Flightline looking to take his 118 Beyer from Malibu to the Met Mile in June

ARCADIA, Calif. – The undefeated Flightline will have a limited campaign in 2022 expected to include the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile at Belmont Park in early June, trainer John Sadler said.

Making his third start on Sunday, Flightline won his stakes debut in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Santa Anita. Flightline took the lead shortly after the start and drew off by 11 1/2 lengths. Flightline ran seven furlongs in 1:21.37 and earned an astonishing Beyer Speed Figure of 118, the best of the year.

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Flightline may not race again for a few months. Monday, Sadler was noncommittal about an immediate race goal for Flightline, who is by Tapit and was purchased for $1 million as a yearling at Saratoga in August 2019.

“We have to play it out,” Sadler said. “My approach is one step at a time.

“We started to stretch him out yesterday. The Met Mile has been at the front of my brain for the whole year.

“We’re looking at four starts in 2022, five if you count yesterday. We’ll go little bit by little bit.”

Flightline has won his three races by a combined 37 1/2 lengths, including a maiden special weight race at six furlongs in 1:08.75 by 13 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita last April and an allowance race at six furlongs in 1:08.05 by 12 3/4 lengths at Del Mar in September. He earned respective Beyer Figures of 105 and 114 for those races.

“You look at the times that you’re used to for sprinters and assume they will slow up when they go out, and he’s the reverse,” Sadler said.

Sadler said he has little doubt Flightline can handle longer distances.

“He can do it all,” he said.

Owned by Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing, Flightline has earned $259,800.

The Malibu field included Dr. Schivel, the runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar last month, who ran an uncharacteristically poor race, fading to finish last of seven.

Trainer Mark Glatt said Dr. Schivel showed signs of illness on Monday and was undergoing a blood test.

“He had a temperature,” Glatt said. “I don’t think he’s sick-sick. We’ll see how he comes out of it the next few days.

“It seems to be a viral thing. He might be coming down with something.”

Glatt is hopeful Dr. Schivel can have a successful 4-year-old campaign in 2022 “as long as he can stay away from Flightline.”

Even with a top performance, Glatt thought Dr. Schivel would have been “a distant second” in the Malibu.

Flightline’s win left Glatt in awe.

“That’s most impressive horse I’ve seen with my own eyeballs,” said Glatt, 48. “I was born the year Secretariat won the Derby. I’ve seen footage. I’ve never witnessed a performance like that.”