Avenue of Flags Salutes 'Slew's Influence

ARCADIA, Calif. (June 24, 2002) -- Perhaps the name of no Thoroughbred has been spoken more often this past spring than that of Seattle Slew.

Befittingly, the influence of the late, great Triple Crown winner will be well represented this summer at the annual Del Mar Yearling Sale.

Avenue of Flags, an 14-year-old son of Seattle Slew, stands at Golden Eagle Farm in Ramona.

A Golden Eagle homebred out of the mare Beautiful Glass, and half sibling to the farm's near-champion filly Jeanne Jones, Grade II-placed Avenue of Flags won two of only three career starts.

His mark as a stallion has been decidedly more prolific, with 16 stakes winners, including Grade I winner Notable Career and a trio of California-bred champion fillies, from his first eight crops. Through the middle of June, Avenue of Flags ranked in the top 10 among California stallions for both 2002 progeny earnings and wins.

High speed, of course, is a trademark of Seattle Slew stallions, and Avenue of Flags' progeny are bestowed an added dose of durability, courtesy of turf stakes-winning broodmare sire Pass the Glass. Sire himself of Cal-bred legend Super Diamond, Pass the Glass is a son of Buckpasser and Amerigo Lady. A hearty stakes winning mare campaigned by Paul Mellon in the mid-1960's, Amerigo Lady is by the same sire, Amerigo, as Mellon's Hall of Fame turf champion Fort Marcy.

Notable pedigrees aligned with Avenue of Flags in the upcoming sale include those of hips #97 and 146, both fillies, hailing from the families of sprint champion Eillo, and dual-classic winner Tabasco Cat, respectively. Hip #156, another filly, is out of a Criminal Type mare who is a half-sister to 1980's millionaire Videogenic. 

Avenue of Flags' others yearlings are out of broodmare sires including speedsters J.O. Tobin and Grey Slewpy, the latter of whom retains in his bloodlines Seattle Slew, Prince John, and Herbager, all of whom are tremendous female influences. 

Avenue of Flags' complete list of catalogued yearlings, by hip number: colts - 11, 124; fillies - 55, 70, 89, 97, 144, 146, 156.
-- Robert Knolhoff

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