The world’s highest-rated racehorse Flightline has been retired following his success in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland. He will now stand as a stud at Lane’s End Farm.
FLIGHTLINE CAN FLY! #BC22 pic.twitter.com/Y0gniZcAkU
— Breeders’ Cup (@BreedersCup) November 5, 2022
Connections of the horse had a big decision to make after his victory in Kentucky. They had to choose whether they wanted to keep the four-year-old in training in 2023 or to make the more lucrative move of standing him as a stallion.
The retirement of Flightline now means Vadeni is the highest-rated middle-distance horse in the world rankings. Horse racing bets are already being taken on the 2023 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe where he is the +1000 favorite to his position in the new standings.
Along with Flightline and Baaeed, Vadeni has been one of the stars of 2022. The French-trained horse is expected to be popular in the horse racing predictions for all the leading international races he enters next year.
2.5% Shares Sold in Flightline
Two days after the horse’s triumph in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the owners of the horse opted to sell a 2.5% share in their horse at the Keeneland auction. They sold for $4.6 million to an unnamed buyer.
Those shares estimate the horse to be worth $184 million. He was bought for $1 million in 2019, so it is a huge return on investment for his owners. His value could go up further if he has early success in his new career as a stallion.
Flightline earned just over $4.5 million in career prize money in his six racecourse appearances. He did not feature in any of the US Triple Crown events in 2021 due to injury, but he made up for that in his four-year-old campaign, with big wins at the Breeders’ Cup Meeting and in the Pacific Classic
Comparisons to Secretariat
Although Flightline raced fewer times than the great Secretariat, comparisons have been made between the two horses following the race at Keeneland. The manner of the four-year-old victory Breeders’ Cup Classic mirrored the former US Triple Crown winner in the 1973 Belmont Stakes.
Flightline came home in the closing stages of the 1m2f contest at the Breeders’ Cup meeting in isolation. The pace of the race was a strong one after Life Is Good set the early pace just in front of John Sadler’s runner, but as they turned for the home straight, it was the son of Tapit who found an extra gear to stretch away from his rivals and the rest of the pack.
In total, Flightline won his six races by a combined margin of 62 ¾ lengths. His last four victories came at Grade One level, and he was successful over distances between 6f-1m2f, which highlights how versatile he was.
Flightline looks certain to be named the American Horse of the Year when the honors are handed out at the end of 2022. He is also sure to be remembered as one of the best dirt horses to run on a racecourse, despite his career being a short one.