Flightline breezes final time before Breeders’ Cup Classic

Lexington, Ky.

Terry Finley’s eyes grew wide as he tracked the blinking light whipping its way down the Keeneland backstretch into the far turn.

As the founder and president of West Point Thoroughbreds, Finley is accustomed to the routine that is morning workouts, specifically, the breath holding that takes place when watching one of his own go through serious paces. Saturday, however, was a new experience for him as he finally was getting the chance to witness the brilliant, pre-race preparations that have allowed him and his partners to embark on the journey of a lifetime.

Work tab: 36 Breeders’ Cup horses breeze, 4 fire bullets.

So when the beacon atop assistant Juan Leyva’s helmet emerged from the darkness, and the powerful frame of unbeaten Flightline came into full view down the lane, Finley was like the rest of the crowd that had packed the Keeneland stands and apron on a crisp fall morning, completely awestruck with what was happening before him.

“This is the first time I’ve seen him work in person,” Finley beamed as he watched Flightline cool out in the aftermath of the colt’s five-furlong breeze for next Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. “Obviously this was a special morning. That blinking light made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. I walked past (owner and breeder) Everett Dobson as soon as they pulled up on the far turn, and we just kind of exchanged glances and smiled.

“And Everett just said, ‘That was some kind of work.’ ”

Everything about Flightline’s brief career has been some kind of wonderful to date, and his last major work ahead of his most serious competitive test fell into that category. With Leyva’s skilled hands guiding the way, the expected overwhelming favorite for the Classic showed off for those who had risen early to watch him as glided through five furlongs in 1:00.6.

With most of Flightline’s heavy lifting done at his base in California, trainer John Sadler said Saturday’s work was more focused on maintenance rather than outright speed. There is only so much holding back, however, when it comes to the son of Tapit as he broke off alertly from the pony and settled right into his rhythm with an opening quarter in 25.2 seconds before finishing off the effort with his trademark, monster gallop-out.

“I told Juan to go a minute and change and gallop out (seven-eighths) in (1:)26, and that’s exactly what he did,” Sadler said. “Juan is great work rider, so it just went the way we wanted it to. I just wanted him to look happy around the track, get one work over it and get settled this week. That’s why we came a little early. He’s had plenty of work in California, so it wasn’t about going fast today. He was just cruising around there.”

Not only is Flightline flawless in his five career starts heading into the 10-furlong Classic, but he has yet to face a serious challenge along the way. His most recent triumph in the Sept. 3 Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar was a 19 1/4-length masterclass that has sparked comparisons to some of Thoroughbred racing’s all-timers. The way he has taken to the Keeneland main track since arriving in Central Kentucky on Sunday has only added to the confidence his connections are already bursting with.

“We’re all trying to be sportsmen,” Finley said of Flightline’s ownership group, which consists of West Point Thoroughbreds, Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine and Woodford Racing. He added with a grin, “And I think we’re all looking forward to a week from today.”

Flightline might have been the main reason Saturday’s crowd for workouts resembled a casual race-day turnout, but those who did show up were treated to a slew of top contenders putting in their last works in advance of the two-day Breeders' Cup.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Life Is Good once again signaled that Flightline is going to have to deal with him if he wants to get to the Classic winner’s circle, putting in his standard stellar breeze under the watch of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. With Amelia Green up, Life Is Good also worked five furlongs in 1:00.6, clicking off fractions of 12.0, 24.6 and 49.0 with a gallop-out at 1:13.2, 1:25.8 and a mile at 1:39.8.

“It was a typical Life Is Good breeze, very impressive,” Pletcher said. “He was traveling well throughout, very happy with the way he finished, the way he galloped out was super. (Green) had a good hold of him, but I thought he was relaxed at the same time. You ask why we’re going 1 1/4 miles (in the Classic), and it’s because we’re accustomed to seeing gallop-outs like he did this morning, which gives you confidence he’ll stay a little further.”

Pletcher also worked his pair of leading contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in champion Malathaat and her 3-year-old stablemate Nest. Shadwell Stable’s Malathaat hit the track the same time as Flightline, working four furlongs in company in 49.6 seconds with Nest coming out just after 9 a.m. EDT and going a half-mile, also in company, in 50.4 seconds.

“Both of them were super breezes,” said Pletcher, who later worked Annapolis (Mile) and Major Dude (Juvenile Turf) a half mile in 50.4 seconds. “Both of them are coming back in 27 days, so with both, we were looking to leave a little something in the tank, which I think is exactly what we were able to accomplish. They each came to the wire in hand looking to do more.”

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown had his Breeders’ Cup army out in force Saturday with Grade 1 winners Jack Christopher (Sprint), Search Results (Distaff), Goodnight Olive (Filly & Mare Sprint) and Blazing Sevens (Juvenile) all on the tab.

Jack Christopher covered four furlongs in 48.6 seconds with Search Results clocking five furlongs at 1:01.20. Goodnight Olive drilled a half-mile in :47.8 seconds with Champagne Stakes (G1) winner Blazing Sevens putting in a professional four furlongs in :47.2 seconds.

“All my solo works I thought went beautiful,” Brown said. “Blazing Sevens, for a baby with only three starts, he’s gone out there and breezes alone just fine. He looked like a 3-year-old coming down the lane. It’s a tough race, but watching him train, he is really looking to run two turns.”

Brown also sent his turf contingent out for their final moves with Domestic Spending (Mile) and Virginia Joy (Filly & Mare Turf) going 1:02.6 in company, multiple Grade 1 winner In Italian (Filly & Mare Turf) working a solo half in 50.80 seconds and Regal Glory (Mile) and Rougir (Filly & Mare Turf) breezing four furlongs in company in 49.8 seconds.

“Domestic Spending, he went super,” Brown said of the gelding. “He looks better than I’ve ever seen him look physically. He’s grown up and has great strength to him. His gallop-outs have been consistently strong the last three weeks here, and he’s a super talented horse.

“With Virginia Joy, she’s sort of in between. I think the 1 3/8 miles is probably her best distance, but the 1 3/16 miles (for the Filly & Mare Turf) is a little sharp for her,” Brown added about the bay mare, who has second preference in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. “But to run against her own gender might be a little easier. The (Turf), it’s not the toughest 1 1/2-mile turf race I’ve seen, but there are some nice horses in it. We haven’t really decided (which race) yet.”