By Alan Carasso
A few strides into the running of Satuday's GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park, John Sadler, the trainer of 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit), admitted to a bit of a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“When I saw him behind early, I wanted to throw up on myself,” he said.
Despite some very anxious moments, particularly at multiple junctures during the opening 440 yards of the stallion-making test, the $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate proved more than equal to the task, as he strode clear late to score by a half-dozen lengths over fellow 'Rising Star' Happy Saver (Super Saver). The Met is a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI BigAss Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
“He overcame trouble. That's the storyline,” Sadler continued. “He had a rough trip and took up a couple times but still circled around and proved much the best.”
Drawn gate one going Belmont's one-turn mile–tricky enough for seasoned horses, let alone one making just the fourth start of its career and first of the season–Flightline was slowly into stride, but quickly recovered and looked as if he was going to sneak through underneath his chief market rival and GI Carter H. romper Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) to make the running nevertheless. That was not the case, as the door was soon slammed shut by Junior Alvarado aboard the progressive Godolphin galloper, and Flightline was eventually–wisely–eased back and into the two path by Flavien Prat to do the chasing through a quarter that was posted in :22.78.
Already niggled at as they hit the half-mile following a taxing internal quarter mile in :22.23, Flightline still traveled well and took it to the front-runner in earnest on the turn, poking a head in front fully three furlongs from home and daring the likes of Happy Saver–already a Grade I winner around Big Sandy–and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint hero Aloha West (Hard Spun) to come and get him. But there were no such miracles, as Flightline pinched a break after six furlongs in 1:08.54–a split faster than that posted by champion Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) in Friday's GII True North S.–and was kept to his task in the final furlong, as Happy Saver ran past Speaker's Corner to claim second.
“We're just thrilled to have an undefeated horse, who won easy again today,” Sadler commented. “Things didn't really go well for him early in the race. He suffered from a slow start because of the one post. Then he got cut off a little bit going down the backside. He just overcame the adversity and proved himself best.”
Few horses–if any–have put together a streak to begin their careers as impressive as Flightline.
No secret when unveiled at 9-10 going six panels at Santa Anita last Apr. 24, he earned 'Rising Star' honors with a 13 1/4-length success (105 Beyer) and graced the final days of last year's Del Mar meeting with a 12 3/4-length demolition of a first-level allowance/optional claimer Sept. 5 (114 Beyer). Despite his vast inexperience, Flightline was, for a time, under consideration for a start in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, but connections ultimately passed, opting for a preparation towards the age-restricted GI Runhappy Malibu S. He won that seven-furlong event Dec. 26 with similar condescension, crossing the line some 11 1/2 lengths clear (118 Beyer) of Baby Yoda (Uncaptured), with future Grade II winner Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) back in third. Flightline was to have made his 4-year-old debut in the GII San Carlos S. at the Great Race Place Mar. 5, but he missed some time with a strained hock. Three months and one week later, he turned one of this country's most prestigious races into a one-horse rodeo.
“It's really gratifying to get here after the hiccup we had with him,” Sadler explained. “We weren't rushed. We had plenty of time to train him for this. To his credit, he's a very good trainer. He's such an athlete. Winning the Met Mile is so gratifying. It's such a historic race and a stallion-making race and he's all of those things. He's the whole package.
“He'll go back to California Tuesday. Ask me what we're going to do from there and I don't know. Flavien says distance is no issue and we want to try two turns. That's in the plans. But we go one step at a time. He's lightly raced. This is his first start this year.”
If Sadler was playing it close to the vest, part-owner Kosta Hronis was slightly less coy.
“It looks like [GI] Pacific Classic at Del Mar next. If him and Mr. Sadler want to do it, that's the direction we'll go.”
Pedigree Notes:
Flightline becomes the second of his tremendous sire's progeny to win the Met, joining Frosted, who led home a Tapit one-two when defeating Anchor Down by better than 14 lengths in 2016 and earning a gaudy 123 Beyer Speed Figure.
Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Equine acquired Flightline's dam, winner of the GIII Edgewood S. and placed in the GI American Oaks, GI Starlet S. and GI Frizette S., for $2.35 million when carrying to War Front at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale.
Feathered, whose own granddam won the 2000 GI Acorn S. for Ogden Phipps, is responsible for three winners from as many to race, including the War Front filly she was carrying at the time of her purchase, Good On Paper, who produced a colt by Sir Prancealot (Ire) for her first foal this year. The mare's 3-year-old Voron (Pioneerof the Nile) is a winner in one juvenile start in Russia and her 2-year-old Olivier–a full-brother to Flightline–is in training and breezed three-eighths of a mile in :37.20 at the WinStar Training Center May 21. Feathered is also represented by the yearling colt Eagles Flight (Curlin) and foaled an Into Mischief filly May 17. She has since been bred back to Tapit.
Saturday, Belmont Park
HILL 'N' DALE METROPOLITAN H.-GI, $925,000, Belmont, 6-11, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:33.59, ft.
1–FLIGHTLINE, 124, c, 4, by Tapit
1st Dam: Feathered (GSW & MGISP, $577,474), by Indian Charlie
2nd Dam: Receipt, by Dynaformer
3rd Dam: Finder's Fee, by Storm Cat
'TDN Rising Star' ($1,000,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Hronis Racing
LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point
Thoroughbreds & Woodford Racing, LLC; B-Summer Wind
Equine LLC (KY); T-John W. Sadler; J-Flavien Prat. $535,000.
Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $794,800. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Happy Saver, 122, h, 5, Super Saver–Happy Week, by
Distorted Humor. 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Wertheimer Et Frere
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $185,000.
3–Speaker's Corner, 125, c, 4, Street Sense–Tyburn Brook, by
Bernardini. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott. $100,000.
Margins: 6, 2 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.45, 6.40, 2.75.
Also Ran: Aloha West, Informative.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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