Third Group One winner and 20th stakes winner for Starspangledbanner
The Joseph O’Brien-trained State Of Rest (3 c ex Repose by Quiet American) provided Rosemont Stud shuttler Starspangledbanner (Choisir) with his third Group / Grade One winner and 20th stakes winner when he won Saturday’s Saratoga Derby Invitational (Gr 1, 11f).
Settled down in midfield, State Of Rest ran on impressively in the straight to score by a length under John Velazquez from Soldier Rising (Frankel). There was another two and a half lengths back to Du Jour (Temple City) in third.
"I was supposed to be close to the pace but he didn't break," Velazquez said. "So I went to Plan B.
"I saved all the ground and gave him some confidence and hoped that when I got him out, he'd respond. He did."
State Of Rest is the only winner out of the unraced mare Repose (Quiet American). He was bought for 45,000gns by Diamond Bloodstock at the 2018 Tattersalls December Foal Sale before being sold for 60,000gns to Aiden O’Ryan and Joseph O’Brien at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale the following year.
Richard Ryan bought State Of Rest’s half-sister, now named Tranquil Lady (Australia) for £160,000 at the 2020 Goffs Ireland Orby Yearling Sale and the colt’s second dam is the dual Listed winner Monaassabaat (Zilzal).
Starspangledbanner’s 2021 fee is set at $16,500 (inc GST).
