Tag: john sadler

Flightline Works at Santa Anita, To Ship to Kentucky Sunday

The brilliant and unbeaten MGISW Flightline (Tapit), who figures to be the prohibitive favorite for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Nov. 5, worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 Saturday morning at Santa Anita prior to a scheduled Sunday flight to Lexington. The work was his fifth consecutive on a Saturday morning dating back to Sept. 24. As per usual, Flightline was accompanied by a pony and ridden by his regular work partner, trainer John Sadler's assistant Juan Leyva, before sunrise. Leyva wears a light on his helmet to help Sadler's team keep sight of the work.

Set down at the five-furlong pole, Flightline clicked off splits of :12 flat, 23.80, 35.80, and 59.80, then galloped out seven furlongs in 1:24.20, a mile in 1:37.20, and nine furlongs in 1:51 flat.

“This was just like his last work at Del Mar (before the Sept. 3 GI Pacific Classic) when he went out a mile in 37 and change, which is what he did today,” said Sadler. “When I talked to Juan this morning, I essentially told him, we're not doing anything different. We're just going to breeze him like he's been breezing, which, sensational is the norm for him.”

Sadler continued, “He's always worked well. More people are watching now, but he's never worked anything other than really well. This was just what we wanted… We can do more or less and just hope he bounces out of it good.”

A triple Grade I winner owned by the partnership of Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing LLC, Flightline is undefeated in five starts and has won each by large margins–a combined 62 3/4 lengths–in a manner which suggests he has much more to give. The 126 Beyer Speed Figure he earned in the Pacific Classic is the best number given a horse since 2004 and his negative 8 1/2 Thoro-Graph number is the fastest ever assigned to a horse.

“He ships tomorrow [Sunday], early, at two in the morning and flies out of Ontario,” said Sadler. “Rene Quinteros will accompany him on the van to Ontario and Cesar Aguilar will meet him in Louisville. He'll then van over to Keeneland tomorrow afternoon.

“He'll have one breeze at Keeneland, one week from today, pending weather. It would be a lesser work, five (furlongs) in a minute is usually what he does… Just kinda cruise around there. His groom, Adolfo Correa, and the other guys will fly back tonight and get there ahead of the horse.”

Flightline is scheduled to stand at Lane's End Farm upon retirement, but connections have not committed to retiring him after the Breeders' Cup. Sadler has alluded to a possible start in the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream as a next target.

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Flightline Remains ‘Right on Point’

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) continued his march towards the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Saturday morning with another strong breeze at Santa Anita, where he worked five furlongs but was credited with six panels in 1:12.40 (1/2).

“He's right on point,” said trainer John Sadler following the 6:35 a.m. drill. “I had him in a 1:00 2/5. He went the first eighth in :12 1/5, the half in :48, five eighths in a 1:00 2/5 and he went out six furlongs in 1:12 3/5 and seven eighths in 1:25 4/5.”

The $1-million FTSAUG yearling was last seen airing in the GI TVG Pacific Classic S. Sept. 3 by nearly 20 lengths.

“This was perfect, it was a good work, nothing serious,” Sadler added. “The next two (on Oct. 15 and 22), we'll get a little more serious, but he was impressive today… He's right on schedule.”

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Flightline Back at it in Arcadia

While his main locally based rivals were gearing up for the GI Awesome Again S. Saturday afternoon, unbeaten superstar Flightline (Tapit) continued his march towards the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup Classic with another strong breeze at Santa Anita. The 'TDN Rising Star', last seen dropping jaws in the Sept. 3 GI TVG Pacific Classic S. to go five-for-five lifetime, covered five furlongs in 1:00.40 (11/59) under John Sadler's assistant trainer Juan Leyva (Click for video via XBTV).

“He went nice and easy, no heavy lifting,” Sadler said. “We've got plenty of time. There was a pretty large group on hand to watch him. We're just trying to embrace everything, lean into it… This opportunity doesn't come around very often. He's doing really well and we'll be working every Saturday.”

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Hronis and Sadler Team Up for Course Record with Bran in Turf Sprint

It turns out Flightline (Tapit) isn't only fast horse Hronis Racing has in the John Sadler barn, as Bran (Fr) (Muhaarar {GB}) set a new course record of 1:07.41 for the six furlongs of the GII FanDuel Turf Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs. A “Win and You're In” event for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, the $1 million race was being contested for the 24th time and was Sadler's first win at the Franklin, Ky. track after just a handful of starts.

At 11-1, Bran broke uneventfully and sat mid-pack between rivals in the 11-horse field as a first quarter unfurled in :21.51 with Artemus Citylimits (Temple City) steering the ship. Moving well off the turn after a half in :43.97, Bran split horses while wide with his sights on the leader as he drove to the wire. He swapped to his wrong lead down the impossibly long stretch, caught Artemus Citylimits late, and hit the wire a neck in front.

“My horse was beautiful before the race,” said winning rider Vincent Cheminaud. “I was a little bit relaxed from the start. I followed the horse that was in front of me, my horse was very good at the finish, and he finished strong.

“The trainer told me he was very good to win today, and now we won it. I'm very happy. This was only the second time that I've ridden for John Sadler, and the other time was on this horse. I won a very good race for him. This track is like Europe for me, it's not the same track, but to ride a good horse, it's more easy.”

Bran had a respectable career in France, getting four wins under the tutelage of M. Delcher-Sanchez before shipping stateside after bloodstock agent Shawn Dugan purchased him for €80,000 at the Arqana October sale last fall. He debuted for Sadler Jan. 1 of this year with a third in the GII Joe Hernandez S., then added wins in the GIII Daytona S. and the Siren Lure S., both at Santa Anita, as well as placings in the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint S. at Churchill Downs and the Wickerr S. at Del Mar.

“I think people maybe underestimated him a little bit [in the Turf Sprint], but they forget how good his race was at Churchill,” said Sadler from Lexington, where he was preparing for the upcoming Keeneland September sale. “That was a really good second at Churchill. I thought he was a good fit for this. Remember, when we're talking about Santa Anita, he's run six on the flat and he's run 6 1/2 down the hill. So he's had good experience, then you throw in what they do in Europe, where the courses are different. So all those little things made a good vibe for the horse going there.”

Pedigree Notes:

English and French highweighted, as well as a winner of four Group 1 races, Muhaarar (GB) is the sire of 15 black-type winners from his four crops to date. Seven of those are group/graded winners for the son of Oasis Dream (GB), who stands at Shadwell's Nunnery Stud in England. Bran is out of the King's Best (70 stakes winners out of his daughters) mare Best Intent (GB), who has a 2-year-old filly named Atakama (Fr) and a yearling colt, both by Le Havre (Ire). Best Intent's dam, herself a GSW & G1SP in France, is a half to four Group winners, including French champions Coup de Genie (Mr. Prospector) and Machiavellian (Mr. Prospector), as well as additional French G1 winner Exit to Nowhere (Irish River {Fr}).

Saturday, Kentucky Downs
FANDUEL TURF SPRINT S.-GII, $648,640, Kentucky Downs, 9-10, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:07.41 (NCR), fm.
1–BRAN (FR), 125, g, 4, by Muhaarar (GB)
               1st Dam: Best Intent (GB), by King's Best
               2nd Dam: Hydro Calido, by Nureyev
               3rd Dam: Coup de Folie, by Halo
(€36,000 Ylg '19 AROYRG; €80,000 3yo '21 ARARC). O-Hronis
Racing LLC; B-Lordship Stud (FR); T-John W. Sadler; J-Vincent
Cheminaud. $320,540. Lifetime Record: 21-7-4-4, $678,932.
Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Artemus Citylimits, 121, g, 5, Temple City–Dene Court, by
City Zip. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($25,000 RNA Wlg '17
KEENOV; $34,000 Ylg '18 FTKFEB; $60,000 RNA 4yo '21
FTKHRA; $85,000 4yo '21 EASDEC). O-Paradise Farms Corp.,
David Staudacher & Michael Dubb; B-Gunpowder Farms LLC
(ON); T-Michael J. Maker. $103,400.
3–Arrest Me Red, 125, c, 4, Pioneerof the Nile–Maraschino
Red, by Medaglia d'Oro. O-Lael Stables; B-M. Roy Jackson (KY);
T-Wesley A. Ward. $94,000.
Margins: NK, 1, 1 3/4. Odds: 11.78, 10.56, 1.05.
Also Ran: Front Run the Fed, Charcoal, Arzak, Totally Boss, Chewing Gum, Chasing Artie, Johnny Unleashed, Bob's Edge. Scratched: A C Expressway, Gregorian Chant (GB), Necker Island, Torontotoro. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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