In five races, the 4-year-old horse is unbeaten and has won by an average margin of more than ten lengths. His big break into the spotlight among the best came at the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, 5, November 2022.
This discussion is respectful and entirely welcome, as far as great horse racing debates go. Is Flightline a legendary athlete in their field? Where we have legendary horses in the likes of Secretariat, Man ‘O’ War, and some other incredible talents, has Flightline proved himself enough to be included?
While the question about who Flightline is, is a growing question among those who, either haven’t seen him in action or don’t enjoy horse racing events, the four-year-old colt, however, is currently the fastest horse ever in horse racing and undoubtedly one that the majority of the sporting audience has never heard of.
It was after Flightline’s race in the Pacific Classic, however, when talk of his greatness began sizzling, that even the likes of Kentucky Derby Betting enthusiasts had more to say about his impressive run to victory.
At Del Mar in Southern California, Flightline defeated five skilled rivals in less than two minutes, taking an early lead of 10 lengths before extending it to 19 and a quarter length at the finish line, all the while being ridden down to an easy lope by Flavien Prat well before the line.
About his brilliant racing speed, even the most cynical horseplayers questioned whether Pegasus had suddenly appeared on their television sets from Greek mythology.
The horse is the “greatest he has ever trained, and his performance in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar was legendary”, according to Flightline’s trainer John Sadler, who has well over 2500 winnings with his horses.
Flightline headed into the arena to compete against seven horses in a $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, 5, November 2022 at Keeneland in Kentucky. The morning line on this had Flightline as the favorite at 3 to 5 odds.
Still, a determined group will make an effort to land Flightline. Nine of Life is Good’s 11 races have ended in victories. Olympiad has won six of his previous seven. Rich Strike, the Kentucky Derby champion of the year 2022, and Epicenter, the Travers winner in 2022, are both powerful 3-year-old rivals to Flightline.
The Breeders Cup Classic of last year made headlines and was surely a must-see racing event which was televised life (NBC) and, Flightline winning, he proved himself whilst providing both a moment of victory and tension for a sport anxious to regain popularity.
Flightline’s owners at the moment, are faced with two tough decisions to make now; the first being whether to retire the colt to the breeding farm wherein a minimum of $60 million ROI will be guaranteed; or in a bid to strengthen the debates that he has a place among one of the sport’s all-time greats, run him next year as a 5-year-old?
On this Flightline debate, his owners West Point Thoroughbreds said in 2022 that the colt is a once-in-a-generation horse that sports fans don’t see too often and more of him should be expected anytime soon.
Whether these assertions meant more of Flightline in the racing trance would be seen in the coming race events remains yet to be seen in his bid to earn a place among the racing all-time greats
In either case, the ownership group deserves praise for the endurance it displayed in directing a star-crossed colt’s stop-and-start trip to the racecourse.
In order for Flightline to compete with horses like Secretariat, Spectacular Bid, Man O’ War, Zenyatta, and/or horses like Forego and Kelso, according to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who trained the great Cigar to 16 consecutive victories and Horse of the Year titles in 1995 and 1996, said the colt must return to the racing track as long as he is healthy and continue to put in an impressive performance.