IFHA World's Best Racehorse (2022)
American Champion Older Dirt Male Horse (2022)
American Horse of the Year (2022)
Sire Tapit
Grandsire Pulpit
Dam Feathered
Damsire Indian Charlie
Sex Stallion
Foaled March 14, 2018[1]
Country United States
Colour Bay
Breeder Summer Wind Equine
Owner Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds & Woodford Racing
Trainer John W. Sadler
Record 6: 6-0-0
Earnings US$4,514,800
Major wins: Malibu Stakes (2021), Metropolitan Handicap (2022), Pacific Classic Stakes (2022), Breeders' Cup Classic (2022)
March 14 - Flightline
This is a very special horse from the moment he was born at Summer Wind Farm. I remember Jane Lyon showing me his dam, Feathered, when she still had a few months to go before delivering him. Jane adores all her horses, but you could sense two things right away, how much Jane loved this new mare and also her hope wrapped around her great expectations for this mare carrying her first foal by one of her favorite stallions, Tapit.
I was fortunate to see him several times as a weanling. I made it a special point to see Feathered and her foal as often as I could. I had promised my friend, Charlie Pigg, that I'd send him photos from time to time of Feathered as he had been a partner of hers during her racing career with Eclipse Partners. Feathered is by Indian Charlie the sire of the great stallion Uncle Mo. Feathered’s dam line goes back to the great Roberto via another big dark stallion, Dynaformer, the sire of Barbaro. I guess every pedigree has tasty morsels, but this big dark mare just had a magnetism as you looked at her, she took you in, studying you closer than you could study her. There are athletes and then there are competitors, Flightline has all of that and more. Yes, He's Tapit but he's Indian Charlie, he's Dynaforner, and he's Roberto . . . four of the great stallions of their eras. They've combined to create possibly the most amazing horse we've seen on the track with his races being complete domination. Now, it's time to see if his greatness will continue those breed shaping sires on both his sire and dam lines. One thing we learned about Flightline at the races - never NEVER bet against FLIGHTLINE!
Flightline was the brilliant unbeaten phenomenon who many fans believe was the best racehorse of the modern era. He was foaled in 2018 and trained by John Sadler for a partnership of Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing. His sire was the great Tapit, and his dam was Feathered, a daughter of Indian Charlie. He was a tall, strong, dark bay colt with a stride that seemed to fly across the dirt, which fit his name perfectly.
Flightline made his racing debut in April 2021 at Santa Anita and won by 13 and a quarter lengths. Right away the racing world knew something special had arrived. Injuries kept him off the track for long stretches, but every time he came back he delivered an unforgettable performance. His next two starts were both runaway allowance and stakes wins. As a four year old in 2022, he stepped into Grade 1 company and shifted from impressive to historic.
He won the 2022 Met Mile at Belmont Park by six lengths in a sharp time. He came back home and won the 2022 Pacific Classic at Del Mar by 19 and a quarter lengths, the biggest winning margin in the history of the race. Then came the moment everyone was waiting for. The 2022 Breeders Cup Classic at Keeneland brought together a deep field of stars including Epicenter, Life Is Good, Olympiad, and Taiba. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Flightline drew off to win by 8 and a quarter lengths in a stunning performance many called one of the greatest in racing history.
Flightline retired with a perfect record of 6 wins from 6 starts and earnings of over 4.5 million dollars. He was named the 2022 Horse of the Year, Champion Older Dirt Male, and his Beyer and Timeform speed numbers ranked among the highest ever recorded. He went to stud at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky for a stud fee of 200,000 dollars, the highest in North America for a first year stallion. Flightline is already shaping up to be a major sire, and his name will stand for years as one of the most brilliant racehorses ever to set foot on a track.
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