“We've got a ton of great support for the horse, from Eclipse Award-winning owner-breeders to successful commercial breeders,” said Ingordo. “We went out and bought five mares to support him, spending $4.5 million to do so. The book is a phenomenal first-season book, and it's hard to name all the good mares going to him. I have chosen just a few here, and we have just scratched the surface. It's such a deep, exciting group, both young mares off the track and proven producers like Queen Caroline, the dam of 2-year-old champion Forte (Violence).”

Ingordo said that a lot of thought went into what the champion's book size would be, and that many factors had to be balanced before a decision was reached by the Lane's End team, which included Bill Farish, Ingordo, Jill McCully, Chris Knehr and Bill's son, Will Farish III.

“We've committed to keeping him right at 150 mares,” said Ingordo. “We felt at the price for which we're standing him, that's a fair number. We need him to have enough mares that he has a chance, but we don't want people breeding to the horse at a very high stud fee to think they don't have exclusivity. The Lane's End policy and that of everyone in the ownership group has never favored big books, and that's how we agreed upon that number.”

With that in mind, Ingordo kicks off Flightline's book with two mares from one of the world's best operations: Juddmonte.

OBLIGATORY (5, Curlin-Uno Duo, by Macho Uno). Obligatory is a maiden mare by Curlin from one of their very, very deep families that they have curated for so long. She's the winner of the GI Derby City Distaff S., and a multiple graded stakes winner who placed in filly classics like the [GI] Acorn S. and the [GI] Cotillion S., amongst other races. She is the typical great Juddmonte race filly and this offspring will obviously go into their racing stable. We're very excited to have a mare like this.

PAULASSILVERLINING (11, Ghostzapper-Seeking the Silver, by Grindstone). Paulassilverlining is the other mare Juddmonte is sending us. She is the winner of the GI Humana Distaff S. at Churchill and the GI Madison S. at Keeneland. She placed in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Paulassilverlining has already produced Artorius (Arrogate) as her first foal, who was a nice late-developing 3-year-old that looks like he could be a force either sprinting or in the handicap ranks next year. She is a Juddmonte mare they purchased for Arrogate in the past, and to get her in Flightline's book is nice.

ROYAL FLAG (7, Candy Ride {Arg}-Sea Gull, by Mineshaft). From Lane's End, we're breeding one of our best maiden mares off the track, Royal Flag. She is a third-generation mare from Mr. Farish's breeding program. She won the GII Beldame S. and the GIII Shuvee S. and was placed in the GI Personal Ensign S. Royal Flag is a great physical and we love the cross with Flightline over Candy Ride mares or Gun Runner mares, because Candy Ride over Tapit seems to be working well, so we're doing that cross here. She's a beautiful maiden mare owned by Mr. Farish who is a half-sister to the very promising Lane's End first-crop 2-year-old sire of 2023, Catalina Cruiser.

QUEEN CAROLINE (10, Blame-Queens Plaza, by Forestry). Befitting Flightline–the co-highest rated horse in history along with Frankel, and now Horse of the Year–we are breeding him to the mare who produced the three-time Grade I winner and champion Forte (Violence). Forte is an exceptional prospect for the classics as well as down the road as a stallion, and so that Queen Caroline is going to Flightline is exciting. Her pedigree goes back to horses that Mr. Farish has had his hands on, like Jeano, and champions Folklore and Essential Quality hail from this family. That Queen Caroline is now coming to the most important stallion we've ever retired brings this pedigree back into association with the farm. There are three champions under the first four dams and we're very excited about having her in the book.

DELIGHTFUL QUALITY (14, Elusive Quality-Contrive, by Storm Cat). Speaking of the family of Queen Caroline, Flightline will be bred to Delightful Quality, a daughter of Elusive Quality and the dam of Essential Quality, by Tapit. Essential Quality, of course, was a champion 2-year-old and 3-year-old, a classic winner of the GI Belmont S., the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the GI Runhappy Travers S., among many other races. This is another mare from the same family as Forte and not a one-hit wonder; she's also the dam of dual stakes winner Famed (Uncle Mo), who looks to be ready to have a good 2023 as well.

SHAMROCK ROSE (8, First Dude-Slew's Quality, by Elusive Quality). We are blessed that the Japanese have taken a strong interest in Flightline and they have committed Shamrock Rose, who was purchased by KI Farm for $3 million at the Keeneland November sale. She was the Champion Female Sprinter of 2018 after winning the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, along with multiple other stakes. We purchased a War Front yearling out of the mare and are quite happy with how he is training at this stage.

JUJU'S MAP (4, Liam's Map-Nagambi, by Flatter).This filly has a big pedigree. She was the winner of the GI Darley Alcibiades S. at two, and was second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. In addition to having a lot of 2-year-old form, she is a beautiful physical, an Albaugh family runner and another exciting young mare off the track that we think really fits Flightline.

BELL'S THE ONE (7, Majesticperfection-Street Mate, by Street Cry). Multiple graded stakes winner. She's the Grade I winner of the Derby City Distaff, and placed in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. She was a tough and durable racemare, campaigned from two to six, with 13 wins. She's also a very pretty filly with a good family with which we have a lot of experience. This is a Ned Evans family, and a mare who I just loved on the track and worked hard to get into his book. I raced her sire Majesticperfection under Padua Stables with Satish Sanan, and thought he was a very underrated stallion, and this is arguably his best offspring to date. I thought she was one of the best fillies out there. She was one of the top mares I wanted to get into his book, and I really like the cross. Sid Fernando at Werk Thoroughbred Consultants was very helpful. We did some research work with him on pedigrees that would work well at the sale, including Bell's The One, and he's been a big help in crafting Flightline's book.

POLLY FREEZE (10, Super Saver-Elusive Gold, by Strike the Gold). Polly Freeze is a proven mare from Hertrich and Fielding, the breeders of Eclipse Award winners. She is the dam of Americanrevolution (Constitution), the winner of the GI Cigar Mile H. with earnings of $1.2 million. She's has a wonderful pedigree. Americanrevolution is by a son of Tapit, so this mating makes a lot of sense. She is also the dam of another winner, Bold Journey (Hard Spun) and I own the 3-year-old, Paleta (Collected), for whom we have high hopes. She's a proven mare with a good family from outstanding breeders.

LITTLEPRINCESSEMMA (17, Yankee Gentleman-Exclusive Rosette, by Ecliptical). From the Summer Wind broodmare band of Flightline's breeder and co-owner Jane Lyon, we have one of her crown jewels, Littleprincessemma, the dam of none other than Triple Crown winner and sire American Pharoah. She is also the dam of Grade I-placed American Cleopatra (Pioneerof the Nile), GI Starlet S. winner Chasing Yesterday (Tapit) and Flightline's paddock mate as a baby, Triple Tap (Tapit).

EDGEWAY (6, Competitive Edge-Magical Solution, by Stormin Fever). A new acquisition on behalf of Summer Wind for Flightline's book was Edgeway, purchased at Keeneland November for $1.7 million. John Sadler thought she was an exceptionally talented filly–a tough runner who raced from three to five for Hronis Racing. She was second in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, and was a multiple graded stakes winner over her three seasons of racing. She comes from a deep family of tough, classy graded stakes runners in New York and California. Flightline always seemed to have an affinity for her; when she was walking around John Sadler's shedrow, he'd always look at her and nicker.

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Some 16 hours later, we got our answer. The unbeaten sensation was retired to the Lane's End stallion barn, where he is already in high demand. Many were saddened to see their hero ride off into the sunset (though I have no doubt he will remain in the headlines for many years to come). However, what those people don't realize is racing still has the hero it needs, and her name is Jane Lyon.

First of all, without Jane, there is no Flightline. Along with her trusted team, Jane picked out his dam Feathered and, in true Jane Lyon fashion, fought off all comers to secure the mare she wanted. The Arkansas native and her brain trust chose Tapit for the mare's 2017 breeding and on March 14, 2018, Flightline was born in a deep bed of straw at Lyon's beautiful Summer Wind Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. I'm sure Lyon was right there to towel the colt off and mark him with her lipstick.

It took more than choosing the right mare and stallion to create Flightline. It was also the top-notch care, extreme attention to detail and, most importantly Jane and her giant heart. She loves every single animal on her property with everything she has, especially her foals, who all get plenty of carrots, kisses and sweet words from their breeder throughout their life at Summer Wind. Jane keeps track of them all long after they leave the farm and welcomes them back home if they ever need a soft place to land.

Jane makes sure everyone in her employ is aware of the kindness she expects her horses to be shown. She always says you can teach horses with sternness and punishment or with love and kindness, and she chooses the latter. Her outlook and endless devotion create horses who are good-minded, very people friendly, smart and kind. Flightline has been described to have all these attributes.

I know what you're thinking. There are plenty of owners and breeders who love their horses and are kind to them. You're right. But I assure you, none of them are like Jane Lyon.

Jane is a bright light in an industry that has been plagued with darkness, especially over the last few years. She always says I oversell her, or I'm biased, when I describe her to others, but I have yet to find one person who disagrees with me. Jane is as kind and generous to people as she is to her animals, always offering a kind word and her signature million-dollar smile to everyone she meets.

Jane happily shares her farm, elite broodmares and regally bred foals with any horse lover, which is how I came to know her. The first time I spoke to Jane was a phone interview after American Pharoah won the Triple Crown. It was just two years into my career, and we had a lovely, 30-minute conversation about her pride and joy Littleprincessemma, after which I realized my recorder had missed it all. Embarrassed, I called back, and Jane graciously went through it all again. I had the pleasure of interviewing Jane a few more times over the next few years, and she was equally gracious each time, always remembering my name. In 2018, the opportunity came to do a story that would bring me to Summer Wind, a dream come true, and she welcomed me with open arms.

The first time I stepped foot on Summer Wind, a farm I now know as well as my own neighborhood, it was just six weeks after Flightline was born. I can't say I remember him from that day or knew I was looking at a future superstar as my focus was on his barnmate Triple Tap, a half-brother to my hero at the time, American Pharoah. What I did know however, is I was among greatness at Summer Wind, both human and equine.

Jane Lyon & Flightline | Sarah Andrew

I ended up spending the entire day with Jane, even witnessing the foaling of Princess Arabella's 2018 Union Rags colt. Long after the interview had ended, we chatted away like old friends. It is an anomaly among horsewomen. When they recognize a kindred spirit whose passion for horses burns as bright as their own, it bonds them instantly and that is what happened that fateful day in Georgetown.

Ever since that day, Summer Wind has become a regular stop on my frequent trips to Kentucky. I spend at least one day of my trip driving through the farm with Jane looking at (and feeding carrots to) racing's past and future stars, wondering which of the beautiful foals before me will be the next McKinzie, Moonshine Memories, Chasing Yesterday, Game Winner or Flightline.

While neither Jane, myself, nor anyone else could have ever predicted Flightline would become what he did, it does not surprise me that a horse like that came off Jane's farm. And, in my opinion, there is no one that deserves it more.

Jane has faced plenty of adversity throughout her life and has been tested time and time again, but that is her story to tell. What I will tell you though, is she is as fierce as she is kind and doesn't let anything keep her down for long. Jane has put in plenty of time, effort, sweat, tears and, of course, love to get to be the highly respected breeder, and person, she is today.

I've met a lot of great people over the past decade working in this industry, but there is no one like Jane. I have never seen another horsewoman of her stature lay in the stall with a motherless foal and stroke her to sleep, giving her the motherly love she was lacking, like Jane has on more than one occasion. She takes in every stray dog dropped at her doorstep and provides them a dream life. She claims any Summer Wind-bred she finds running at a cheap track somewhere and brings them home to live out their days in her retirement field. She opens her door and her heart to anyone I or any other friend asks to bring along for a one-of-a-kind day at Summer Wind (as well as the Littleprincessemma fans who reach her office manager). She cooks for three people as if she has 10 coming for dinner, so she can also feed her staff as a mother feeds her children. She will go above and beyond to help anyone in need and always puts others before herself.

Jane's most endearing quality is her humility. In fact, she will probably hate that I spent so many words gushing over her in such a public forum, but I assure you all, every one of them is true and well deserved.

The other day, a friend of mine, who has met Jane on two occasions now, said, “the world doesn't deserve Jane,” after I told her a heart-warming anecdote about Jane from earlier that day. I told the same story to another friend, whom I brought along for one of those very special Summer Wind days, and her response was, “we need more people like Jane in this world.” They both could not be more right.

Jane is one of the few truly kind, genuine and selfless people left in this world. When things in the industry get a bit dark and I begin to get discouraged, I look to Jane and see everything that is good in this sport. She gives me hope and reminds me why I love racing.

So, while I'll miss seeing Flightline on the racetrack as much as everyone else, I'm just so glad those of us in racing still have a hero among us in Jane Lyon. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what she gives us next.

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MGISW WEDDING TOAST SON DEBUTS AT CHURCHILL
10th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 6.5f, 7:23 p.m. ET
Godolphin's WORDS OF WISDOM (Tapit) kicks off for trainer Brad Cox following a string of workmanlike moves, including the latest a five-furlong work in 1:01 4/5 (20/42) at Churchill Oct. 29. The homebred is the second foal out of Wedding Toast (Street Sense), winner of four graded stakes, including the GI Beldame Invitational S. and GI Ogden Phipps S. while banking over $1.4 million under the care of Kiaran McLaughlin. Also getting his start is Willis Horton Racing's Rider's Special (Union Rags), a $425,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida sale buy–the second-highest priced colt by the sire this season. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the April foal is out of unraced Fastbridled (Unbridled's Song), a great-granddaughter of undefeated champion older mare and blue-hen mare Personal Ensign. Lori Gervais and West Point Thoroughbred's Keen Heir (Keen Ice) is unveiled by Dallas Stewart. A $225,000 purchase at last spring's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale, the chestnut is the highest-priced offspring by the freshman stallion this season. Gold Square LLC's Cyberknife (Gun Runner), a $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling grad, returns after being disqualified from an apparent debut victory going a sixteenth shorter over this track Sept. 25. The Brad Cox trainee loses the blinkers for this return. TJCIS PPs

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By top sire Tapit out of Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman, Triple Tap was head and head with early leader Eyes Open around the turn and easily gained the advantage at the top of the stretch.  With Prat employing just one backhanded tap of the stick to his right shoulder, Triple Tap appeared to level in the final furlong in an effort that evoked memories of Baffert's 2018 Triple Crown Champ, Justify, who made his rollicking seven furlong debut on Feb. 18, 2018 at the same distance.

Perhaps equally as important as the way he handled the seven furlongs, was the fact he galloped out far in front of the field, approximately 80 yards in front of his competition at the seven furlong pole.

“It went well and he rated kindly,” said Baffert.  “When Prat asked him to go, he took off.  He looked like he was in control of the race and Flavien worked him the other day for me and he really loved him. He usually doesn't say too much.

“When he came back, he said it was nothing for him, he was just getting going here in the end, so that's good sign.”

So, is the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby next on the agenda?

“It's going to be a little difficult, the thing is, we don't (want) to rush him, so we're not even thinking about that right now…I want to get this race out of the way and then we're gonna talk about it and figure out what we're gonna do.

“He won nice, it looks like he can go two turns easily, I just like what I saw today.  I really didn't want to go seven eighths with him.  The further the better with him…I gotta thank track management here for letting us run these great horses in short fields.”

Owned and bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Equine, Triple Tap paid $2.40 to win as his stablemate Barraza ran on for the place in a field of four sophomores.

“He broke well, we were right with the leader, which was good,” said Prat, fresh off of a remarkable six-win day on Friday.  “It felt like he was just starting to stretch his legs and he galloped out strong.”

Fractions on the race were 23.31, 46.63 and 1:10.97.

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The 3-year-old son of Tapit will race as a homebred for Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Equine, and he is trained by Bob Baffert, who also saddled American Pharoah to a Horse of the Year campaign in 2015. He will be ridden by jockey Flavien Prat.

The colt has been putting in steady workouts for Baffert since November, turning in times at Los Alamitos, and later Santa Anita.

Triple Tap is out of 2015 Broodmare of the Year Littleprincessemma, a daughter of Yankee Gentleman who sold to Summer Wind Farm for $2.1 million at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. At that time, American Pharoah was en route to his first Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male, and Littleprincessemma was carrying a full-sibling. The ensuing foal was St. Patrick's Day, a colt who became Group 3-placed in Ireland, and currently stands at stud in Florida.

Triple Tap is a full-brother to Grade 1 winner Chasing Yesterday.

Read more at Daily Racing Form.

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The mare affectionately known as “Emma” followed American Pharoah with his GISP full-sister American Cleopatra; a GSP full-brother named St. Patrick's Day; his Grade I-winning half-sister Chasing Yesterday (Tapit); and an unraced full-brother named Theprinceofthebes. Next in line is Emma's 3-year-old colt Triple Tap (Tapit), who looks to kick his career off on the right hoof in the second race at Santa Anita Saturday for owner/breeder Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Farm and Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert, who trained all of his aforementioned siblings.

“I'm a nervous wreck,” said Lyon. “I did not know Bob [Baffert] was going to run him this quickly. He had said not that long ago that he was taking his time and it would be another month or more. Then he sent me a text the other day that said he was going to crack down on him a bit, which was just before his last work [5f :59 flat (1/68) at Santa Anita Mar. 7] (XBTV video). From what I could see with his work, it looked like [jockey] Flavien [Prat] never touched him.”

Saturday's race is a seven-furlong event for 3-year-olds and up. Triple Tap drew the outside post in this five-horse affair with Prat in the irons.

“I would have preferred to run him six furlongs, but that is the only race that was available, so I think he will be up for it,” Baffert said. “He drew well and it is a short field. He should be ready to run. He still needs racing luck and needs to break well. We should find out a lot about him, but he should be up for the task.”

Triple Tap–who received that name because he shares his Feb. 27 birthday with both his dam and sire–is making what many would consider a belated debut being it is March of his 3-year-old season. Lyon is known for being exceptionally patient and cautious with her horses, tending to them as a loving mother in no hurry to have her children leave the nest. She took her time before sending him to both Eddie Woods and Baffert and gave him extra time when he incurred a minor setback.

“He is late [making it to the races] because he got a minor injury–some bone bruising and a pulled ligament–when he was with Eddie Woods,” Lyon said. “We brought him home and gave him all the time he needed. We very slowly got him back going and sent him down to Bob's team at Los Al [in November].”

It has been all systems go since Triple Tap arrived in Baffert's barn. The strapping chestnut has posted a steady string of works, breezing alongside the likes of GSW Medina Spirit (Protonico) and GSP Freedom Fighter (Violence), among others.

“I have been breezing him with some nice horses and he has been right there,” Baffert said. “He was working heads up with Medina Spirit before Medina ran [second in the GII San Felipe S.] the other day and was holding his own.”

Baffert conditioned Triple Tap's aforementioned siblings for all or part of their careers, including, most recently, his full-sister Chasing Yesterday, who became the first Grade I winner to carry the Summer Wind colors in the GI Starlet S.

When asked how Triple Tap compared to his illustrious siblings, Baffert said, “They are all different. I had Chasing Yesterday, who was nice, but he has more body. I have seen him since he was a baby and he has always been a beautiful horse.”

It was more than his handsome physique that convinced Lyon to keep Triple Tap. As a breeder, the Arkansas native typically keeps well-bred fillies to add to her broodmare band as opposed to colts. But she has been making an exception to that practice recently, starting with Triple Tap, who, in addition to being out of a Lyon's most prized mare, proved to be exceptional right from the start.

“He was very special from day one,” Lyon said. “I thought I would just take a chance with him. He has been a very, very special horse to me. I entertained selling half of him, so I could hang on to him. I had a lot of interest and several offers, but in the end I decided to just keep him myself. If he can run, I can entertain people wanting in on him then.”

The horsewoman continued, “There was a picture that came up on my Facebook just a couple of days ago after his work, it was a memory of Triple Tap as just a little foal. He was standing all by himself in a paddock and you can't see Emma anywhere. He was just standing there looking at the camera and it reminded me of why I kept him. He always had this aura about him and this confidence, like he knew he was somebody. So, I guess we are going to find out if he is.”

Lyon purchased Littleprincessemma for $2.1-million at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. She was carrying a full-brother to American Pharoah, who had just been forced to miss the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile with a foot issue, but had already done enough to clinch the Eclipse award for top 2-year-old male.

The resulting foal was St. Patrick's Day, who is the only one of Emma's foals that Lyon has parted with since purchasing her, selling the colt privately to Coolmore. Next came Lyon's beloved Chasing Yesterday, who recently produced her first foal, a Curlin filly. She was followed by Theprinceofthebes, another full-brother to American Pharoah, who is now 4-years-old.

“I ended up keeping the full-brother to American Pharoah, kind of by default, because he crushed a growth plate in a front ankle,” Lyon said. “We hoped that he could make it [to the races] and he showed us a lot of promise [in his training], but he got another injury and we just brought him home, so he will be here. I keep hoping maybe somebody will want to breed to him.”

Following Triple Tap, Emma produced a pair of Tapit fillies, the 2-year-old Lasting Tribute and the yearling Sunrise Service. Both will remain with Lyon and Lasting Tribute is currently in Ocala, beginning her training with Woods. Emma is expecting a full-brother to Triple Tap in April.

“I have only bred Emma to Tapit since she produced Triple Tap because the foals have just been so beautiful, athletic and basically problem free,” Lyon said. “If in fact, Triple Tap can live up to even what his sister [Chasing Yesterday] did, I think that it would be very hard for me to go anywhere else with the mare. It seems to be a cross that–at least physically–is working with Emma.”

Lyon will be in attendance at Santa Anita Saturday to see for herself if Triple Tap can follow in his beloved sister's–or maybe even half-brother's–hoofprints. With those bloodlines and Baffert at the helm, anything is possible. Let's not forget, Justify did not make his debut until Feb. 18 of his sophomore season and Arrogate made his first racetrack appearance Apr. 17 of his 3-year-old year. As Lyon said, “There is always hope.”

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