Flagstaff

By B. Jason Brooks The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale is less than two weeks away and potential buyers are marking up their sales catalogs while researching the accomplished families of those being offered. At the 2019 Saratoga Sale, four yearlings tracing back to Phipps foundation mare Blitey sold for a collective $4.05 million, one of them being an undefeated Tapit colt named Flightline who has become a multiple Grade I superstar. Thoroughbred Daily News columnist and pedigree expert Sid Fernando recently noted in story that the Phipps female "families...

6th-Santa Anita, $67,500, Msw, 3-27, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:37.99, ft, 7 1/2 lengths. SET SAIL (c, 3, Malibu Moon--Fleet of Gold {SP, $109,892}, by Medaglia d'Oro) was third on debut Feb. 26 in a seven panel maiden over Santa Anita's main track after altering course early and losing second by 1 1/4 lengths. Trying a mile here, the bay Mandella trainee broke on top and never looked back, coasting home much the best by 7 1/2 lengths as the 2-1 second choice over One More Bid (California Chrome). Q B One...

Trainer John Sadler has been fined $5,000 by the Del Mar stewards, and has entered into a settlement agreement and mutual release with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), for "knowingly" bringing a horse into a CHRB enclosure "that had been administered bisphosphonates within previous six months," according to a ruling Friday. The horse in question--as first reported by the BloodHorse--was GISW sprinter Flagstaff (Speightstown), who was recently retired at the age of seven. Flagstaff tested positive for the bisphosphonate "clodronate" after finishing second in the 2020 GII Santa Anita...

Flagstaff (Speightstown) will be retired after the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 6. Owned by Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing, the 7-year-old campaigner has earned $1,107,585 with a seven wins and six seconds from 22 starts, finishing in the top three in six of seven starts this season. Victorious in the GI Churchill Downs S. and GIII Commonwealth S. earlier this spring, the gelding was second last out in the Oct. 2 GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship. "This is his last year," said trainer John Sadler....

The streaking Dr. Schivel (Violence) will take a four-race winning streak into Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. Last term's GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity winner is perfect in two attempts since joining Mark Glatt's barn this year, most recently delivering a neck victory in Del Mar's GI Bing Crosby S. July 31. The 2-1 morning-line favorite is drawn on the rail in this six-horse field. The one-two-three finishers across the line of this race last year--C Z Rocket (City Zip), Flagstaff (Speightstown) and Collusion...

C Z Rocket (City Zip) will be looking to earn another automatic berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint when he attempts to defend his title in the 'Win and You're In' GII Pat O'Brien S. at Del Mar Saturday night. The 7-year-old gelding has hit the board in all 10 starts--with seven wins--since being claimed for $40,000 last April. He earned his first graded score in last year's Pat O'Brien and followed up with a win in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. before concluding the year with...

The John Sadler-trained Flagstaff (Speightstown) has been disqualified from a second-place finish in last September's GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. after testing positive for clodronic acid, a bisphosphonate otherwise known as Osphos, according to a steward's ruling from Saturday. According to the ruling, the $40,000 in prize money earnings awarded to owners Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing, jockey Victor Espinoza and Sadler will be redistributed. Currently unclassified, clodronic acid is by default deemed a class 1, penalty A drug, and it's currently in the process of being classified...

The day that will forever be remembered for a Cinderella story also contained a valuable corrective. Nobody, after all, will suddenly decide that the best route to the GI Kentucky Derby is simply to buy every $1,000 yearling that comes onto the market; nor does it now follow that every seven-figure yearling will necessarily prove a waste of money. Our industry will only remain viable so long as we all feel we have a puncher's chance, whatever our weight division. And if Medina Spirit (Protonico) sustained the longshot dreamer, then...

LOUISVILLE, KY - Flagstaff (Speightstown) kicked on gamely in a wild, blanket finish to lead home a one-two for his leading sire in the GI Churchill Downs S. Saturday. It was a head back to Lexitonian (Speightstown) in second; and another nose to champion sprinter Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) in third. "I'm thrilled," winning trainer John Sadler said. "He's a real hard knocker; he always runs his race. He knocked it out today." Flagstaff, a last out winner of Keeneland's GIII Commonwealth S. Apr. 3, his first win in 13 months,...

It's not often you come across a 13-horse Grade I sprint with no confirmed frontrunner, but the Churchill Downs S. Saturday is just that, with only lightly raced 20-1 shot Get the Prize (Candy Ride {Arg}) having gotten the first call last out. Stalker Flagstaff (Speightstown) gets the tepid 3-1 nod on the morning line coming off a victory over three of these foes in Keeneland's GIII Commonwealth S. going the same distance Apr. 3. He shipped into Oaklawn after that to fire a pair of quick bullet breezes, and...

Collusion Illusion (Twirling Candy) is unbeaten going one-turn and will try to continue that run in Sunday's GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S., a "Win and You're In" event for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint S. Kicking off this term with a track-and-trip optional claimer score May 17, the sophomore triumphed in the GIII Lazaro Barrera S. June 20 and took the GI Bing Crosby S. by a nose last time at Del Mar Aug. 1. C Z Rocket (City Zip) looks to secure his fifth straight win Sunday. Capturing...

Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing's Flagstaff (Speightstown) gets the morning line nod in Del Mar's GII Pat O'Brien S., a Saturday "Win and You're In" qualifier for the furlong-longer GI Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile. The lightly raced 6-year-old's 2020 campaign has included a victory in the GII San Carlos S. over this trip in March and a narrow second to Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) in the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. in April. He's been off since finishing fourth in the GII Triple Bend S. in June, but has...