By Bill Finley
It's been a quiet 10-plus weeks for 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit), who has not been heard from since his electrifying debut on Apr. 24 at Santa Anita. But that's about to change. He's had four workouts since June 9 and trainer John Sadler says the 3-year-old colt is almost ready to go and will reappear sometime during the upcoming Del Mar meet.
Flightline left little doubt in his debut that he is as talented as anyone in the 3-year-old male division. Ridden by Flavien Prat, he won the six-furlong race by 13 1/4 lengths and earned a 105 Beyer figure, despite being geared down in the lane. Among the current 3-year-old crop, only Essential Quality (Tapit), Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief) have run faster this year.
“This horse has all the potential in the world,” Sadler said.
With Flightline having debuted at six furlongs in late April, Sadler knew he didn't have enough time to get the horse ready for the Triple Crown races, but it appeared that he might be able to make a race like the GI Runhappy Travers S. on Aug. 28 at Saratoga. But Sadler had other ideas. With a horse that had this much talent but was so lightly raced, the trainer decided the best approach was to be extra cautious. Between April 18 and June 9, he did not have a published workout.
“The time off was by design,” Sadler said. “It was a super effort first time out and I felt strongly that he needed time to recuperate from that race, even though he had gotten to the races late. You talk to the numbers guys and they'll tell you that when you run that brilliantly the first time you shouldn't be in any hurry to run them back. So, off that big effort, we decided to give him a little time off.”
Should Flightline race some time during the early weeks of the Del Mar meet, it would seem plausible that he could be pointed for the Travers or, perhaps the GI Pennsylvania Derby. But Sadler isn't looking at those races. After being so patient for so long, he's not about to rush things.
“My thinking is that we have a horse that has so much ability that we should take it one day at a time,” he said. “We are not going to be in a hurry.”
Flightline was a $1-million purchase from the Lane's End consignment at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale and is owned by the partnership of Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine and West Point Thoroughbreds. Summer Wind is also the horse's breeder. Last year, he was a week or so away from being sent to Sadler's barn when he had an accident that delayed his debut.
“He had an accident in the paddock and has this big huge scar on his butt,” the trainer said. “It wasn't a major setback, but it was a setback.”
Sadler has never won a Triple Crown race or the Travers, but said he has never been tempted to rush Flightline. A trainer who has had a number of top older dirt males, he'll be perfectly content if Flightline doesn't have his coming out party until late December or even next year. Sadler said that if the colt continues to progress the Dec. 26 GI Malibu S. could be a possibility.
“To me, with horses, you've got to roll with the punches,” he said. “You can't force it. He had some setbacks at two and we had to wait to get him to the races, so the Triple Crown races were out. That's just the way it is. It's always tempting, but I'm an old-school guy. The idea is to win the right races when the time comes. If he's as good as we think he is we will be fine.”
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