With Triple-Digit Beyer, Sky’s The Limit for Flightline

The fastest 3-year-old in training will not be found in the field for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby.

In one of the most impressive debuts turned in by a 3-year-old colt in years, 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) not only won Saturday's maiden special weight at Santa Anita by 13 1/4 lengths, he earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure (video). Based on the numbers, that makes him faster than any of the 20 horses lining up for the Derby. His stablemate, Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}), earned a 100 Beyer when winning the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, which gives him the only triple digit Beyer number in the expected field. Life Is Good (Into Mischief) earned a 107 when winning the GII San Felipe S., but has been sidelined.

“We really thought the world of him, but you never really know until they get on the racetrack,” said co-owner Kosta Hronis. “He travels really well. He makes it look really easy and he kind of floats over the track. He does things effortlessly. We think he has a bright future and looks like a special colt.”

Flightline broke on top in his debut and reeled off an opening quarter-mile in :21.59 seconds, but seemed to be going easily. With Flavien Prat aboard, he started to draw away on the turn and kept extending his lead, even though Prat wrapped up on him well before the wire. His final time for the six furlongs was 1:08.75.

“Flavien said he really did it so easily and that he was not even breathing hard,” Hronis said.

Hronis Racing owns Flightline along with Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing.

Due to the belated debut, Flightline is not in line to run in any of the Triple Crown races. The major summer stakes for 3-year-olds could be on his schedule, but Hronis said that the owners and trainer John Sadler have not mapped out any plans for their rising star.

“He runs so fast, so we'd like to keep things spaced out,” Hronis said. “Since it was just his first race, we'll just see when he's ready to come back. When he's ready to go, I'm sure we can find a 3-year-old colt race where he will fit right in. But, no, we don't really have anything targeted at this point.”

Flightline, a $1-million purchase from the Lane's End consignment at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, suffered through a setback last year just prior to when he was scheduled to be sent to Sadler's Santa Anita barn, the reason why he didn't debut until Saturday.

“About a week before he was scheduled to come to California, he cut himself,” Hronis said. “He has a scar on his butt on his right hind. They had to stitch him up. It was just something that happened at the barn and nobody really knows what happened or how he did it. But that set him back. Because we always thought he was a special colt, we gave him 60 days off to let him heal up right.”

Had Sadler been more aggressive, he might have been able to get Flightline to the races in January or February, which would have given him enough time to make the Derby. Hronis said that was not anything the connections ever considered.

“That's just not our style,” he said. “We like to be really patient and let the horse tell us when they are ready. Would having him in the Derby be fun? Yes, it would have, but at same time you don't want to do anything to jeopardize their careers. It is the Sadler-Hronis philosophy. We like to be patient and let the horse tell us when they are ready to go. We're never going to push them.”

Over the last many years, the Hronis Brothers have been among the most successful owners in the sport, but most of their biggest wins have come with older horses. Rock Your World will be their first Kentucky Derby starter.

“We bought a lot of nice yearlings in the past, like [Eclipse Award and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner] Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky),” Hronis said. “They just came around a little slower. Rock Your World developed and matured a little faster than ones we've had in the past. We haven't changed our buying or training philosophy. These ones just happened to come along faster than ones we've had in the past. To get a 3-year-old to be able to run a mile-and-a-quarter the first week in May is not easy.”

Bloodstock agent David Ingordo said he had had his eye on him for some time before signing the ticket at Saratoga.

“Lane's End handles a lot of the sales for Jane Lyon out at Summer Wind,” said Ingordo. “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 and a bay, 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.”

Fast-forward to August, and Ingordo was on a Tex Sutton plane with a load of horses when they hit turbulence.

“The guys asked if I could go back and grab a horse, so I grabbed the first horse and I was standing there and I looked at him and said, 'oh, there you are.' I only realized he was there when I was holding him on the plane. He was an expensive colt, but it all worked out in the end.”

Spending $1 million on a yearling is also something that hasn't been in the Hronis playbook.

“We spent that much money because we knew we were going to partner up,” Hronis said. “The seven figures was not just us. We would never do that by ourselves. It's too big of a risk. I've seen a lot of $1-million horses in $20,000 claiming races. The fact that the breeder, Summer Wind, stayed in is important. That showed that they believed in him, too. When you have partners like we do, it's easier to absorb that kind of horse.”

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Is Triple Tap the Next Heir to the Throne?

Littleprincessemma (Yankee Gentleman) may not have done much on the racetrack, but she has proven to be quite a blue hen in her broodmare career. All five of her foals to race are winners and four of them are graded stakes performers, topped by her second foal, Triple Crown winner and three-time champion American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile).

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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Oct. 25 Insights

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

BROWN & KLARAVICH UNVEIL LATEST EUROPEAN IMPORT

5th-BEL, $80K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6fT, 2:49p.m.
Klaravich Stables’ 400,000gns TATOCT purchase MILESTONE PAYMENT (IRE) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) makes her career bow in New York for trainer Chad Brown Saturday. Out of SW & MGSP Boastful (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}), the gray is a half-sister to stakes winner Stage Play (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Their dam is a half to Irish Highweight Lesson in Humility (Ire) (Mujadil), who is the dam of GSW & GISP Tiger Moth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Jack Swain went to $250,000 to acquire Actually (Speightstown), a filly from a deep Alexander-Groves family, who debuts in this test. A half-sister to MGSW Campaign (Curlin), the chestnut hails from the family of two-time champion Covfefe (Into Mischief); Grade I winners Arch (Kris S.) and Acoma (Empire Maker); as well as graded winners Festival of Light (A.P. Indy) and Albiano (Harlan’s Holiday). TJCIS PPs

PAIR OF RISING STARS FACE OFF IN CHURCHILL ALLOWANCE

5th-CD, $87K, Opt. Clm. ($75K), 2yo, 1 1/16m, 3:03 p.m.
A pair of ‘TDN Rising Stars’ STAYIN’ OUT LATE (Tapit) and Superman Shaq (Shackleford) face off while trying winners for the first time at Churchill. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Stayin’ Out Late went wire-to-wire to graduate by 7 3/4 lengths in his sprint debut at this venue Sept. 18. Out of GSW Graeme Six (Graeme Hall), the chestnut is a full to GSW Delightful Joy; and a half to SW Seymourdini (Bernardini) and GSW Cali Star (Street Cry {Ire}). A $230,000 FTKOCT yearling purchase, Superman Shaq summoned $550,000 at OBS April after breezing in :20 3/5. Off the board in his career bow at Del Mar Aug. 8, the chestnut graduated decisively in a 5 1/2-panel event there Sept. 6. Superman Shaq’s biggest claim to fame, however, is that he is a half-brother to champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar). He is also a half to GSW and fellow ‘Rising Star’ Mr. Monomoy (Palice Malace). TJCIS PPs

FIRST FOAL OUT OF CAVORTING DEBUTS AT CHURCHILL

6th-CD, $85K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 3:36 p.m.
CLAIRIERE (Curlin), the first foal out of three-time Grade I winner, multi-millionaire and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Cavorting (Bernardini), debuts in this test for trainer Steve Asmussen. A daughter of GSW Promenade Girl (Carson City), Cavorting is a half-sister to GSW Moon Colony (Uncle Mo) and MGSP ‘TDN Rising Star’ Thirstforlife (Stay Thirsty). TJCIS PPs

 STONESTREET BLUE-BLOOD MAKES CAREER BOW BENEATH TWIN SPIRES

7th-CD, $85K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 4:06 p.m.
Stonestreet Stables homebred LA BURNETT (Bernardini) makes her first trip to the post in this event for Mark Casse. Barbara Banke’s operation purchased the filly’s dam Comedy (Theatrical {Ire}) for $1.5-million in foal to Tapit at the 2015 KEENOV sale. She has already produced the likes of the late Grade I winner Taris (Flatter), MSW & GSP Theatre Star (War Front) and SW Stoweshoe (Flatter). TJCIS PPs

MCPEEK SADDLES ‘ROYALLY’-BRED FIRSTER

11th-CD, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 6:06 p.m.
Recent GI Preakness S.-winning trainer Ken McPeek saddles a well-bred first timer in ROYAL TRYST (Medaglia d’Oro). The $500,000 KEESEP buy is out of Belle Watling (Pulpit), who was purchased by Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Farm for $1.05-million with this colt in utero at the 2017 KEENOV sale. Her previous produce includes MGSW War Story (Northern Afleet) and GSW & MGISP Land Over Sea (Bellamy Road). This is also the family of champion Epitome (Summing) and MGSW Essence of Dubai (Pulpit). TJCIS PPs

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McKinzie Retired to Gainesway

Four-time Grade I winner McKinzie (Street Sense–Runway Model, by Petionville) has been retired from racing and will stand stud at Gainesway in 2021, the farm announced Wednesday evening.

“McKinzie was absolutely brilliant. He was an undefeated Grade I winner at two, as well as a multiple Grade I winner and top-rated horse at three and four years of age,” Brian Graves, General Manager of Gainesway, said. “His speed, precocity and good looks make him an absolute standout.”

Purchased by Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman for $170,000 at Keeneland September, the bay was named in honor of trainer Bob Baffert’s late longtime friend Brad McKinzie, a Los Alamitos executive. Tabbed a ‘TDN Rising Star’ for his debut win at Santa Anita in 2017, he crossed the line second in that year’s GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity S., but was promoted to first via DQ.

Kicking off his sophomore season with a win in the 2018 GIII Sham S., McKinzie was second in the GII San Felipe S. that March and was subsequently shelved. Resurfacing that September, he won the GI Pennsylvania Derby and failed to fire in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, but rebounded with a decisive win in the GI Malibu S. Second in both the 2019 GII San Pasqual S. and GI Santa Anita H., the colt was ultra-impressive when winning the GII Alysheba S. and was a close second in a salty renewal of the GI Met Mile last summer. A decisive victor of the GI Whitney S., the Baffert runner completed the exacta in both the GI Awesome Again S. and Breeders’ Cup Classic.

McKinzie made four starts this year with his best effort being a good-looking victory in the GII Triple Bend S. He retires with a record of 18-8-6-0 and earnings of $3,473,360.

“From day one, McKinzie has just been exceptional,” said Baffert. “He is a gorgeous physical with brilliant speed and stamina. I’ve only had one other horse in my career that has been able to accomplish what he’s done by winning a Grade I at two, three, and four. It takes an extraordinary horse to achieve that.”

Bred in Kentucky at Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Farm, McKinzie is out of MGSW and MGISP Runway Model, who was purchased by Lyon for $2.7-million at the 2006 KEENOV sale. Her most recent foal is the 3-year-old filly Map Maker (Liam’s Map). Runway Model has been retired from the breeding shed, but one of her older fillies Malibu Model (Malibu Moon) has now taken up broodmare duties at Summer Wind in her place.

“McKinzie is the best son of Street Sense, his Ragozin sheet numbers are as impressive as I have seen and to maintain that speed and soundness over multiple seasons takes an absolute superstar,” said Sean Tugel, Gainesway’s Director of Stallion Sales and Recruitment. “He has everything you want in a stallion prospect.”

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