FLIGHTLINE
We may never see another one quite like him again.

Crowned as Longines World's Best Racehorse in London last week, Flightline, to absolutely no one's surprise, added Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male honors at Thursday evening's Eclipse Awards.

The unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' ran to his unworldly reputation and then some by concluding his six-for-six career with a spectacular 8 1/4-length victory in the $6-million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland. Hailing from a prolific Phipps family, a 2.5% fractional interest in Flightline sold for $4.6 million prior to the start of Keeneland's November Sale just two days later.

Campaigned in partnership by the all-star line-up of Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, breeder Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing, the $1-million Fasig Tipton Saratoga yearling's brilliant, albeit abbreviated 2022 campaign, also featured a jaw-dropping victory following a troubled trip in his seasonal debut in Belmont's GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. June 11 and a record-setting 19 1/4-length romp while making his two-turn bow in the GI TVG Pacific Classic S. at Del Mar Sept. 3. The latter earned him a career-high 126 Beyer Speed Figure and a negative 8 1/2 from Thoro-Graph, the fastest number the latter has ever given.

Flightline also made three starts at three, headed by a double-digit romp in the GI Runhappy Malibu S. at Santa Anita.

“This is one of the greatest horses of all time,” trainer John Sadler said.

Flightline, a winner of all six of his career starts by a combined margin of 71 lengths, will now begin his career at stud at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky. He will command a stud fee of $200,000.

Early Impressions…
“We all thought we had a special talent before he even ran.” –co-owner West Point's Terry Finley

“The fact that I bred him almost doesn't come into my mind. I don't take credit for any of that because I think a horse like this is a gift.” -breeder Jane Lyon

“The first day that I sat on him, I thought, 'Wow, what an amazing animal.' Just the way he moves is so different from other horses. And I've been at this for quite a while now, so I draw from experience of being on some good horses in the past. And he was just something that I had never experienced.” —Juan Leyva, exercise rider and assistant trainer to John Sadler

“When he first came in, he was such an impressive-looking horse. He was already 16 hands. When we started the breaking process, it crossed my mind that maybe he had already been started because he was so quiet. Everything he did was easy. He came like a ready-made horse. There was no learning curve with him because he already knew it all somehow.”
—Mayberry Farm's April Mayberry

“Lane's End handles a lot of the sales for Jane Lyon out at Summer Wind. We went out shortly after some of her yearlings turned a year old, in February or March of their yearling year, and they were showing us a chestnut Tapit colt out of American Pharoah's dam who turned out to be Triple Tap. And there was a chestnut [Triple Tap] and a bay [Flightline], and I kept looking at the bay, and they said you need to look at the chestnut, because the bay is the one she's thinking about keeping. We went back a few times through the spring, and the bay one was the one I always liked.”
–bloodstock agent David Ingordo

–Steve Sherack

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“Just like with Stellar Wind (Curlin), which we left on the track an extra year, just like with Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky), which worked out great after we decided to bring him back for another year, our philosophy has always been that they were born to be race horses,” Hronis said, referring to two former stars that ran for Hronis Racing LLC. “Let's let them do what they want to do as long as they want to do it. I can't really give you a percentage when it comes to his running next year. You'd have to ask Flightline. But I really believe as long as he is healthy and happy with what he is doing and he still wants to go to the racetrack every day and be a part of this and he still wants to run the way he has been running, then I think there is a great possibility that we will see him next year as 5-year-old.”

Hronis added: “We're going to the Breeders' Cup, we'll come out of the race, see how we do and just go to the next step. I race horses, that's what I like to do. That is Hronis Racing. When it comes to their after-racing careers, we're not heavily into that.”

The situation is complicated by the fact that Hronis Racing LLC is one of just five entities that own a part of the horse. The others are Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing, LLC. Hronis said that while he wants to see Flightline race next year, he will listen to the opinions Bill Farish of Woodford Racing and Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Farm. Lyon is also the breeder of Flightline.

“As far as me personally, I will defer to Bill Farish and Jane Lyon because they are the absolute experts when it comes to this,” he said. “I still consider myself to be kind of a newcomer. I've only been in the sport for 10, 11 years. As far as that second career for a horse, it's not something we are heavily involved in. As far as what happens on the racetrack, I defer to John Sadler. He is the man and he makes the decisions. As far as his second career, I will defer to Jane and Bill and let them call the shots and I will follow along. I will be a good partner.”

Yet, Hronis made it clear which way he is rooting.

“We'll keep our fingers crossed for Flightline to continue his career and to continue to be as successful as he has been,” he said. “He's good for horse racing and that's good for every owner in the country. I believe (Flightline running next year) might be the shot in the arm we need. So I really hope that we can continue this.”

Hronis also made a point of commending trainer John Sadler and exercise rider and assistant trainer Juan Leyva for the work they have done with Flightline. After his sensational 19 1/4-length win the in GI TVG Pacific Classic, Flightline is 5-for-5 lifetime and has never been challenged.

“John has done a great job with him in between races teaching him,” he said. “Him and Juan Leyva constantly teach him how to be a race horse and taught him how to go from six furlongs to a mile-and-a-quarter. I have to give them all the credit. The plan was laid out quite a long time ago and it has come to fruition. We have a great trainer. I have said this a few times: As blessed as we are to have Flightline, I think Flightline is really blessed to have John Sadler. He took his time, he didn't rush him and he taught him how to be a race horse.”

Elsewhere on the show–which is also sponsored by Coolmore, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, XBTV, West Point Thoroughbreds and Legacy Bloodstock–Joe Bianca, Bill Finley and guest host Randy Moss recapped closing weekend at Saratoga and, in the Weekend Preview presented by Three Chimneys, took a look at stellar race cards at Kentucky Downs and Del Mar.

Click here to watch the show. 

Click here for the audio version.

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“[Trainer] John [Sadler] told me before the race to be careful, because there were a lot of runners who had a similar style of running,” Pereira commented. “When it was time to run, I had plenty of horse. But once we got in front, he started looking around, waiting on other horses. I looked around and knew we were not going to get caught. This was my only mount today, so I was really focused. I am so happy.”

A latest third from a high draw in the GII San Diego S. in which he stayed on gamely for second despite a tough trip, Tripoli was cozily drawn the fence this time around and was bet down from 9-1 into 13-2 at the off. Tripoli was one of the first to break the line at the top of the 10-furlong chute, but it was soon clear that Pereira was looking for some cover so as not to make the running. Help soon came in the form of Tizamagician (Tiznow) and Independence Hall (Constitution), and when those two went on with it, Pereira was able to tuck in Tripoli to sit the coveted box-seat trip. There were no twists to the plot through the middle stages, all riders seemed content with their respective positions after six furlongs in a reasonable 1:11.73. Tripoli was scrubbed along, but was still traveling well on the second turn, and when Independence Hall came under pressure and failed to kick on, Pereira had the opening he hoped might materialize and had pacesetting Tizamagician right where he wanted him. Pulled into the two path at the quarter pole, Tripoli hit the front at the eighth pole and idled a bit after making the lead, but he'd pinched a winning break and held Tizamagician safe to the wire. Dr Post (Quality Road) came off the bridle with a half-mile to race and looked likely to finish well down the field, but he regained interest in the final quarter mile and plugged on late into third, albeit well-beaten.

It was the third Classic win in four years for Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler, who took it in 2018 with Higher Power (Medaglia d'Oro) and again the following season with champion and future Breeders' Cup Classic hero Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky).

“It feels great to win it again, and you've got to give all the credit to the barn,” Kosta Hronis said. “Tiago rode a great race. It's the only race he rode today because he wanted to focus on it. This horse has matured and just keeps coming along and today he proved himself. We didn't know if he could go a mile and a quarter, but today we found out.”

Unsurprisingly, given his pedigree, Tripoli made the first 11 starts of his career on the turf, breaking his maiden at odds of 46-1 at second asking sprinting at Santa Anita last June. The handsome chestnut snapped an eight-race skid with a nose defeat of Saturday's GII Del Mar H. upsetter Astronaut (Quality Road) going a mile in Arcadia May 1, then switched to the dirt to post a half-length victory June 9. A 9-1 chance in the San Diego, Tripoli drew eight of eight and despite covering ground on both turns, stayed on bravely to drop a half-length decision to Express Train (Union Rags).

Pedigree Notes:

A $450,000 Keeneland September acquisition, Tripoli is the 15th top-level winner for his Hill 'n' Dale-based stallion and his first on conventional dirt. Stephanie's Kitten was a winner of the GI Darley Alcibiades S. over a synthetic track at Keeneland in 2011. He is stakes winner number 105 and graded/group winner 51 for Kitten's Joy and is the seventh Grade I/Group 1 winner produced by a daughter of Tapit.

Tripoli was produced by a stakes-placed daughter of 2001 GII Schuylerville S. winner Touch Love (Not For Love), whose MSW daughter Starfish Bay (Elusive Quality) is the dam of MSW & MGSP Blind Ambition (Tapit). Love Train is responsible for the winning 3-year-old filly For the Good Times (Empire Maker) and the unraced 2-year-old filly Starship Jessica (Hard Spun). She was most recently bred to English Channel.

Saturday, Del Mar
TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC S.-GI, $1,002,000, Del Mar, 8-21, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:02.37, ft.
1–TRIPOLI, 124, c, 4, by Kitten's Joy
1st Dam: Love Train (SP, $146,499), by Tapit
2nd Dam: Touch Love, by Not For Love
3rd Dam: Smartenof, by Smarten
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($450,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Blue Devil Racing Stable, LLC (KY); T-John W. Sadler; J-Tiago Josue Pereira. $600,000. Lifetime Record: 14-4-3-3, $811,960. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tizamagician, 124, c, 4, Tiznow–Magic Union, by Dixie Union. ($150,000 Ylg '18 FTSAUG). O-MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $200,000.
3–Dr Post, 124, c, 4, Quality Road–Mary Delaney, by Hennessy. ($200,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $400,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-St. Elias Stable; B-Cloyce C Clark (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $120,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 4HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 6.50, 6.90, 3.90.
Also Ran: Sheriff Brown, Independence Hall, Express Train, Royal Ship (Brz), Cupid's Claws, Magic On Tap. 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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Sadler is also expected to run GII San Diego H. runner-up Tripoli (Kitten's Joy), who went six furlongs in 1:12.80 this morning under exercise rider Cerapio Figueroa. Also campaigned by Hronis Racing, the $450,000 KEESEP yearling purchase galloped out to seven furlongs in 1:24.80.

“I was pleased with it, he's set for the Classic,” Sadler said. Tiago Pereira, aboard for the 4-year-old colt's last three starts since May, retains the mount.

Also nominated to the race, St. Elias Stable's Dr Post (Quality Road). Trainer Todd Pletcher, from his Saratoga headquarters, indicated he's considering the coast-to-coast ship for the recent winner of the GIII Monmouth Cup July 17.

“We're going to breeze him Saturday and if we're pleased with that, he's a go,” Pletcher said.

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“He jogged a mile and a half and looked fantastic,” trainer Doug O'Neill said. “He was happy and full of energy.”

Regarding the GII Louisiana Derby winner's next possible engagement, O'Neill said, “The [GI] Pacific Classic at Del Mar is a possibility [Aug. 21], the [GI] Haskell at Monmouth is possible [July 17] as is the [GI] Pennsylvania Derby [Sept. 25]. There are tons of possibilities and options.”

He added, “Deciding on his next race is a group effort. No one wants to say much right now..it's the old cliche, 'We'll see where 'Charlie' takes us,' and we really can't know that until we see how he is on the track, eating, and all that stuff, so in a couple weeks we'll have a better idea.”

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Then again, it seemed unwise to write him off after one race. His trip in the San Diego was not ideal as he broke on top, led and then was taken back off the pace to avoid a speed duel before coming on again in the stretch to narrowly prevail. It was also his first race in five months and trainer Bob Baffert said after the fact that he only had the horse 80% cranked up.

That’s what made Saturday’s GI TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar such an important race for Maximum Security, maybe even the most important race of his career. The race was all but certain to answer all the questions that had surrounded the horse over the last three weeks. A defeat or even a hard-pressed victory would be seen as proof positive that he wasn’t the same. An impressive win would be seen as affirmation that he’s just as good now for Baffert as he was for Servis. This time, there would be no gray area.

Maximum Security answered every question and quelled all the doubts. He went to the front, relaxed for jockey Abel Cedillo and drew off to win by three lengths in what was a markedly improved performance over the San Diego. It wasn’t exactly the toughest field he has ever faced, but that didn’t matter. He went out there and left no doubt that no matter who trains him this is a very good horse. The Maximum Security who won the $20-million Saudi Cup, the GI Cigar Mile H., the GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational S., the GI Xpressbet Florida Derby and crossed the wire first in the GI Kentucky Derby was back.

“I felt pretty good about him,” Baffert said Sunday. “It was a challenge but I knew down deep that he is a race horse, that he is a good horse. I was never worried that he wasn’t going to run because he needed certain medications. When I got him I knew he was a runner.”

Baffert said he saw noticeable improvement in Maximum Security from his prep for the Pacific Classic and the Pacific Classic itself.

“The San Diego woke him up and he was training great,” he said. “We figured him out. I knew going in that he was going to run a big race and that he was the best horse. When I got him he was a very sound, healthy horse and he still is. Unfortunately, he’s been through a lot.”

Baffert’s job from here is to continue to get the best out of Maximum Security through what will be his final year of racing. The major goal, of course, will be the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic and Baffert said he may have one more start between then and now. He’s predicting that Maximum Security will only get better.

“I can see that he is going to get stronger and stronger and better and better and by the Breeders’ Cup he should be doing great,” the trainer said.

Especially when considering the abilities of potential rivals like Tiz the Law (Constitution), Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike) and Improbable (City Zip), Maximum Security will have to bring his A game in order to win. That shouldn’t be a problem. The A game is back.

Gmax, It’s Not Just the Turf

Equibase announced last week that the Gmax system will no longer be used on turf races at Del Mar during the summer meet. Instead, they will be hand timed. While admitting there was a problem timing the turf races, they maintained that everything is going just fine when it comes to dirt races.

“The times produced by the Equibase GPS System for dirt races have proven to be highly accurate and will continue to be provided,” read a statement from Equibase.

Huh?

On one weekend alone at Del Mar, the Gmax system failed badly when it comes to recording dirt times. On the weekend of Aug. 1 and 2, there were six dirt races in which changes had to be made after the original time was posted on the infield board when the horses crossed the wire. The list includes the GI Bing Crosby S. Based on those races alone, how can Equibase claim that the system is “highly accurate?”

Perhaps the problems are worse on the turf, but they have also been cropping up in dirt races and it’s hard to believe that the problems have been limited to Aug. 1 and 2.

For the most part, Equibase has been reluctant to admit that there are any serious problems when it comes to the Gmax system, which relies on GPS technology.  But there’s more than enough evidence out there to conclude that Gmax has plenty of bugs and, in its current state, is an inferior way of timing races when compared to the teletimer system. Equibase should not be satisfied with a system that gets it right most of time.

Equibase argues that Gmax is more than a timing system, that it can provide ample benefits for the industry, everything from timing workouts to creating slick looking graphics packages. But to the people whose bets provide the revenue structure that drives the sport, all that really matters is accurate times. Surely, Equibase and its parent company the Jockey Club, must understand that.

The solution to this problem seems obvious. Equibase doesn’t have to throw its own product under the bus, but it should acknowledge that there are problems with Gmax. Do that and then go back to the teletimer system at the Gmax tracks with a promise that the GPS technology won’t be put back in until its flaws can be fixed. At the same time, continue to use Gmax for all else that it does. Just not to time races.

In New Jersey, No Transparency

Not everyone agreed with NYRA’s decision to let trainer Wayne Potts race at Saratoga on Sunday, but everyone should applaud them for how they handled the situation. Transparency matters, and they get that.

Potts was the subject of a recent story in the Paulick Report, which reported that he had been told to leave Laurel because of allegations that he was acting as a front for trainer Marcus Vitali.

NYRA got ahead of the story and released a statement that explained why Potts was allowed to race there. It was explained that since no regulatory body had taken action against Potts and since he was licensed in New York, NYRA did not feel there were any grounds for not allowing him to run.

Compare that to how New Jersey handled the same situation. On the same day that Potts competed at Saratoga and won with his lone starter on the card, he had two horses in on the program at Monmouth. One was scratched and one was not. Why was that the case and was Monmouth taking any action against Potts?

That question was directed by the TDN to steward Steve Pagano, who politely explained that the Monmouth stewards are not allowed to talk to the press. Pagano supplied a number for the New Jersey Racing Commission. Calls were made to that number but no one there even answered the phone.

Potts started one horse per day on both Saturday and Sunday at Monmouth, so he obviously hasn’t been banned there, but the public has every right to know just what his status is and why one of his horses was scratched on Friday. Muzzling the stewards is ridiculous.

This is the same racing commission that can’t get it right when it comes to paying out purses at Monmouth. The payments have been on hold for a month and a half while waiting for Truesdail Laboratories to report back to the commission on the drug tests that have been administered.

The New Jersey Racing Commission needs to do a better job.

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