Sporting Life
Flightline breaks the clock at Del Mar (Copyright Benoit Photo)
Flightline breaks the clock at Del Mar (Copyright Benoit Photo)

Flightline trainer John Sadler speaks of colt’s unique skillset ahead of Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic

By Ben Linfoot
14:00 · TUE November 01, 2022

Flightline’s trainer John Sadler has spoken of his colt’s unique skillset that sets him apart from his contemporaries – and perhaps the best thoroughbreds in history – in the build-up to Saturday’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland.

The four-year-old son of Tapit, unbeaten in five starts after winning his races by a staggering combined margin of 62 and ¾ lengths, has been impressing US and worldwide handicappers alike, with Timeform’s rating of 143 the highest awarded to an American dirt horse since they started recording those figures in 1993.

Currently a 1/3 chance with Sky Bet ahead of the Breeders’ Cup highlight, he’s considered 5lb better than Cigar by Timeform – a horse that won the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Classic amongst 16 consecutive victories.

WATCH: John Sadler speaks to Sporting Life about Flightline

"A big thrill and I'm honoured to be training him" John Sadler on Flightline - 2022 Breeders Cup

Yet the buzz around this horse is such that there has been the suggestion there could be even more to come, with Secretariat’s incredible 31-length Belmont win in 1973 – the benchmark for the American thoroughbred – certainly bound to be in the conversation if Flightline does to his Breeders’ Cup rivals what he did to his Pacific Classic opponents at Del Mar on September 4.

“It’s very exciting,” Sadler told us at the Breeders’ Cup post-position draw (see video above). “This is a horse that’s so rare you don’t see it every day, it’s a big thrill and an honour to be training him.

“When we look at our speed figures in the United States, he runs numbers that no horses have ever run. He’s a special horse.

“He’s very fast and he can carry it. The standard is you think of a horse when he’s fast he won’t be able to go further. But this horse is fast and he’s able to carry it over a Classic distance.”

Like the European turf horse of the year, Baaeed, who earned a Timeform rating of 137, Flightline didn’t race at two after suffering a serious flesh wound to his hindquarters that left him scarred, while he had a bone bruise in a hock that delayed his four-year-old return, too.

Sadler said: “He’s had a couple of little setbacks along the way, but he’s always been worth it. We’ve had to be patient at times but he’s rewarded us every time.”

The expectation is that he’ll reward connections on Saturday as well, but as we saw with Baaeed, things don’t always play out so well on the back of a monster performance.

Two new variables Flightline has to deal with this weekend are the Keeneland track and a new set of opposition, headed by last year’s Dirt Mile winner Life Is Good and Travers hero Epicenter.

Flightline Specials - Sky Bet

  • Flightline to win and break Keeneland track record - 7/4
  • Flightline to win by five lengths or more - 6/4
  • Flightline to win by 10 lengths or more - 4/1
  • Click here for latest Breeders' Cup specials
  • Odds correct at 0900 GMT 01/11/2022

“I think he’ll be fine at Keeneland,” Sadler said. “It reminds me a little bit of Del Mar. It’s maybe a little deeper surface in California this might be a little firmer. But he’s never had to carry a certain track around with him.

“Those are top horses, I’ve watched them run all year. We had Life Is Good out in California with Baffert as a three year old and I’ve watched the others on tv as the year has gone on.

“It’s a top-class field and we respect all our competitors.”

It’s fair to say the horse racing world respects Flightline. His future – whether he races at five – will be decided after Saturday, his run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic possibly determining not only that, but a new benchmark performance, as well.

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