Breeders' Cup Classic: Flightline turns in another astonishing performance
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Trainer John Sadler had held his emotions in check all week. He never outwardly displayed the confidence that was bursting inside of him leading up to Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
But when it was over, after Flightline lived up to all the hype - and his 2-5 favoritism - with a devastating 8 1/4-length victory in the Classic before a crowd of 45,973 at breezy Keeneland, the emotions finally spilled out of Sadler.
“How do you describe greatness? Sadler started. “This is a rare horse that happens every 20 or 30 years. One of the best American racehorses we’ve seen in a long, long time. And I’m talking about Secretariat, Seattle Slew, you go through the list and what I’ve tried to be is a good steward to him.”
That’s when tears began to come to Sadler’s eyes as emotions overtook him.
“If you’re good with your horses, they’re good with you,” he said through tears.
Sadler brought Flightline to the Classic better than good and Flightline rewarded him with a performance worthy of the best horse of this generation, overtaking an ambitious pacesetting Life Is Good at the quarter pole and drawing clear to the decisive victory, his sixth in as many starts.
Flightline, a 4-year-old son of Tapit, added the Classic to earlier victories this year in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park and his 19 1/4-length tour de force in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic. Overall, he is 6 for 6 with his victories coming by a combined 71 lengths. Flavien Prat has been aboard for all of his races.
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“Most trainers don’t get a horse like this so I’m just feeling very blessed,” said Sadler, who won the 2018 Classic with Accelerate.
Kosta Hronis, part-owner of Flightline, said it was Flightline who was blessed to have Sadler and his assistant, Juan Leyva, as his steward.
“They turned this horse into a race horse,” Hronis said. “He’s the champion today, who he is, because of John Sadler.”
The Classic unfolded as many expected. Life Is Good, a four-time Grade 1 winner, was sent to the lead by Irad Ortiz Jr. and set very fast fractions of 22.55 seconds for the quarter, 45.47 for the half-mile and 1:09.62 for six furlongs. The six-furlong fraction was hand-timed due to an outrider hitting the beam too early, according to the Equibase chart.
At that point, Life Is Good was 2 1/2 lengths in front of Flightline, who was 13 lengths in front of the rest of the field.
Ortiz said as fast as he had Life Is Good going early, he was surprised he couldn’t put more distance between his horse and Flightline.
“I felt him every step of the way, just tried to get away from him and I couldn’t,” Ortiz said. “I know I’m going fast and I said let me look again down the backside and he’s there. I said ‘Oh my God.’ Then he just goes by me like nothing. He’s an unbelievable horse.”
Flightline got to Life Is Good by the quarter pole and after they ran together for a few strides, Flightline took off and drew clear. Prat took a peek or two behind him in the stretch to see the competition further and further away.
When Flightline ($2.88 for a $2 win wager) hit the wire, covering 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.05 - earning a 121 Beyer Speed Figure - there was an ample wait to see who finished second.
It was Olympiad, who got up by a half-length for second over Taiba. Rich Strike, the Kentucky Derby winner was fourth, followed by Life Is Good, Hot Rod Charlie, and Happy Saver. Epicenter, the second choice at 6-1, was pulled up by Joel Rosario midway down the backstretch.
Epicenter was vanned off and transported to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital where he was diagnosed with a lateral condylar fracture to his right foreleg, per trainer Steve Asmussen. He is expected to undergo surgery Sunday morning. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Larry Bramlage, per Asmussen.
Bob Baffert, who trained third-place finisher Taiba, said of Flightline’s performance, “That was fun for me to watch.”
Baffert said Flightline is what American Pharoah would have been had he raced as a 4-year-old.
Baffert trained American Pharoah to a victory in the 2015 Classic here at Keeneland.
“Pharoah would have done that at 4,” Baffert said. “They’re in a different area code. They’re superior horses. It’s God’s gift of just true natural talent. Like Usain Bolt. They don’t come around very often.”
Bill Mott, who trained runner-up Olympiad, said his horse ran a race Saturday that in most years would have won the Classic.
Mott called Flightline “a star. Probably the best we’ve seen in some time.”
In 1995, Mott trained Cigar to a 10-for-10 campaign that culminated in a Breeders’ Cup Classic victory.
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The question now is will the public get to see him again? He’s worth a lot more as a stallion - he will stand at Lane’s End - than he can make as a racehorse and he’s owned by a wide-ranging partnership that includes Hronis Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Equine, and Woodford Racing, the latter operated by the Farish family who run Lane’s End.
Hronis said Flightline would probably go to Lane’s End for the interim while that decision is made.
“You know where I’m sitting,” said Hronis who wants to race him. “But I’m not going to be a bully. I’m a very respectful person, honored to be with Jane Lyon and Bill Farish. They’re the professionals in the next career. I’m going to listen to them.”
Sadler wouldn’t answer when asked if he would like another year of training Flightline.
“We’re just going to enjoy this win tonight and deal with that stuff later,” he said.
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