Within a 48-hour period, Flightline (Tapit) won the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, was then retired and then a share in the future stallion sold for $4.6 million at Keeneland. With that in mind, the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland called upon co-owner Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds to wrap up the horse's racing career and to look ahead to his next career as a stallion. Finley was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week.
On the decision to retire Flightline, when asked if he understood why people were upset that the horse would no longer be racing, Finley said that he did, but added that he was comfortable with the way things worked out.
“There are a lot of factors that went into it,” he said. “We fully acknowledge that there are some other ways to look at it, but we are very comfortable in the spot that we're in and the impact that Flightline has had. I love to talk about that because when you step back in the light of day, I think he had an incredible amount of impact on our business. There were stories in the Athletic, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today. There were all the blogs, all the videos, all the chatter on social media. He had an impact, and that impact is going to continue. So when you put all that together, yes, we had to make a tough decision. That's what leaders do, they make tough decisions.”
Because Flightline only ran six times some pundits are saying he does not deserve to be compared to the all-time greats who had much longer careers. Finley wasn't necessarily ready to disagree.
“I think that foundationally that viewpoint is sound,” he said. “I've had discussions with people who I really respect that have been in the game for a long time and are leaders. Their outlook is exactly the outlook that you put forth and I don't argue with them. Now, I'd like to think that if anybody owned this horse, albeit a piece of them like we do, you'd focus on the good things. You'd focus on his charisma and his brilliance and his undefeated status and the fact that he's given our industry a jolt. But you can't have everything.”
Finley was indeed “focused on the good things” after Flightline's Classic win, so much so that he wept for joy.
“I just thought it was probably our best moment in the business,” he said. “And on top of that, I was able to share it with my family and with other people. You put all those things together and if you can't get emotional in a moment like that, I'm not sure you ever can get emotional.”
Finley gave an update on the stallion plans for Flightline, revealing that he will be bred to about 160 mares and added that “it's going to take a very significant mare with a pedigree and a race record to get to Flightline.”
Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, XBTV and https://www.threechimneys.com/ West Point Thoroughbreds, Randy Moss and Bill Finley talked more about Flightline's place in racing history and a revelation from a voter that he will not be voting for Flightline for Horse of the Year. Flightline's retirement also brought about a conversation regarding whether or not there is any way for racing to keep its stars on the racetrack. Moss and Finley wondered out loud if it's not time for the Thoroughbred industry to allow, like all other racing breeds, artificial insemination. In other equine sports that has allowed horses to continue to race while being bred in their off seasons. Another topic was the incredible year turned in so far by Beverly Park (Munnings), who made his 26th start this season in last week's Claiming Crown at Churchill Downs. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version.
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