Java's War is a cherished
Thoroughbred, as he is among one of just a limited amount of crops sired by
champion War Pass, who tragically died at the age of five. In fact, Java’s War
was his first winner, winning a maiden special weight over Ellis Park’s turf
course last July. Since then, he has proven to be one of the late sire’s best
progeny, alongside fellow Derby contender Revolutionary.
Prior to becoming War Pass’ initial offspring to capture a race, Java’s War was
fifth in a five-furlong turf maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. The
added three-eighths of a mile in his following start were to the colt’s
benefit, allowing the bay colt to kick clear to a 1 ¾-length triumph.
Sent to Louisiana for his stakes debut, the Sunday Silence Stakes over
Louisiana Downs’ turf course, Java’s War faced a tough opponent in the
highly-touted Brown Almighty, who was coming off an easy win in the Sunny’s Halo Stakes,
contested over the same grass oval. Away rather slowly from the gate – which would
become his trademark –, Java’s War progressively gained ground on the
frontrunners with a rail-skimming trip. By the time the field had commenced
their run into the far turn, Java’s War had upgraded to a position among the
first half of the field. He swung wide as the two-year-olds turned for home,
using powerful strides to close in on Brown Almighty, surging past that rival
to score by a neck.
Java’s War made his first start away from the turf on a rather similar surface
– the Polytrack at Keeneland – in the Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (GI) in his
subsequent race. Rating off the pace between horses, Java’s War found himself
behind a barrier of horses rounding the far turn but, when angled to the
outside, began to close in on the leader. However, with a furlong of the race
remaining, the rivals to both sides of him – Pataky Kid and Dynamic Sky –
drifted toward him, squeezing him and thus harming his momentum. But Java’s War
managed to finish third, bested by just 1 ¾ lengths.
Transferring to the dirt for his juvenile finale, Java’s War took on twelve
rivals in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII) at Churchill Downs. The race
was essentially over for the colt from the beginning, when he broke slowly from
the rail post, ahead of only one rival as the field entered the first bend. He
improved his position down the backstretch, closing the gap between himself and
his rivals as he raced on the outside. Remaining very wide around the far turn
and down the lane, Java’s War flattened out in the homestretch, crossing the
wire sixth.
The Kenny McPeek trainee made his three-year-old debut in the Tampa Bay Derby
(GII), competing against the highly regarded, undefeated Verrazano. Away from the gate very snaillike yet again, Java’s War
was the trailer by an abundance of lengths as the field headed into the
clubhouse turn. Although he appeared to have no chance down the backstretch as
he lagged behind by double-digit lengths, Java’s War made up remarkable ground
on the rest of the field, passing all but three horses by the middle of the
final curve.
Going wide around the far turn, the colt set his sights on the drawing-away
Verrazano, effortlessly gaining ground on him despite running greenly. Although
Verrazano was an easy winner of the race, the rally Java’s War had made was
breathtaking, as he had made up a plethora of lengths within a short amount of
time. His final quarter-mile of 25.02 seconds was the third-fastest final two
furlongs of any Derby prep of the season recorded by Trakus.
Java’s War’s final prep for the Derby resulted in a return to Keeneland’s
Polytrack for the Blue Grass Stakes (GI). The colt again left the gate very
sluggishly, hesitating and thus being left several strides behind his thirteen
competitors. Again double-digit lengths behind the leaders, Java’s War seemed
hopelessly beaten early on down the backstretch, racing several lengths off
even the nearest adversary. After a half-mile, the colt finally began to grow
closer to the rest of the field and at about the three-eighths pole, he kicked
into gear, passing his closest rivals.
Maneuvered to the outside by Julien Leparoux, Java’s War raced incredibly wide
as the field turned for home. But this did not deter his impressive rally;
powerfully, the bay grew closer to the front, passing multiple rivals as he
determinedly chased the frontrunners. Achieving what seemed to be the
impossible, Java’s War got up in time, overtaking Palace Malice by a neck to take the winner’s purse of $450,000.
Java’s War had traveled more ground than the majority of his rivals in the Blue
Grass and his final two furlongs of 24.01 was the fastest of any last
quarter-mile recorded by Trakus during the 2013 Derby prep season.
Java’s War’s pedigree should assist him in traveling
a route of ground over dirt. The colt’s sire – the late, undefeated champion
juvenile War Pass – won up to a mile and one-sixteenth but came within a
half-length of winning at nine furlongs. War Pass was a result of the mating
between Cherokee Run, a champion sprinter who produced nearly fifty black-type
winners, and a black-type-placed Mr. Prospector mare, Vue. Though this side of Java’s
War’s pedigree implies that he is limited to short distances, the bottom side
of the colt's pedigree provides much greater distance implications.
Out of the British-bred Java, a mare who won up to ten furlongs, Java's War is
a half-brother to Coffee Bar, a stakes-placed runner at nine furlongs that won
up to a mile and a sixteenth. Java's sire is Rainbow Quest, a European champion
that proved brilliant over long distances, winning many prestigious races over
a route of ground, including the 2,400-meter (approximately 1 1/2 miles) Prix
de l'Arc de Triomphe. At stud, Rainbow Quest was outstanding, producing more
than 100 stakes winners - many of which won at the group level. He sired a wealth
of grade/group one winners that were victorious at ten furlongs or beyond,
including Colour Vision, Croco Rouge, High and Low, Millenary, Nedawi, Quest
for Fame, Rainbow Dancer, Raintrap, Saumarez, Spectrum, Sunshack, and Urgent
Request. Rainbow Quest has also proven to be a spectacular broodmare sire,
producing the dams of the group one-winning distance horses Look Here and
Spanish Moon – both of which won at twelve furlongs.
Java’s War’s granddam, Island Jamboree, was a multiple stakes-winning miler
that was also graded stakes-placed. A daughter of Explodent, Island Jamboree was
a terrific broodmare, foaling the multiple grade one-winning champion turf
female Fiji, who won at ten furlongs twice, and the multiple group
stakes-winning Capri, victorious at 2,400 meters on numerous occasions.
Java’s War's third dam is a daughter of Wing Out, a successful distance horse
that won or placed in several long distance events, including a trifecta of
grade ones. The colt's fourth dam, Careless Notion, was a fantastic broodmare,
producing the grade one-winning Cacoethes, who won multiple mile and one-half
races, as well as the additional grade one winner Fabulous Notion and the
stakes-winning Margaret Booth.
The sire of Java's War's fifth dam is Nasrullah, a champion who won the
prestigious Champion Stakes at ten furlongs. He has been very influential in
the ancestry of the Thoroughbred and as a sire, he sired numerous distance
horses, including Nashua - who won the Preakness and Belmont after finishing
second in the Derby; Bold Ruler - Preakness victor and sire of Triple Crown
winner Secretariat; Bald Eagle - a champion that excelled in route races;
Belmont champion Jaipur; and an impressive abundance of other brilliant
distance horses.
The main worry regarding Java's War's chances in the Kentucky Derby pertains to
the questions about his ability to break sharply. In his past few starts,
Java's War has left the gate very slowly, which could be detrimental in the
Derby. However, he has left the gate well in the past. In addition, there may
be doubts regarding his affinity for Churchill's dirt due to his sixth-place
effort in the Kentucky Jockey Club over the Louisville oval last fall. But that
number is deceiving, as Java's War turned in a better performance in that race
than one may think. He could easily become underrated and surprise many on race
day with a superb performance.
