East Coast trainers on facing Flightline in BC Classic: Bring him on
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Stirred, not shaken.
While East Coast-based trainers with Breeders’ Cup Classic contenders were naturally impressed with the otherworldly performance of Flightline in Saturday’s Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar, it will not deter them from pointing their horses to a meeting with the unbeaten superstar in the $6 million Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 5.
“Somebody’s got to run,” said Bill Mott, trainer of Olympiad, who won Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga. “I knew the other horse was pretty good before he ran, we knew what he might be capable of.”
While Flightline confirmed his status as the heavy favorite for the Classic, Mott was just happy to see Olympiad return to form following his fourth-place finish in the Whitney on Aug. 6. Olympiad won the Jockey Club Gold Cup by two lengths over Americanrevolution and earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure. It was the sixth win and fifth graded stakes this year for Olympiad, a son of Speightstown.
“The one everyone’s talking about I suppose is the horse that’s out in California; however, I don’t think we should take anything away from Olympiad,” Mott said. “That was a very good race. I was thrilled with it.”
Mott said Olympiad would just train up to the Breeders’ Cup.
Todd Pletcher has as many as six horses under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, topped by Whitney winner Life Is Good.
“He was super impressive,” Pletcher said of Flightline, “but I think we’ll stick to our plans."
Life Is Good, who could very well be the second choice in the Classic, is likely to make his next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes at Aqueduct on Oct. 1. Happy Saver, second to Life Is Good in the Whitney, will then point to the Grade 2, $500,000 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs the same day.
Pletcher ran four horses in the Jockey Club Gold Cup - Americanrevolution (2nd), Untreated (4th), Keepmeinmind (5th) and Dynamic One (6th).
Pletcher said Americanrevolution will “most likely” train up to the Classic. Untreated, Keepmeinmind, and Dynamic One “would possibly have another start between now and then and that would sort of determine their status for the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” he said.
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Dynamic One and Untreated ran one-three in the Grade 2 Suburban going 1 1/4 miles at Belmont Park in July. In the Gold Cup, Pletcher felt Dynamic One and Keepmeinmind were compromised by the lack of pace. Untreated basically ran fourth the entire way around.
Pletcher said a combination of three horses could wind up in the Woodward or Lukas Classic.
Steve Asmussen, the trainer of Travers winner Epicenter, said “I’m all for it,” when asked about facing Flightline in the Classic.
“We’ll be ready to run as fast as we can run,” Asmussen said.
Speaking of Flightline, “that was fabulous to watch. That was exciting.”