Flightline | Horse Racing Free Tips

Flightline Earns Highest Beyer Of The Year For Malibu Romp

OK, so he wasn't beating Knicks Go, Essential Quality or Medina Spirit, but in racing right now, it seems there's Flightline and then there's everybody else.

The million-dollar son of Tapit exceeded all the pre-race hyperbole, displaying beyond a doubt he was more than the flavor of the month with a memorable victory in the Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes, opening day headliner at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Despite a slightly slow start and bumping with second choice Dr. Schivel in the seven-furlong race, Flightline never took a deep breath, winning by 11 ½ lengths, widening as he crossed the wire, getting seven furlongs in 1:21.37.

Coupled with his first two victories by a combined margin of 26 lengths, the three-year-old bay colt has won his three starts by a combined 37 ½ lengths, a tad over 12 lengths per race.

“He came out of the race good,” said John Sadler Monday morning. Sadler conditions Flightline for Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing LLC.

“We're not looking at anything yet,” Sadler added, when asked about Flightline's next possible race. “We don't have any plans yet. It's too early for that,” although in a post-race TV interview he did mention the Saudi Cup and the Met Mile.

“The bigger picture point I was trying to make is that he could run in any race, but we haven't honed in on anything, obviously,” Sadler said.

“The horse is on a different level. All has to go right, but we might be looking at a historic-type horse before it's all over.

“We celebrated Christmas a day late.”

Indeed, and the celebration was further validated this morning when it became known that the freakishly good colt by Tapit had earned an astronomical 118 Beyer Speed Figure—best in America for 2021.

“It's the top Beyer of the year, surpassing the 114 posted by Flightline (Sept. 5) and Baby Yoda (Sept. 4) in separate races in September,” said Santa Anita Morning Line Maker Jon White. “Of course, Baby Yoda finished a distant second to Flightline yesterday.”

And so now, it is with great anticipation that horseplayers, not to mention racing secretaries everywhere, await Flightline's next assignment.

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With A 118 Beyer, Flightline Heads Into 2022

The team that puts out the Beyer speed figure numbers made it official Monday morning. 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) is really, really, fast.

Flightline was given a 118 Beyer figure for his sensational performance in Sunday's GI Runhappy Malibu S. at Santa Anita, which is the top figure assigned to any horse this year. Prior to the Malibu, Flightline and Baby Yoda (Prospective) were tied for the best number on the year, a 114. Baby Yoda finished second in the Malibu, but was never a threat to Flightline, who won eased up by 11 1/2 lengths.

According to the Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman, the 118 is the highest number given to any horse since Shancelot (Shanghai Bobby) got a 121 when winning the 2019 GII Amsterdam S. at Saratoga. Shancelot was trained by Jorge Navarro, whose years of doping horses under his care have been well documented.

“We've waited a long time for a horse like this and I think we have one,” said Terry Finley, who heads the West Point Thoroughbreds syndicate, one part of an ownership groups that also includes Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC and Woodford Racing, LLC. “He's a special horse. He's a gift. You can throw out superlative after superlative. To me, he's a gift.”

Flightline had already made headlines before his first career start, selling for $1 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. Making just his third lifetime start after very impressive wins in a Santa Anita maiden and a Del Mar allowance, Flightline was tested for class in the Malibu, and couldn't have passed any more easily. After breaking a step slowly, the 3-year-old took control early on, started to draw clear on the turn and then galloped away from his rivals without ever being asked by jockey Flavien Prat. He was nearly in a walk when crossing the wire after completing the seven furlongs in 1:21.37.

With a horse who did not make his debut until April of his 3-year-old year and , who has raced just three times over the span of eight months, trainer John Sadler has been very deliberate with Flightline. That's not about to change. He said Monday that he had not picked out a next start for the colt and was not in any hurry to do so.

“No specifics,” he said. “I have said that everything is on the table. He's the kind of horse that when he's right and ready to run that's when he's going to go. I'm going to take it one step at a time. I've got a good ownership group. They keep stressing do what's right for the horse. That will be my guiding principle.”

Finley said that all decisions regarding a racing schedule will be made by Sadler.

“Dale Romans gave me some good advice,” he said. “He said the best input you can have is to make sure you don't have any input. In the army they called it unity of command. John doesn't need any help from us. He's done a super job and he's made all the right moves. It will be well thought out and he'll have him ready to run no matter where he winds up.”

The only thing Sadler would commit to is that Flightline's next race will not be a sprint. The Malibu was the longest start of his career.

“The big step that I know for sure is that we want to get him stretched out,” he said. “Where and when, I don't know yet. I don't think he has any distance limitations.”

While Flightline is expected to have a more complete campaign next year than he did this year, don't expect him to run seven or eight times. He may just be the type of horse who is so fast than he needs ample time between races. Another very fast horse who was handled that way was Ghostzapper (Awesome Again).

“I'm going to be very mindful of his campaign,” he said. “I think there will be articles about this later in the week, that they've never seen a horse that is faster. So some of the traditional rules may not apply. We expect next year to go a lot different than this year because when you do right by a horse, you build a better product going forward. It's an exciting time. There's nothing written in stone, but I am mindful of the fact that I need to be careful.”

Considering that he is by Tapit and, therefore, should do his best running at longer distances and that Sadler-trained horses usually don't reach their peak until turning four, or even five, could Flightline actually get better?

“That is possible,” Sadler said. “There is so much to look forward to out there.”

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‘He’s A Freak’: Flightline Soars To Third Consecutive Daylight Victory In Runhappy Malibu

In a performance that lived up to the hype and then some, John Sadler's freakishly good Flightline waltzed to an 11 ½-length victory in the traditional winter-spring opening day feature at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., the Grade 1, $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Flightline, who is now unbeaten in three starts by a combined 37 ½ lengths, got seven furlongs in 1:21.37.

Never challenged at any point, Flightline fairly jogged home in a manner that reminded veteran players of some of the best sprinters that have ever graced the Santa Anita main track. With Prat sitting dead still turning for home, the colt actually seemed to hit his best stride on the gallop out into the clubhouse turn.

“I was in cruise control the whole race, galloping freely,” said Prat. “He was quite impressive. I wanted to get a good position and get myself into the race. My idea was to get out there running and see what happened. He has been brilliant so far. He really has been quite amazing.”

A 12 ¾-length allowance winner going six furlongs on Sept. 5 at Del Mar, Flightline, a bay colt by Tapit, was off at 2-5 in a field of seven sophomores and paid $2.80, $2.40 and $2.20.

“I've been stressing the last 20, 30 or 40 days getting ready for today,” said Sadler. “The next race is up to the horse. We have to be true to the horse. We will chart the course from there. This horse is so brilliant. This is not an ordinary horse, this is a very special horse. We want to do right by the horse and all other things will fall into place. He was late getting here. He had a foot bruise at Del Mar, so we backed off. After Flavien (Prat) got off him the last time, he said this horse can go further. He'll go a distance the next time. There is a lot of pressure on you, but it is the pressure you want. It's like the high school coach for LeBron. You know you have something special and he is much the best. This horse is there. You just don't want to screw it up.”

Owned by Hronis Racing, LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine, LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing LLC, Flightline, who is out of the Indian Charlie mare Feathered, picked up $180,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $259,800.

“It's always great to see a great racehorse stay on the racetrack and run as long as he can,” said co-owner Kosta Hronis. “We hope we can see Flightline put up a terrific year.”

“We hoped to win this, but to do this against this kind of field, this was the real class test for him and I think he answered it the way we thought he would.” said Woodford Racing's Bill Farish.

West Point's Terry Finley added that “this is a very special horse and I'd just like to say thank you to John Sadler and the team and to David Ingordo who picked this horse out, and Bill Farish who sold the horse, and Jane Lyon who bred the horse.”

Flightline was bred in Kentucky by Lyon's Summer Wind Equine.

In a separate race, Baby Yoda, an attentive third to the top of the lane, outfinished Stilleto Boy by a length for the place. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Baby Yoda was off at 16-1 and paid $8.40 and $4.60.

“If Flightline isn't there, I win. He's a freak,” said Ortiz.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Stilleto Boy finished 6 ¼ lengths clear of Triple Tap and paid $4.00 to show while off at 19-1.

Fractions on the race, all set by the winner, were 22.01, 44.48 and 1:08.72.

Run as the 10^th race on an 11-race opening day card, the Runhappy Malibu was one of six stakes on the program.

The post ‘He’s A Freak’: Flightline Soars To Third Consecutive Daylight Victory In Runhappy Malibu appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Flightline Imperious In Runhappy Malibu Romp

Flightline (Tapit), who had given hints of greatness while opening his career with two supremely easy victories, officially arrived with an eye-popping victory in the GI Runhappy Malibu S. at Santa Anita Sunday.

For Bill Farish of co-owner Woodford Racing, the Malibu result confirmed the faith his team has had in the colt all along.

“We hoped to win this, but to do this against this kind of field, this was the real class test for him and I think he answered it the way we thought he would,” Farish said.

Off a touch slowly, the bay recovered and clicked off an opening quarter in :22.01 and a half in :44.48 while under an easy hold. Asked to lengthen once heads were turned for home, Flightline continued to widen on the front end without being asked a single question by Flavien Prat and coasted under the line 11 1/2 lengths clear of Baby Yoda (Prospective). The final time, over what was a dull strip during Sunday's program, was a spectacular 1:21.37, better than three seconds faster than the time recorded by Kalypso (Brody's Cause) in the GI La Brea S. a couple of races prior.

“I was in cruise control the whole race, galloping freely,” Prat said. “He was quite impressive. I wanted to get a good position and get myself into the race. My idea was to get out there running and see what happened. He has been brilliant so far. He really has been quite amazing.”

A $1-million graduate of the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, Flightline earned no-doubt 'TDN Rising Star'-dom with a 13 1/4-length romp on his local debut Apr. 24. Gone for some 4 1/2 months thereafter, Flightline resumed with a 12 3/4-length success in a first-level Del Mar allowance Sept. 5, prompting questions on whether a Breeders' Cup appearance might be in the offing. After some deliberation, connections demurred, opting to train up to Sunday's race.

“I've been stressing the last 20, 30 or 40 days getting ready for today,” trainer John Sadler admitted. “There is a lot of pressure on you, but it is the pressure you want. It's like the high school coach for LeBron. You know you have something special and he is much the best. This horse is there. You just don't want to screw it up.”

As for where his budding superstar might appear next, Sadler said, “The next race is up to the horse. We have to be true to the horse. We will chart the course from there. This horse is so brilliant. This is not an ordinary horse, this is a very special horse. We want to do right by the horse and all other things will fall into place.”

Pedigree Notes:

Feathered, who was second in the 2015 GI American Oaks, has a yearling full-brother to Flightline who RNA'd for $390,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, and a weanling half-brother by Curlin. Her 2-year-old colt by Pioneerof the Nile was exported to Russia after selling for $100,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale. Feathered, who was purchased by Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm for $2.35 million at the 2016 Keeneland November sale, was bred to Into Mischief this year. Flightline is the 95 graded winner for Tapit and the first out of an Indian Charlie mare.

Sunday, Santa Anita Park
RUNHAPPY MALIBU S.-GI, $301,000, Santa Anita, 12-26, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.37, ft.
1–FLIGHTLINE, 120, c, 3, by Tapit
1st Dam: Feathered (GSW & MGISP, $577,474),
                                by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Receipt, by Dynaformer
                3rd Dam: Finder's Fee, by Storm Cat
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
   WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($1,000,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Hronis
Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West
Point Thoroughbreds & Woodford Racing, LLC; B-Summer
Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-John W. Sadler; J-Flavien Prat.
$180,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $259,800. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Baby Yoda, 120, g, 3, Prospective–More Than Speed, by
More Than Ready. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Pantofel Stable, LLC,
Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber & Jerold L. Zaro; B-Kathleen
Amaya & Alexandro & Raffaele Centofanti (FL); T-William I.
Mott. $60,000.
3–Stilleto Boy, 120, g, 3, Shackleford–Rosie's Ransom, by
Marquetry. ($420,000 3yo '21 FTKHRA). O-Steve Moger;
B-John Kerber & Iveta Kerber (KY); T-Ed Moger, Jr. $36,000.
Margins: 11HF, 1, 6 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 16.10, 19.10.
Also Ran: Triple Tap, Timeless Bounty, Team Merchants, Dr. Schivel.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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