Jane Lyon stood in the sea Grandstand to watch the horse she bred and raised, airline around the final turn on his path to greatness in the TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) on September 3rd.
“I was just trying not to cry so strenuous that I couldn't see him when he crossed the finish line,” she said. “You can’t expect that. You can't wish for it. And for it to happen and for him to continue to develop the way he is, getting better and better, that’s just a miracle.”
Clutching the red roses in the winner's circle, Lyon received congratulations from several of Flightline's co-owners. It was Lyon who led the creation of Flightline, a colt she bred in Kentucky by crossing the United States Indian Charlie mare Feathered with Carpet . Even these fine bloodlines could give no indication that he could produce the incredible performance that the crowd saw at the $1,000,500 Pacific Classic.
Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Equine
Flightline was expected to win despite never having raced further than a mile and facing five stakes winners, including the winner of the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1). Country grammarian . But the way he did it was something few, if any, had ever seen before. Finally, Secretariat The 31-length victory at Belmont was almost 50 years ago.
Flightline went into the race right from the start, even though the horses on both sides pushed him as he left the gate. Despite a long shot, he took an early lead from outside Additional hope racing on the rails and actually overtaking Flightline as the tightly packed field headed for the first turn.
Running wide while Prat tried to keep him composed, Flightline began the attack that would quickly transport him to another dimension. He took command at the five-eighth pole and would never relinquish it.
Was that too early to take the lead? For an ordinary mortal traveling 1 1/4 miles, perhaps so. But that was Flightline. He lengthened his stride and the distance began to escalate – a length, then 10, then 13. The fractions looked like Flightline was slowing, as he covered six furlongs in 1:09.97, but no one was watching the way and the way he moved, expecting any horse to come anywhere near him.
“When we went into the last corner he was doing so well that I asked him to speed up a little,” said Prat. “As soon as I looked back and saw how far ahead he was, I went after him.”
The crowd roared as Flightline galloped down the track, and Jane Lyon tried to hold back tears. As Flightline crossed the finish line an incredible distance later estimated at 19 1/4 lengths, my jaw dropped. Even though Prat downshifted him, Flightline stopped the clock in 1:59.28, just 0.17 off Candy ride s stakes and track record achieved at the 2003 Pacific Classic. Country Grammer finished second by seven lengths Royal ship in the third.
Flightline's lead wiped out the Pacific Classic record of 12 1/2 lengths set in 2019 Accelerate like Flightline, trained by John Sadler, who has now trained four of the last five winners of the Pacific Classic.
When co-owner Kosta Hronis heard the official margin, he laughed and said, “Well, there's Accelerate's bottom line – destitute Accelerate.”
Hronis owned Accelerate in the name of his family's Hronis Racing. Kosta, his wife Stephanie and his brother Pete own Flightline in association with Lyon's Summer Wind Equine, Siena Farm, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing.
The Flightline connections are pleased about the trophy presentation for the Pacific Classic
Flightline was never tested as he won all five of his races. It's a relaxed schedule for a 4-year-old, but a few issues kept him from competing until April of his 3-year-old season, and the colt also suffered a minor setback earlier this year. Sadler has long said it's essential to harness his incredible speed.
“This horse is so brilliant that you have to separate his races a little bit because it's its own category,” Sadler said. “I know him well and know that it is best for him to build up his energy from one race to the next. We would all like to see him run more often, but if he runs like that, there's no need to make him run more often. Enjoy the ones you run in.
Flightline secured a Breeders' Cup Challenge berth at the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) with its Pacific Classic win. Sadler was pretty sure he would train the colt for this race without competing in next month's Awesome Again Stakes (G1). Santa Anita Parkthe last Classic preparation for horses on the West Coast.
Sadler has been impressed with Flightline since he first laid eyes on him after David Ingordo, who has purchased many of Sadler's top runners, secured the colt's purchase for $1 million as a yearling in 2019 at the Saratoga Sale, the select yearling sale from Fasig-Tipton in Saratoga, Springs, NY Ingordo bought him for West Point Thoroughbreds and the current partnership quickly came together.
Flightline's five winning margins now total 62 3/4 lengths.
