Flightline Poised To Soar At Breeders' Cup

Los Angeles, Nov 4 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Nov, 2022 ) :Unbeaten Flightline can establish himself among horse racing's greats with a victory in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Keeneland, in Lexington, Kentucky.

The 1 1/4-mile race highlights a two-day, 14-race slate worth more than $30 million, but the question dominating all this week is: Can anyone bring Flightline down? The four-year-old colt trained by John Sadler leads a field of eight for the Classic, and he has caught the eyes and imagination of fans and rivals alike.

"I love watching him work," said US trainer Bob Baffert.

Baffert, who saddles Taiba in the Classic, said Flightline reminds him of Triple Crown-winner American Pharoah.

"He's Pharoah at four," Baffert said. "He moves just like him. He's an extraordinary horse." That doesn't mean Baffert -- returning to racing in Kentucky this week for the first time since he was banned by Churchill Downs in the wake of Medina Spirit's failed drugs test after the 2021 Kentucky Derby -- is conceding.

"The thing is, the only way a horse like that gets beat is just racing luck," Baffert said. "Racing luck can get them all beat." Flightline has stormed to the top of the heap in his four-year-old season after injury disrupted his two-year-old campaign and he missed the Triple Crown season as a three-year old.

He won his first three races by 13 1/4, 12 3/4 and 11 1/2 lengths.

In his only start outside California, he overcame a troubled trip to win the Metropolitan Mile by six lengths, and in his last start he romped to a 19 1/4-length victory in the Pacific Classic.

On Saturday, he'll break from the fourth post with jockey Flavien Prat again in the irons.

His toughest challenge could come from Life is Good, winner of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile last year and winner of nine of 11 career starts.

Kentucky Derby longshot winner Rich Strike, without a victory since his stunning triumph at Churchill Downs, is also in the field, as is Epicenter, runner-up in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

Epicenter trainer Steve Asmussen was looking forward to the Flightline challenge.

"We're all excited to see how we measure up," Asmussen said. "As fast as Epicenter has always been, he is a great representative and has a wonderful chance in the Classic.

"He's proven at a mile and a quarter." Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien doesn't have a runner in the Classic this year, but he is among the many who have taken note of Flightline's rise.

"He looks incredible, doesn't he?" O'Brien said. "The horse is just out of this world." O'Brien is part of a strong European contingent aiming to dominate in the Breeders' Cup turf races.

John Quinn trains one of Europe's biggest hopes in Highfield Princess in the Turf Sprint, where Golden Pal -- trained by Wesley Ward -- will be going for a third Breeders' Cup triumph.

Golden Pal won the 2020 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and won the Turf Sprint last year. Now he can join Goldikova and Beholder as the only horses to win three Breeders' Cup races.

Once again, the $4 million, 1 1/2-mile Turf boasts a strong European contingent that includes the Godolphin duo of Rebel's Romance and Nation's Pride, trained by Charlie Appleby.

O'Brien has two runners in the Turf with Stone Age and the globetrotting Broome, who finished runner-up to the Appleby-trained Yibir in last year's edition.

Frankie Dettori will be aboard Mishriff for the first time in more than two years in the Turf when the five-year-old, trained by John and Thady Gosden, makes the final start of his career.