The world’s highest-rated racehorse, Flightline, produced one of the most impressive performances in the Breeders’ Cup history to land the feature race of the meeting, the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic by just over eight lengths.
FLIGHTLINE CAN FLY! ??✈️ #BC22 pic.twitter.com/Y0gniZcAkU
— Breeders’ Cup (@BreedersCup) November 5, 2022
John Sadler’s runner went into the race at Keeneland with an unbeaten record. He had featured just five times, but on each occasion, he had blown his rivals away in large-margin victories.
The four-year-old missed out on the US Triple Crown races in 2021 due to injury, but he has more than made up for lost time with this latest result. The Breeders’ Cup Classic is considered one of the biggest races in the world, so to win it in the manner he did, suggests he is one of the greatest of all time.
Connections must now consider what to do next with their horse in 2023. Should he remain in training, all the options are available to him, including the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France where Alpinista is one of the best horse racing tips for the race following her victory at Longchamp in 2022. The Dubai World Cup and Saudi Cup are other major international contests his trainer will consider.
Life Is Good Took on Flightline in Opening Stages at Keeneland
Flightline showcased how durable he was in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic as he took on Life Is Good in the early stages of the race. The pair stretched away from the rest of the field in very fast sectionals.
When they turned for home at the Kentucky racecourse, Life Is Good struggled to maintain his speed. Flightline was asked to quicken by his jockey Flavien Prat and he soon stretched away from the former Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner.
Flightline’s victory at Keeneland had shades of Secretariat’s success in the Belmont Stakes in 1973 to it. Both horses crossed the line at a canter in wide-margin wins in two of the major races on the US calendar.
Breeders’ Cup Classic Winner Set for Popular Breeding Career When Time Is Right
When his owners decide his time on the racecourse is over, Flightline is sure to be a very popular horse at breeding. This latest win ensured all the hype around the colt was right, so it was a very important success for his future.
What could be better than standing one Triple Crown winner…standing two! American Pharoah and Justify finally met each other at Coolmore America this morning! #CoolmoreSires #HomeOfTripleCrownChampions pic.twitter.com/3FV2KW0Qg9
— Coolmore America (@coolmoreamerica) December 22, 2018
Former Triple Crown winner Justify was sold to Coolmore America in 2018 for $75 million. Flightline could be sold for even more if connections decide to sell their horse. One thing is for sure, he is going to make far more in the next stage of his career than he did on the track. Estimations suggest he could make $150,000 per mating, with as many as 150 mares visiting him a year.
Whatever the future holds for Flightline, he has done enough to cement his legacy in US racing. Those in attendance at Keeneland for the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic will never forget his performance, as it was a dominant run from an exceptionally gifted racehorse.
