The eagerly awaited first runners for Flightline, the undefeated 2022 Horse of the Year, have this phase of his career off to a strong start. In about 24 hours, between Kentucky and Japan, Flightline got a win, a second, and a third from his first three starters. Demian became the first winner for Flightline, who stands at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky, when he captured a maiden going 1,400 meters, or about seven furlongs, on the turf at Tokyo Racecourse on Saturday. The colt, who is trained by Makoto Saito for Naohiro Sakaguchi, was bred in Kentucky by Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds. He was a $1.7 million purchase at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale, an international marketplace where the Japanese interest in Flightline was strong. Of the stallion’s eight seven-figure lots at that sale alone, four were sold to various Japanese interests. Demian is out of the unraced Curlin mare Mira Alta, now the dam of five winners from six starters, also including Grade 3 winner Promise Keeper, stakes winner Wicked Awesome, and Grade 3-placed War Stopper. This is the immediate family of Grade 1 winners Great Hunter and Shred the Gnar, and the extended family of Grade 1 winners including champion Stellar Wind. Flightline was also represented by two starters at Churchill Downs on Friday and Saturday, respectively. On Friday, Greenwell was second by two lengths to Balloteer in a $120,000 maiden special weight going five furlongs on the dirt. The colt, out of the graded stakes-winning War Front mare Cambodia, was a $500,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by the Greenwell Thoroughbreds of Greg Tramontin, and is trained by Mark Casse. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. On Saturday, in a similar five-furlong maiden for fillies, House Boat Party finished third for trainer Brian Lynch, beaten less than two lengths by winner Smidgeon. The homebred for Flying Dutchmen is out of the unraced American Pharoah mare Lake Garda, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winners Hoppertunity and Executiveprivilege. The pedigrees of these three early starters showcase the quality of mares bred to Flightline when he retired to stud at Lane’s End, for an advertised fee of $200,000. He arrived at the farm shortly after his victory in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic to end his lightly raced, but brilliant, career. The son of Tapit was unraced at 2, partially owing to an incident in which he sustained a deep gash to his hindquarters in a stall accident early in his juvenile year. Flightline went on to win all six of his starts – three at age 3, and three in his championship campaign at 4 – by a combined 71 lengths, from six furlongs to 1 1/4 miles. After attracting top mares, Flightline, who has 124 juveniles in his first crop, was then in hot demand in the auction ring as well. Last year, his 57 yearlings sold at public auction averaged $737,274. This year, his 2-year-old average sits at $2,055,357 from seven sold. That group is supercharged by the $10.5 million colt, now named Zedan, sold at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training, a record for the OBS auction house and the second-highest price ever paid at a breeze-up sale in North America. Removing Zedan from the equation, Flightline’s other six juveniles sold this year have still averaged $647,917. While Flightline’s first starters were getting his career off to a good start, in the background, some of his higher-priced juveniles are beginning preparations for their own careers. Zedan, named for owner Zedan Stables, is in training with Bob Baffert in California. The colt, who is out of Grade 2-placed stakes winner Lucrezia, has not yet posted an official breeze. Flightline’s second-highest-priced juvenile this year is $2.1 million Inshallah, a New York-bred out of Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold. Purchased by KAS Stables to top the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training, he was sent to John Sadler, who trained his sire, and got on the worktab with a quarter-mile breeze in 24.80 seconds on June 10 at Santa Anita. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.