Unbeaten Breeders' Cup Classic winner Flightline retired from racing; Epicenter has surgery
Flightline, winner of Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, was retired from racing Sunday morning, according to a news release from Lane’s End Farm.
Flightline will begin his stud career for an undisclosed fee at Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.
Saturday’s victory in the Classic completed an undefeated career for the 4-year-old Flightline, who won his six career races by a combined 71 lengths. The last four races were Grade 1 victories.
“How do you describe greatness?” trainer John Sadler said after Saturday’s win. “This is just a rare horse that happens every 20 or 30 years. One of the best American racehorses we’ve seen in a long, long time. I’m talking back to Secretariat, Seattle Slew.”
Breeders' Cup: Winners and payouts from Saturday's races at Keeneland
Flightline had career earnings of $4,514,800 for the ownership conglomerate of Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing.
Summer Wind, owned by Jane Lyon, was Flightline’s breeder. Flightline’s dam, Feathered, is owned by Summer Wind. Flightline was sired by Tapit.
Flightline missed the Triple Crown trail last year and raced just three times as a 3-year-old. He closed his 3-year-old season with a victory in the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita Park and won Grade 1 races this year at Belmont and Del Mar before the Breeders’ Cup romp.
Breeders' Cup: Winners, payouts from Friday's races at Keeneland
“We would like to thank John Sadler and his team for the incredible work they did with Flightline,” Lane’s End’s Bill Farish said in the news release. “His historic performances are a credit to their expertise and unwavering efforts to bring out the very best in the horse.”
Epicenter, former 2022 Kentucky Derby favorite, has surgery
Epicenter had surgery Sunday morning to repair an injury suffered in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Trainer Steve Asmussen said Epicenter had a lateral condylar fracture of his right front leg. No decision has been made on whether Epicenter will return to racing.
“Dr. Larry Bramlage inserted two screws to stabilize the injury, and the horse is up and resting in his stall,” Asmussen said. “After surgery, Dr. Bramlage and the Rood and Riddle team are very happy with how the surgery went, and the prognosis is excellent for him to be a healthy sire.”
Epicenter was pulled up by jockey Joel Rosario on the backstretch of the Classic.
Asmussen thanked Rosario and on-site veterinarians and doctors for taking care of Epicenter.
Breeders' Cup: Forte gives Repole-Pletcher duo second Juvenile victory
“Enough cannot be said how thankful we are for everybody’s urgency to ensure Epicenter’s well-being and everything that was put in place to make the diagnosis for the on-site care, the transportation, Dr. Bramlage meeting him at the clinic and then the care he has received at Rood and Riddle by the entire staff,” Asmussen said.
Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, the 3-year-old Epicenter is 6-3-0 in 11 career starts and has earned $2,940,639. He’s the favorite for the Eclipse Award for 3-year-old champion after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and then winning the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 1 Travers.
Epicenter was bred at Bettersworth Westwind Farms in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @KentuckyDerbyCJ.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Flightline, Breeders' Cup Classic winner, retires & will begin to stud
