By Tom Frary
When the weanling later to be termed Declarationofpeace went through the ring at Keeneland November in 2015, M.V. Magnier was the determined beneficiary at $2.6 million for the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency-consigned colt who is tantamount to equine royalty. Descended from the Hall of Famer Serena's Song, the bay who has grown into an imposing type was a must-have for Magnier who said at the time, “We've had a lot of luck with Serena's Song in the past. He's a nice horse and comes from a great farm.”
Sent off the 13-8 favourite for his debut over six furlongs at Navan Apr. 24, he was third there behind the Ken Condon trainee Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and began this Polytrack bow at 1-4 to have made the necessary progression in the interim. Stalking the leading duo throughout the early stages, the half-brother to the GII American Turf S. and GIII Pilgrim S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Noble Tune (Unbridled's Song), MGSW & GISP-US, $492,222, and to the GI Metropolitan H. and GI Whitney S.-winning sire Honor Code (A.P. Indy), Ch. Older Horse & MGISW-US, $2,518,260, took control with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. Drawing away under hand riding from Seamie Heffernan, Declarationofpeace finished off powerfully to score by six lengths from Qatar Racing's newcomer Treasuring (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}).
Aidan O'Brien is planning a trip to the Royal meeting next month. “He's a fine big fellow. He has a lot of speed,” he told Irish Racing.com. “We'd be thinking of Ascot and if we could get another run into him it would be a help. We could look at the [Listed] Marble Hill [S. at The Curragh May 27] or the [Listed] Rochestown [S. at Naas May 21] for him.”
Aside from boasting Noble Tune and Honor Code as her first two foals, Serena's Cat has also thrown the stakes-placed Lady Serena (Bernardini). Her triple stakes-winning dam Serena's Tune also produced the G3 Tetrarch S. and G3 Greenham S. winner Vocalised who stands at Jim Bolger's Redmondstown Stud and has two classy mares to his name now in Steip Amach (Ire) and Vociferous Marina (Ire). Serena's Song's legendary status was assured with a remarkable 11 Grade I victories under the tutelage of D. Wayne Lukas, including the Haskell Invitational and Mother Goose S. and her exploits as a broodmare are also highly significant. Her Grand Reward built on a solid campaign at Ballydoyle to capture the GII Oaklawn H., with fellow graded-stakes winning sires Schramsberg and Harlington complementing Sophisticat (Storm Cat), the impressive winner of the G1 Coronation S. who later produced the listed-winning and graded-stakes placed Sefroua (Kingmambo) and the G1 Cheveley Park S. third Pursuit of Glory (Ire) (Fusaichi Pegasus).
Serena's Cat was also responsible for the then record-breaking $3 million weanling Tapit filly at Keeneland November later named Serena's Harmony and who remained unraced for Bridlewood Farm. Her 2016 colt also by Tapit was bought by Baccari Bloodstock for $1,050,000 six months ago and she has been bred back to that Gainesway resident.
1st-DUN, €15,000, Mdn, 5-10, 2yo, 5f (AWT), :59.78, st.
DECLARATIONOFPEACE, c, 2, by War Front">War Front
1st Dam: Serena's Cat (SW-US, $131,391), by Storm Cat
2nd Dam: Serena's Tune, by Mr. Prospector
3rd Dam: Serena's Song, by Rahy
Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $11,658. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Dell Ridge Farm, LLC & Hill N Dale Equine Holdings, Inc (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien.
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