Air Force Blue is a bay horse with no white markings bred in Kentucky by Arthur Hancock's Stone Farm.

Ridden by Ryan Moore he led from the start, went clear of the field a furlong out and held off the late challenge of Rockaway Valley to win by a neck.

Air Force Blue faced Buratino again in the Group One Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on 9 August and started 9/4 second favourite behind the English colt.

Ridden by his trainer's son Joseph O'Brien he was settled towards the rear of the field before accelerating into the lead a furlong out and drew clear to win by two lengths from Washington, D.C., with Buratino in third.

Joseph O'Brien tracked the leaders before taking the lead a furlong out and Air Force Blue went clear in the closing stages to win by three lengths from Herald The Dawn.

[11] For his final race of the year, Air Force Blue was sent to England for the second time and started 4/6 favourite for the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse on 10 October.

For his next race Air Force Blue was dropped back in distance to six furlongs for the July Cup but finished well-beaten in twelfth place of the eighteen runners.

He was subsequently dropped in class for the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes at The Curragh in August but again ran well below his juvenile form and finished last of the seven runners, eleven lengths behind the sixth-placed horse.