Tag: john sadler

Flightline Settling In at Lane’s End

Lexington, KY – While the Flightline connections have been busy at the Keeneland November Sale assembling a powerhouse group of mares to send to their new stallion, the superstar himself has been settling into his new home at Lane's End Farm.

'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit – Feathered, by Indian Charlie) arrived at the Versailles-based breeding operation less than 24 hours after he cemented his place in history in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Accompanied by John Sadler's assistant and exercise rider Juan Leyva and barn foreman Cesar Aguilar, the undefeated son of Tapit came off the van at around 1:30 on Sunday afternoon and then strode down the barn aisle and into his new stall–which is already embellished with his nameplate–without so much as turning a hair.

“Part of the Flightline team was here to help him get settled in at the farm,” said Lane's End Stallion Seasons team member Chris Knehr. “They did a great job with him for his whole campaign and he's such a great horse to be around.”

Knehr added that Sadler and his crew are welcome back to the farm to visit their former trainee whenever they are in Kentucky.

“It's a credit to Sadler's team that he is the way he is,” Knehr said. “One of the things that is so striking about him is that he's got a very big, very intelligent eye. We've all seen that in really smart horses and Flightline has that. There is a class and an intelligence about him that he can take in the environment and adjust to it.”

This week, Flightline has spent a few hours every morning in the round pen before returning to his stall and relaxing throughout the day. Knehr said that Peter Sheehan, who took on the role of Lane's End Stallion Manager last year, is confident that the big bay will get to go out in his own paddock sometime next week.

“Luckily, because he is smart and is so good to work with, he's done very well with the transition,” Knehr said. “It's just kind of a gradual process of letting him down and getting him used to being a horse again.”

Soon, Flightline will be available for the many breeders clamoring to inspect the new stallion. On Wednesday, it was announced that the 4-year-old will command a fee of $200,000 in his first season.

According to Knehr, their team has already taken a deep dive into analyzing Flightline's pedigree and has sought the help of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants' Sid Fernando to begin sketching out guidelines for the types of mares that would suit him best.

“He has Dynaformer and Storm Cat far enough back to where there are a lot of options with him and the mares that can suit him,” Knehr explained. “From that standpoint, the bottom side of the pedigree allows us to try a couple of different things. Obviously being by Tapit, we can use that formula as well with mares that have worked well with Tapit and even some of his sons at stud.”

Flightline was campaigned through six straight career victories by breeder Summer Wind Equine in partnership with Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing. Many of those connections have been signing tickets on high-profile mare at Keeneland November in the hopes of sending most of those purchases to the new stud.

Summer Wind's newest additions include three-time Grade III winner and last year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint runner-up Edgeway (Competitive Edge) for $1.7 million, SW Park Avenue (Quality Road) for $1.45 million, and Grade III winner Proud Emma (Include), who sold in foal to Charlatan, for $1 million.

With Terry Finley signing the ticket, Gage Hill bought champion Songbird's half-sister Song of Mine (Ghostzapper) for $700,000 and made several more purchases in partnership with Determined Stud including Salty as Can Be (Into Mischief), a half-sister to Grade I victress Salty (Quality Road), for $2 million as well as the winning Empire Maker mare Finding Fame for $575,000.

Earlier this week on Monday, a 2.5% fractional interest in Flightline sold for $4.6 million to kick off the Keeneland November Sale. Knehr said that the results from the auction more than fulfilled the syndicate's expectations.

“I've never seen [the sales pavilion] as packed as it was,” he said. “The final price was beyond our expectations. The idea was to get attention from people outside of the industry as well. He has a national awareness and with the idea of the Metaverse, we wanted to blend some things together and get some interest in that and for the sport in general. We haven't seen a racehorse like this in quite some time. The attention has been incredible, both from a fan standpoint and from the breeders.”

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Please Don’t Retire This Horse

“We need a hero,” owner Kosta Hronis said, overcome with emotion standing in the winner's circle following the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, where Flightline (Tapit) ran one of the greatest races in the long history of the sport.

“We need a champion,” he continued. “We need an undefeated horse. Someone who can go out and do this and that's Flightline.”

In those four short sentences Hronis captured the moment, the sentiment and all the reasons why Flightline needs to be brought back for a 2023 campaign. It's because the sport and everyone who loves it needs and deserves more of the magic that this very special horse delivers every time. To the owners, please put horse racing first and your bank accounts second and give the game what would be nothing less than a precious and cherished gift. Please.

Flightline can make a staggering amount next year as a stallion, far more than he ever could make on the racetrack. His five owners all say they are racing fans first, but they are also businesspeople and racing Flightline next year is just not economically practical. The insurance policy alone that they would have to take out would cost millions. He probably will be retired.

I'm trying not to be naive.

But neither will I give up hope.

The NBC cameras closed in on another owner, Terry Finley, after the race and there was a river of tears rushing down his cheeks. He was experiencing what we all hope to experience in our lives, a feeling of pure exhilaration, pure joy. I am sure the other owners, Hronis, Bill Farish, Jane Lyon and Anthony Manganaro all felt the same way. Perhaps other than the birth of a child, there is nothing else in life that can match this. It is indeed priceless.

Money is nice. Money is important. But Finley is never going to weep for joy after viewing the balance in his bank account. That feeling, those tears, what Terry Finley experienced Saturday, can be replicated maybe four or five times next year with what would no doubt be four or five more sensational performances. Does he or any of the other owners really want to let that go?

I wouldn't be saying that if this weren't a once-in-a-lifetime horse. I wouldn't have said that even with American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) or Justify (Scat Daddy). They were wonderful horses, Triple Crown winners, but Flightine has gone to a place where those horses never went. He doesn't live up to the hype. He smashes it. He makes the impossible seem ordinary.

After he won the GI Pacific Classic by 19 1/4 lengths it seemed Flightline could never surpass that performance. But he did. If ever he was going to be in a fight, this was it. The Classic was loaded and the seven opponents presented a far more difficult challenge than the one he faced out at Del Mar. But it was not a fight. It wasn't even a skirmish. Under his passenger, Flavien Prat, he couldn't have been more dominant. Flightline won by

8 1/4 lengths, turning the final two furlongs into a one-horse race. Once again, Prat never had to shift out of cruise control.

“How do you describe greatness?” trainer John Sadler said. “This is a rare horse. It happens every 20 or 30 years. One of the best American racehorses we've seen in a long, long time. And I'm talking back to Secretariat, Seattle Slew. You go through the list.”

It's hard to compare Flightline to Secretariat because they are horses from two very different eras and Flightline has raced only six times. But Secretariat, it should be remembered, lost twice after his other-worldly performance in the 1973 GI Belmont S. and none of his races after the Belmont quite matched what he did that day when he redefined greatness in the Thoroughbred. Flightline somehow seems to get better with every race.

Who is the greatest ever, Flightline or Secretariat? Let's just say this: they both belong in the conversation.

This sport can get you down. There have been the drug scandals with Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis and the rest. You have far too many groups and individuals trying to submarine the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority. The safety and well-being of the animal, both during and after their careers, remains a constant worry. The struggle to get mainstream attention for the game seems like a never-ending, losing battle. On too many days at too many racetracks the grandstands are empty.

But Saturday, it was like those problems had vanished. In the moment, this was indeed the greatest game that there is and we all remembered why we fell in love with it in the first place. Thank you, Flightline.

“This is really good for the business,” Finley said.

Exactly.

So bring him back. While you're at it, plan out a campaign that doesn't include trips to the Middle East. If this isn't going to be about the money then don't make it about money. Make 2023 a celebration and a celebration of American racing. Put the fans first. Run in the GI Pegasus World Cup, the GI Santa Anita H. Come back in the Pacific Classic. End the year back at Santa Anita in the Classic and let's see if he can win this time by a dozen lengths or more.

Then cash in and send him off to stud.

To ask the connections to run him next year is asking a lot. I understand that. It's just that I don't want to see this end and neither should his owners.

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Flightline Soars in Classic For the Ages

LEXINGTON, KY – You can add horse of a lifetime to the superlatives now, too.

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) ran to his already unworldly reputation, and, dare we say, even more, with a spectacular 8 1/4-length victory in Saturday's $6-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland. Olympiad (Speightstown) and fellow 'Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner) filled out the minors.

“A great win today. He just ran beautiful; just like we thought he could,” said winning trainer John Sadler, who previously put to bed an 0-for-44 mark at the Championships with Accelerate's win in the 2018 Classic.

“This is one of the greatest horses of all time.”

Just as it figured on paper, the 2-5 favorite chased from second as the classy returning GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) sped through punishing fractions of :22.55 and :45.47.

With the field down to seven midway through the backstretch run as top 3-year-old Epicenter (Not This Time) went wrong and was pulled up by Joel Rosario–more to come on the GI Runhappy Travers S. winner–the top two were in a race of their own as Life Is Good let it out a notch to lead by three lengths entering the far turn.

If you thought the place was already rocking from the sustained 20-plus mph winds throughout the day, you hadn't seen nothing yet.

Flightline, still on cruise control, made his move beneath Flavien Prat approaching the quarter pole and the crowd of 45,973 absolutely lost it. Life Is Good, out in the three path with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard, had no response as they straightened, and it was a sight to see from there.

Moving every bit as beautifully as 'Grand Slam' winner American Pharoah was down this same stretch in this race seven years ago, Flightline glided under the line all by himself while stopping the timer for 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.05, just a tick off the track record. Flightline was .02 of a second faster than American Pharoah's Classic.

“I felt like I was in control the whole race,” Prat said after piloting home his fourth winner at the Championships. “Once I broke well and was where I wanted to be, I was in control. You never know what to expect because it's horse racing. Sometimes it doesn't happen the way you think it will. I can't thank John Sadler and [assistant trainer and exercise rider] Juan Leyva enough.”

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 entered the Classic with a Herculean five-for-five record. The combined winning margin of those races was an incredible 62 3/4 lengths.

Flightline's resume was previously headed by a trio of runaway victories in the GI Runhappy Malibu S., GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. and a record-setting 19 1/4-length romp while making his two-turn debut in the GI TVG Pacific Classic S. The latter earned him an astronomic 126 Beyer Speed Figure and a negative 8 1/2 from Thoro-Graph, the fastest number the latter has ever given.

“He's been brilliant,” Sadler said. “Brilliant is his normal. He didn't disappoint. He never has. We're just really thrilled.”

Now, for the question on everyone's mind. Will we see Flightline back for a 5-year-old campaign? Neither co-owner Kosta Hronis or Sadler was quite ready to provide an answer in the post-race press conference.

“The team behind Flightline, I've said this before and I'm going to say it again in front of the world, as blessed as the partnership is to be all together as the partners, to have a horse like Flightline in our lifetime is just unbelievable and great,” Hronis said.

“We're in a partnership. We're very respectful people and we respect the partnership. We'll all get together and discuss it at a later time and decide. We'll always do what's best by the horse. I can promise you that.”

Sadler concluded, “I'll be there in the morning to check him out. And then we'll let him tell us what the best thing is.”

Epicenter Update…

Epicenter was pulled up after sustaining an injury to his right forelimb and was attended to by KHRC Chief Veterinarian Dr. Nick Smith. He walked onto the equine ambulance and was transported to nearby Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. After further evaluation by Dr. Larry Bramlage and his counterparts, Epicenter was found to have sustained a repairable displaced condylar fracture. He will undergo surgery Sunday morning.

Pedigree Notes…

Future Lane's End stallion Flightline becomes the seventh Breeders' Cup winner and first in the Classic for leading sire Tapit. Indian Charlie is also the broodmare sire of Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and champion sprinter Mitole and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Dayoutoftheoffice.

Breeder Jane Lyon bought Flightline's dam Feathered for $2.35 million at the 2016 Keeneland November sale. Feathered produced a 2-year-old full-brother to Flightline named Olivier, who RNA'd for $390,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.

Lyon is planning on racing him in partnership.

The 10-year-old mare also has a yearling colt by Curlin named Eagles Flight, a filly foaled May 17 by Into Mischief, and has been bred back to Tapit.

Flightline hails from a deep Phipps family. His third dam is MGISW Finder's Fee (Storm Cat), a daughter of GISW Fantastic Find (Mr. Prospector).

Saturday, Keeneland
LONGINES BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC-GI, $5,340,000, Keeneland, 11-5, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:00.05, ft.
1–FLIGHTLINE, 126, c, 4, 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
'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.
$3,120,000. Lifetime Record: 6-6-0-0, $4,514,800. Werk Nick
Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Olympiad, 126, c, 4, Speightstown–Tokyo Time, by
Medaglia d'Oro. ($700,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Grandview
Equine, Cheyenne Stable, LLC & LNJ Foxwoods; B-Emory A.
Hamilton (KY); T-William I. Mott. $1,020,000.
3–Taiba, 122, c, 3, Gun Runner–Needmore Flattery, by Flatter.
'TDN Rising Star'. ($140,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT; $1,700,000 2yo
'21 FTFMAR). O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Bruce C Ryan
(KY); T-Bob Baffert. $540,000.
Margins: 8 1/4, HF, 2HF. Odds: 0.44, 26.88, 8.26.
Also Ran: Rich Strike, Life Is Good, Hot Rod Charlie, Happy Saver, Epicenter.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Wednesday’s Breeders’ Cup Report: Early Morning Flight

LEXINGTON, KY – DL689 wasn't the only flight taking off shortly after 6:00 a.m. in Lexington on a brisk Wednesday morning.

Just as that Atlanta-bound, Delta aircraft loudly announced its presence across the way at Blue Grass Airport–you really couldn't have scripted it any better–unbeaten superstar Flightline (Tapit) was one of the first horses to train as the Keeneland main track opened for business beneath the lights.

Under a snug hold and plenty eager to do more, the 3-5 GI Breeders' Cup Classic morning-line favorite was every bit as advertised, rolling down the stretch with beautiful strides beneath Juan Leyva before a good-sized and early rising crowd.

More on the sensational job that the former Breeders' Cup winning-jockey turned John Sadler assistant has done getting the record-setting GI Pacific Classic winner to settle during training hours in our loaded Saturday preview edition.

Fellow contenders for the $6-million centerpiece Life Is Good (Into Mischief) and Olympiad (Speightstown) immediately caught the eye as did the very live GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile-bound Laurel River (Into Mischief) and overwhelming GI Breeders' Cup Sprint favorite Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music).

Both GI Kentucky Derby upsetter Rich Strike (Keen Ice) and GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Oath (Arrogate) were out strutting their stuff in the pre-dawn hours as the mercury hovered in the high 40s. Believe it or not, it's been eight years now since both winners of the two spring Classics at Churchill Downs have lined up in the Breeders' Cup Classic and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Queen's Plate winner Moira (Ghostzapper) toured the purpled-out paddock during the renovation break beneath a dense cloud cover just before daybreak.

Just as he did approaching the first Saturday in May, leading champion 3-year-old candidate Epicenter (Not This Time) couldn't have looked any better during his 1 1/2-mile gallop over the freshly manicured surface just after 8:00 a.m.

With 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) front and center, the 'Aidan O'Brien Army' of seven marched by the grandstand single file along the outer rail as the boss looked on from the backstretch.

After a gate schooling session broadcasted live on FanDuel TV's terrific onsite 'Breakfast at the Breeders' Cup' coverage, 'Future Stars Friday' headliner Cave Rock (Arrogate)–is he the most-likeliest winner on the weekend?–got down to business with an easy gallop as training hours began to wind down.

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