‘Flightline Fever.’ Undefeated superstar leaves no doubt in winning Breeders’ Cup Classic.
A racehorse known at this time last year by only his handlers and the sport’s most ardent supporters announced his presence to anyone still not paying attention Saturday by easily outdistancing a field of seven challengers to win the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in front of a sellout crowd at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.
Flightline, the undefeated winner of five career races entering the 39th annual Classic, made it six in a row by 8 1/4 lengths over second-place Olympiad. Next came Bob Baffert-trained Taiba and 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike in the 1 ¼-mile race.
“We all have Flightline Fever,” Terry Finley, president of part-owner West Point Thoroughbreds, told NBC Sports right before post time.
The capacity crowd at Keeneland, announced at 45,973, concurred, roaring with approval as Flightline put away his only challenger, Life Is Good, at the top of the stretch and ran off by himself to the finish — the largest margin of victory ever in a Breeders’ Cup Classic.
That crowd, and a national TV audience on NBC, witnessed the final time Flightline will dazzle on the racetrack. On Sunday morning, Lane’s End Farm announced the Breeders’ Cup Classic champion will be retired from racing after only six career starts and begin his breeding career next year at the farm outside Versailles.
The 3-5 morning-line favorite to win one of America’s richest races entered Saturday’s event having won his five races by an astounding 62 ¾ lengths all told. Jockey Flavien Prat rode the winner Saturday evening for trainer John Sadler.
Flightline went off at 2-5 from the No. 4 post and soon established himself among the pacesetters, running within reach of Todd Pletcher-trained Life Is Good through the far turn but moving up.
Sadler’s pupil eventually passed Life Is Good at the top of the stretch and soon had a 2-length gap that steadily grew from there. Olympiad soon overtook Life Is Good with Taiba gaining, though both were far behind the horse who has earned lofty comparisons to legendary Triple Crown champion Secretariat.
“He’s been brilliant,” Sadler said of the probable favorite for 2022 Horse of the Year. “Brilliant is his normal. He didn’t disappoint. He never has. We’re just really thrilled.”
Flightline covered the 1 ¼ miles in 2:00.05 and paid $2.88, $2.92 and $2.30. His winning time was just off Authentic’s record of 1:59.60 set here two years ago.
Olympiad returned $12.38 and $7.16 for place and Taiba paid $4 to show.
“For me, it’s a culmination of your life’s work,” Sadler said of the victory. “When you’ve worked with horses your whole life, just most trainers don’t get a horse like this. I’m just feeling very blessed.”
Flightline was little known entering 2022 because of a slow start to his on-track career. The 4-year-old son of Tapit suffered a cut in a stall accident that kept him from racing until April 24 of his 3-year-old season in 2021. He missed out on the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the entire 2021 Triple Crown trail and did not make his first stakes appearance until the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita the day after Christmas last year.
In 2022, he won the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park, then polished his Breeders’ Cup résumé with a resounding 19¼-length win in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Sept. 3.
Flightline, a bay colt, was bred by Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Equine outside Georgetown and was raced by Summer Wind in partnership with Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing.
The ownership group has yet to determine a stud fee. A 2.5% fractional interest in Flightline will be auctioned on Monday at Keeneland ahead of the track’s November Breeding Stock Sale.
“We would like to thank trainer John Sadler and his team for the incredible work they did with Flightline,” Lane’s End’s Bill Farish said in the release announcing the horse’s retirement from racing. “His historic performances are a credit to their expertise and unwavering efforts to bring out the very best in the horse.”
The complete, official order of finish for the Classic was Flightline, Olympiad, Taiba, Rich Strike, Life Is Good, Hot Rod Charlie, Happy Saver and Epicenter.
Epicenter was pulled up by jockey Joel Rosario after sustaining an injury to his right forelimb, according to a statement by Breeders’ Cup officials. The horse walked onto the equine ambulance and was transported to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for further evaluation.
Epicenter was found to have sustained a repairable displaced condylar fracture to his right forelimb and underwent surgery Sunday morning.
“This morning, Dr. Larry Bramlage inserted two screws to stabilize the injury and the horse is up and resting in his stall,” trainer Steve Asmussen said in a news release. “After surgery, Dr. Bramlage and the Rood and Riddle team are very happy with how the surgery went and the prognosis is excellent for him to be a healthy sire.”
