It would take the most perfectly executed of trips for Flag Of Honour to win the Nov. 18 Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) at Woodbine and Kazushi Kimura delivered an absolute masterpiece, saving ground throughout and coming up the rail to strike the lead before just holding off a late charge from Ice Chocolat by a nose.
The six-furlong Kennedy Road for 3-year-olds and up brought together eight of the top locally-based sprinters.
Kimura was riding for trainer Julia Carey in place of Emma-Jayne Wilson, who was aboard for the Australian-bred American Pharoah colt’s first North American start last month, a good third in an allowance optional claimer despite missing the break. That effort was also Flag Of Honour’s first run over a synthetic Tapeta surface.
In Saturday’s race, Flag Of Honour secured a perfect spot early, stalking on the inside behind the early leaders—Jazz Hands , Maclean’s Posse , and Patches O’Houlihan —through fast fractions of :21.73 and :43.85. As the field straightened down the stretch, Kimura and Flag Of Honour charged through an opening between the rail and Jazz Hands. Meanwhile, Ice Chocolat, who had to go four-wide into the stretch, was closing down the center of the track. The ground that Flag Of Honour saved, especially turning into the lane, proved the difference, as Ice Chocolat could not reel in Flag Of Honour, who stopped the timer in 1:08.86.
Early trailer Dream Shake closed for a clear third, 1 3/4 lengths behind Ice Chocolat. It was another 3 3/4 lengths back to Ironstone , best of the rest in fourth.
Flag of Honour paid $14.30 while improving his record to 4-0-1 from 8 starts for earnings of US$304,891.
The Kennedy Road was the first grade 2 win for trainer Carey and her first graded stakes score since Midnight Miley took a pair of grade 3 events at Woodbine in 2016.
While Carey often takes her horses to Florida for the winter she declined to speculate as to what might be next for Flag Of Honour, saying they were going to enjoy the win and “worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.”
Breeding and Sale History
Tasman Bloodstock purchased Flag Of Honor at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for US$330,391. Out of group-1-placed Godiva Rock , Flag Of Honour was a three-time winner Down Under before coming to Woodbine in June.
Godiva Rock has had four foals, of which Flag Of Honour is the only one to have raced. Her 2023 foal, born in August, is an unnamed filly by Maurice , who shuttles between Australia and Japan.
The 2015 Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah, stands at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky for a 2024 fee of $50,000.
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