Flightline

Flightline made his career debut in a maiden special weight at Santa Anita Park on Apr. 24, 2021. Sent off as the 9-10 favorite, he blew the field away, winning by 13 1/4 lengths while covering six furlongs in 1:08.75. 

After a few months off, Flightline returned to the races in a first-level allowance optional claiming race at Del Mar on Sept. 5. Although he was making his first start off a long layoff, bettors had plenty of respect for him, sending him off as the 1-5 favorite. If anything, he was even more impressive second time out. He smashed the field by 12 3/4 lengths. The final time for six furlongs was 1:08.05, just 0.45 seconds off a 48-year-old track record.

Flightline made his stakes debut in the Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, 2021. He won by 11 1/2 lengths, going seven furlongs in a blazing 1:21.37. He was never asked to run at any point by Flavien Prat, but raced powerfully down the stretch and was never in serious danger of being defeated. 

Flightline did not race again until June 11, 2022, due to a strained hock. Trainer John Sadler was patient in bringing his charge back and did not do so until he was fit. But his return was ambitious: the Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park, where Flightline would face East Coast-based Speaker’s Corner, winner of the Carter Handicap in April, and the 2021 Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Aloha West.

Still, Flightline was sent off as the 0.45-1 favorite in a five-horse field. He immediately encountered trouble after a slow start from the inside post as his path to engage Speaker’s Corner in the early pace closed up and he was forced to steady and then angle outside of that foe.

After making that move, jockey Flavien Prat urged Flightline up next to Speaker’s Corner and then the colt moved to the lead rapidly entering the stretch. He was never threatened after that and coasted to the finish, defeating Grade 1 winner Happy Saver by six lengths and finishing the one-turn mile in 1:33.59. Flightline gained an automatic berth to the Nov. 5 Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland via the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.

Flightline sold for $1 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale in 2019. His sire (father) is top stallion Tapit, while his dam (mother), Feathered, was a graded stakes winner.