younger, Mackie (by Summer Squall), won the 1996 Busher Stakes (USA-G3) to become her dam's final stakes winner.
While not the equal of Wild Applause as a producer, Mackie did become the dam of Grade 2 winner Mr. Mellon (by Red Ransom), a successful sire in India, and Japanese Group 3 winner Seeking the Best (by Seeking the Gold). She is also the dam of Montfleur (by Sadler's Wells), whose German-bred son Mawingo (by Tertullian) is the winner of the 2012 Doomben Cup (AUS-G1).
Beaucette, Mackie's 2000 daughter by Mr. Prospector, was stakes-placed as a 4-year-old. The dam of eight winners from 11 named foals, she has yet to come up with a stakes winner, but her daughter Surrender (by Stormy Atlantic) is making up for that deficiency. Red Flag is Surrender's fourth foal, and the mare previously produced listed juvenile stakes winner Surrender Now (by Morning Line).
The big questions now facing Red Flag are how well he will train on and how far he will want to go. At the least, a mile should be within his scope, though his 4x3 inbreeding to both Storm Cat and Mr. Prospector suggests that brilliance may be more his calling card than stamina. Still, his pedigree includes horses like Lemon Drop Kid, Seattle Slew, Summer Squall, and Graustark, all of which indicate at least the possibility of more staying power than might be suspected on the surface. And if Red Flag turns out to be "just" a fine sprinter or miler? There are far worse tributes to his fine bloodlines than that, which would be more than most horses ever achieve..
Had the odds been placed on female families instead of past performance lines, Red Flag would probably not have been 10-1. He is a great-great-grandson of one of the greatest modern matrons in the American Stud Book, Glowing Tribute. A multiple Grade 2 winner on turf during her own racing days, Glowing Tribute was honored as the 1993 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year after producing five stakes winners, headed by 1993 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) and Travers Stakes (USA-G1) victor Sea Hero (by Polish Navy) and multiple turf Grade 1 winner Hero's Honor. Her Grade 2-winning daughter Wild Applause (by Northern Dancer) became a first-rate broodmare in her own right, and another Grade 2-winning daughter, Glowing Honor (by Seattle Slew), is the third dam of 2014/2015 Chilean Horse of the Year Il Campione.
Not contented to rest on her laurels, Glowing Tribute produced two more daughters who won stakes after her selection as Broodmare of the Year. The elder, Coronation Cup (by Chief;s Crown), won the 1994 Nijana Stakes (USA-G3). The younger, Mackie (by Summer Squall), won the 1996 Busher Stakes (USA-G3) to become her dam's final stakes winner.
While not the equal of Wild Applause as a producer, Mackie did become the dam of Grade 2 winner Mr. Mellon (by Red Ransom), a successful sire in India, and Japanese Group 3 winner Seeking the Best (by Seeking the Gold). She is also the dam of Montfleur (by Sadler's Wells), whose German-bred son Mawingo (by Tertullian) is the winner of the 2012 Doomben Cup (AUS-G1).
Beaucette, Mackie's 2000 daughter by Mr. Prospector, was stakes-placed as a 4-year-old. The dam of eight winners from 11 named foals, she has yet to come up with a stakes winner, but her daughter Surrender (by Stormy Atlantic) is making up for that deficiency. Red Flag is Surrender's fourth foal, and the mare previously produced listed juvenile stakes winner Surrender Now (by Morning Line).
The big questions now facing Red Flag are how well he will train on and how far he will want to go. At the least, a mile should be within his scope, though his 4x3 inbreeding to both Storm Cat and Mr. Prospector suggests that brilliance may be more his calling card than stamina. Still, his pedigree includes horses like Lemon Drop Kid, Seattle Slew, Summer Squall, and Graustark, all of which indicate at least the possibility of more staying power than might be suspected on the surface. And if Red Flag turns out to be "just" a fine sprinter or miler? There are far worse tributes to his fine bloodlines than that, which would be more than most horses ever achieve..
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