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Flavien Prat celebrates aboard Flightline after winning the Classic.

Breeders' Cup
World Championships Results

Date: 11/5/2022

Saturday Results Summary (dirt)  -  Saturday Results Summary (turf)  -  F&M Sprint -  Turf Sprint -  Dirt Mile -  F&M Turf -  Sprint -  Mile -  Distaff -  Turf -  Classic
Friday Results Summary -  Juvenile Turf Sprint -  Juvenile Fillies Turf -  Juvenile Fillies -  Juvenile Turf -  Juvenile  
Wrap Up   -   Entries   -   Monday Works   -   Tuesday Works   -   Wednesday Works   -   Thursday Works

The $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) featured a field of 8 older horses going 1 1/4 miles on the main track in a race that heavily influences Eclipse Award voting for Champion Older Horse and Horse of the Year. Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Pacific Classic (G1) winner Flightline was sent off as the 2-5 favorite. In to challenge him included 6-1 second choice Epicenter, winner of the Jim Dandy (G2) and Travers Stakes (G1), and 8-1 third choice Taiba, winner of the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) after finishing second in the Haskell (G1).


Flightline draws away down the stretch.
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. sent 17-2 fourth choice Life is Good to a clear lead first time by through fractions of 22.55, 45.47, and 1:09.62 while pressed by Flightline and stalked by 17-1 Hot Rod Charlie. On the far turn Flightline easily took over the lead through 1 mile in 1:34.58. Kept to task by Flavien Prat, Flightline drew away with authority to win by 8 1/4 lengths over late closing 27-1 Olympiad in 2:00.05. It was another 1/2 length back to Taiba third.

Flightline wins the Classic
Pgm  Horse               Jockey            Win   Place  Show
 4   Flightline          Prat             2.88    2.92  2.30
 7   Olympiad            Alvarado                12.38  7.16
 1   Taiba               Smith                          4.00

Winning Time:  2:00.05

$1 Exacta 4-7                             17.87
$2 Trifecta 4-7-1                        416.30
$1 Superfecta 4-7-1-8                    691.60
$2 Super High Five 4-7-1-8-2           9,473.10
Results chart

Left: Flightline in the winner's circle. Winning trainer John Sadler said, "This is a rare horse. It happens every 20 or 30 years. One of the best American racehorses we've seen in a long, long time. And I'm talking back to Secretariat, Seattle Slew. You go through the list. What I've tried to be is a good steward to him, be fair with him. And if you're good with your horses, they're good with you."

Right: The trophy presentation for the Classic. Co-owner Kosta Hronis said, "Flightline is so blessed to have John Sadler and his team because the patience he had with Flightline and what he did to teach him, he was a fast horse all the time. He was quick and fast. And he wanted to run full blast all the time. John, Juan Leyva, his assistant, and team, they turned this horse into a racehorse. And he's the champion today who he is because of John Sadler."

Left: Flightline in the post parade. Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, "He shows so much talent. We were expecting a great run from him. He was an old pro. He broke sharp. I was worried that because he never really breaks super sharp. And was able to get myself in the clear, he was traveling well and relaxed well down the backside. I felt like was in control the whole race. Once I broke well and was where I wanted to be, I was in control. You never know what to expect because it's horse racing. Sometimes it doesn't happen the way you think it will."

Right: Flightline first time by. Terry Finley of co-owner West Point Thoroughbreds said, "To run away from those horses -- they were eight in front down the backside. So to run away from those horses like he did and to see those horses really, everyone a Grade 1 winner, either this was going to be really good or we're going to have some problems. I think it was one or the other as they went into the far turn. But I saw him. He gave him a break and he just gave him a shot to kind of throttle down a little bit. And obviously Flavien has a lot of confidence in this horse. Always has. I think that confidence is warranted. Just delighted."

Left: Flightline parades with his flowers. Sadler added, "I haven't been sleeping. I haven't been sleeping for two weeks. I'm a little tired. But he's just a great horse. For me, it's a culmination of your life's work. When you've worked with horses your whole life, just most trainers don't get a horse like this. I'm just feeling very blessed."

Right: Flightline heads back to the barn. Asked if he would race next year, Hronis added, "We're in a partnership. This isn't Hronis Racing. We're in a partnership. We're very respectful people and we respect the partnership. We'll all get together and discuss it at a later time and decide. We'll always do what's best by the horse. I can promise you that. We'll get together and we'll just, even-steven, and just decide together how we want to do this."

Left: Second place finisher Olympiad returns after the race. Jockey Junior Alvarado said, "I had a great experience even if I didn't win. I'm a little guy and I had such a break to have a horse like Olympiad, but then what a break to have a horse like Flightline in the race! That was a race like you might see in 60 or 70 years, once in a lifetime period I am happy that I will forever be known as the guy who finished second to Flightline in the Breeders' Cup Classic. I was excited that one horse was coming on at the end come up but I knew I had no shot to win. I hope they keep him running next year. That is my big hope."

Right: Third place finisher Taiba in the post parade. Trainer Bob Baffert said, "He slipped leaving the gate and lost a little bit, but he ran a tremendous race. He has so much heart. He's running against two outstanding 4-year-olds. I would have loved to run second. I knew Flightline; he just reminds me of American Pharoah. He  ran a gallant race. I'm proud of him. He's tough. You watch him work in the morning you'd never think he's that good, But when he gets in the gate he's a different horse."


The horses break from the gate for the Classic. Mike Smith aboard Taiba (1) said, "Honestly, he ran huge. I was in really tight and he slipped a little leaving the gate. But after that, he really ran huge."

Saturday Results Summary (dirt)  -  Saturday Results Summary (turf)  -  F&M Sprint -  Turf Sprint -  Dirt Mile -  F&M Turf -  Sprint -  Mile -  Distaff -  Turf -  Classic
Friday Results Summary -  Juvenile Turf Sprint -  Juvenile Fillies Turf -  Juvenile Fillies -  Juvenile Turf -  Juvenile  
Wrap Up   -   Entries   -   Monday Works   -   Tuesday Works   -   Wednesday Works   -   Thursday Works

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