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Sadler ‘Feeling Very Good’ About Undefeated Flightline’s Chances In Malibu

Flightline was racing's worst-kept secret when he made his debut on April 24 at Santa Anita.

The precocious $1 million son of Tapit was favored at 9-10 and won the six-furlong sprint by 13 ¼ lengths. His salient supporters pressed their luck at 20 cents to the dollar next out, an optional claiming race also at six furlongs, this at Del Mar Sept. 5

He won by 12¾ lengths.

Next up: the prestigious Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on opening day Sunday, Dec. 26.

Toward that goal, Flightline worked five furlongs at 6:30 Sunday morning in 1:00.20 under regular rider Flavien Prat.

“He went real well in a minute flat and galloped out (seven furlongs) in (one) 25,” said trainer John Sadler. “He just cruised around there in his last work before the race.

“I'm feeling very good about his chances,” added Sadler, who conditions the bay colt for owners Hronis Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds. “We're hoping it's Christmas on the 26th.

“He's trained up to the race super; we've had our eye on the Malibu for a couple of months. It's the right conditions, 3-year-olds, a Grade 1 at seven-eighths which we think is going to be a good distance for him.

“It will be his first time against better horses but we're excited about the challenge.”

On paper, the obvious competition would appear to come from Dr. Schivel, winner of five straight races including two Grade 1's before suffering an excruciating nose defeat in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 6.

Flightline will be the Malibu's post time favorite, with Dr. Schivel, favored in four of eight starts, relegated to second choice.

Prat has ridden Dr. Schivel in his last five starts and Flightline in his two races, but stays with the latter in the Malibu.

“That's a definite,” Sadler said.

Dr. Schivel worked this morning for the Malibu, going a half-mile in 48.20 for trainer Mark Glatt. Opening Day entries were taken this morning and will be available later in the day at santaanita.com

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Tizamagician Will Try To Go One Better In Tokyo City Cup

Second in last year's renewal, Richard Mandella's talented Tizamagician heads Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita. To be contested at the marathon distance of a mile and one half, the Tokyo City has attracted a field of five older horses.

A close second early, Tizamagician tired to finish fifth, beaten four lengths in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at a mile and one quarter on March 6. A solid second, beaten 3 ¼ lengths two starts back in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at a mile and one eighth Jan. 30, Tizamagician has been facing tough horses and rates top billing on Sunday.

With his most recent win coming in a mile and one sixteenth allowance three starts back on Jan. 2, Tizamagician tried front-running tactics in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup four starts back on Sept. 27, but had to settle for second money, finishing 7 ¼ lengths behind Cupid's Claws.

Owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, LLC, Tizamagician, a 4-year-old colt by Tiznow, will hope for clear sailing on the lead under leading man Flavien Prat, who will be aboard for the first time. With an overall mark of 15-3-6-0, Tizamagician has earnings of $227,851.

Although Tizamagician would benefit from an unchallenged early lead, that's unlikely, as the Mark Glatt-trained Zestful, ridden by front-running Edwin Maldonado, will no doubt be sent from the gate as he tries the marathon mile and one half for the first time.

Head and head throughout, Zestful came up a head short as the 9-5 favorite when second in a one mile starter allowance on April 3. Claimed 11 starts back for $40,000 on July 4, 2019 at Pleasanton, Zestful is battle tested at marathon distances, as he led early and finished second, beaten three quarters of a length, in the Grade II Marathon Stakes here at a mile and three quarters, eight starts back on Nov. 1, 2019.

A 6-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Ghostzapper, Zestful will be ridden for the sixth consecutive time by Maldonado, who coaxed a gate to wire allowance win out of him at a mile and one eighth on Nov. 20 at Del Mar.

In the money in 20 out of his 32 starts, Zestful, has 10 wins and one stakes win to his credit, a sixth length triumph going a mile and one quarter in a restricted stakes at Los Alamitos nine races back on Sept. 15, 2019. Out of the Smoke Glacken mare Sweet Relish, Zestful has career earnings of $327,092.

THE GRADE 3 TOKYO CITY CUP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 3 of 9 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT

Multiplier—Ruben Fuentes—124
Ronamo—Umberto Rispoli–120
Tizamagician—Flavien Prat—120
Lure Him In—Juan Hernandez–120
Zestful—Edwin Maldonado—122

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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‘They All Have A Place In My Heart’: Flavien Prat Celebrates 1,000th Career Victory

A budding superstar, French-born Flavien Prat, Santa Anita's reigning Winter/Spring Champion Jockey and current meet leader, registered his 1,000th North American victory in Friday's second race, a 6 ½ furlong starter allowance for fillies and mares, aboard the Jonathan Wong-trained Clockstrikestwelve. Santa Anita's leading Winter/Spring jockey in both 2019-20 and 2016-17, Prat, 28, in an amazing span of roughly six years, has amassed 11 Southern California riding titles and is currently tied for 13th with retired Hall of Famer Donald Pierce on Santa Anita's all-time Winter/Spring stakes-won list with 99 added money victories through this past Monday.

With a three-win day on Monday and 11 wins that included two stakes over the four-day Presidents' Day holiday, Prat entered Friday's festivities with 998 career wins. Victorious in today's opener aboard Bob Baffert's 2-5 favorite Du Jour, Prat wasted little time in reaching number 1,000 as he guided Wong's 3-5 favorite Clockstrikestwelve to a last to first triumph in race two, winning by 2 ¼ lengths.

Born Aug. 4, 1992 in Melun, France, Prat, the son of a trainer, won the 2019 Kentucky Derby via disqualification aboard the William Mott-trained Country House and is currently atop the Santa Anita rider standings with 32 wins, three more than Juan Hernandez, with 25 full days of racing completed. Also in 2019, Prat also became only the third jockey to ever win the Kentucky Derby and Canada's championship race for 3-year-olds, the Queen's Plate, in the same year, joining Bill Hartack (1964) and Kent Desormeaux (1998).

“It means a lot, it's a big achievement,” said Prat following today's second race. “I wasn't dreaming of that when I came here (from France) to be honest with you and I didn't think it would happen so quickly. It felt like yesterday that I got here and started riding…

“(Looking to the future) I hope to do as good as I have done. I don't want to be satisfied with what I've done, I want to try to improve. I think there's room for improvement…It's nice, it's been a lot of support from my family and the trainers and owners, all the connections. It's something I share with everybody. I've been lucky to have been on a lot of good horses…They all have a place in my heart.”

Clockstrikestwelve, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by New Year's Day who had won her last four starts, three of them at Golden Gate Fields, was saddled by trainer Kristin Mulhall and paid $3.20 to win.

Prat, who as a teenager, worked full-time during the winter mornings for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella and split riding time between Santa Anita and his native France, registered his first Santa Anita win at age 17 on Jan. 15, 2010 aboard the Suzanne Rodriguez-trained Heavenly n' Free, who paid $103.40 to win.

In a move that surprised many in the racing industry, Prat announced last week that he was parting company with his longtime agent Derek Lawson and that he had hired veteran agent Brad Pegram, who will now represent both Prat and Mike Smith.

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