Flightline

For 85 years already, surf and turf have been kissing cousins at Del Mar, and Friday anoints the latest rekindling of that summer fling at the SoCal seaside venue. To discuss the meet--which runs through Sept. 11--the TDN sat down with Josh Rubinstein, president of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, who spoke field size, purse bonuses, stabling and a certain high-flying trainee. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity. TDN: Opening day is Friday with a sold-out crowd and an impressive average field size of 11 horses per-race....

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 216 selected yearlings for the 101st Saratoga Sale, to be held on Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 8 and 9, in Saratoga Springs, New York. Sessions will begin each evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion. "We are very bullish on the quality of this year's catalogue," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "Superior sire power, elite pedigrees, and the outstanding conformation that buyers expect at Saratoga will be on offer. We have attracted an increased number of siblings to current and recent graded stakes...

In the end, things work because they work. We try stuff, often if not always with the best intentions, and see whether it gains our trust. Lived experience, among horsemen and fans, will eventually tell us whether an experiment has failed or whether, once every generation or so, we might have struck a game-changing seam of gold. The Breeders' Cup was one such; and, who knows, maybe a similar hostility from vested interests will ultimately prove the furnace in which HISA can be forged into another. That may seem a...

How poignant that, in this of all weeks, the two most breathtaking winners on Belmont day should both have prompted comparisons with Ghostzapper, whose GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Lone Star Park in 2004 was surely the greatest Thoroughbred performance ever on Texan soil. Because while the whole racing world came to Dallas that day, it appears that there will be no reciprocal embrace when it comes to the standards sought—not just federally, but internationally—to give American horseracing credibility in the contest for public engagement in the 21st Century.

How poignant that, in this of all weeks, the two most breathtaking winners on Belmont day should both have prompted comparisons with Ghostzapper, whose GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Lone Star Park in 2004 was surely the greatest Thoroughbred performance ever on Texan soil. Because while the whole racing world came to Dallas that day, it appears that there will be no reciprocal embrace when it comes to the standards sought—not just federally, but internationally—to give American horseracing credibility in the contest for public engagement in the 21st Century. It's...

The winner's circle after Saturday's GI Belmont S. surely rivaled any in Triple Crown history in terms of population after Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) crossed the wire three lengths to the good. In addition to Mike Repole and his substantial crew of family and friends, the celebration contained the massive partnership of Donegal Racing, which brings all of its investors along for the ride with every horse it purchases. Tuesday, the CEO of Donegal, Jerry Crawford, sat down with Joe Bianca and Bill Finley of the TDN Writers' Room presented...

A few strides into the running of Satuday's GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park, John Sadler, the trainer of 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit), admitted to a bit of a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. "When I saw him behind early, I wanted to throw up on myself," he said. Despite some very anxious moments, particularly at multiple junctures during the opening 440 yards of the stallion-making test, the $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate proved more than equal to the task, as he strode clear...

ELMONT, NY - There will be a capped crowd of 50,000 on hand for Saturday's blockbuster GI Belmont Stakes program. Nobody will have a better seat in the house all day than jockey Flavien Prat. The 29-year-old Frenchman will be aboard 2-1 morning-line favorite 'TDN Rising Star' We the People (Constitution) in the final leg of the Triple Crown. He will also pilot unbeaten sensation and fellow 'Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) in the prestigious GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. Both will exit from post one. WinStar Farm, Bobby Flay,...

The long-anticipated return of undefeated superstar Flightline draws more excitement by the day, especially now that the John Sadler-trained son of Tapit has arrived at Belmont Park in preparation for Saturday's GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. Terry Finley, whose West Point Thoroughbreds campaigns Flightline along with Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine and Woodford Racing, has been counting down the days until the Met Mile for quite some time. Finley joined this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland as the Green Group Guest of the Week to...

West Point Thoroughbreds' Terry Finley joined the TDN Writers' Room ahead of their undefeated sensation Flightline's bid in the Met Mile.

ELMONT, NY - With the rising sun making its way through cloudy skies, GI Belmont S. longshot Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) began to get into his gallop on the clubhouse turn on a steamy Wednesday morning at beautiful Belmont Park. Sporting plenty of trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.'s flashy yellow-and-blue stable colors, the GI Preakness S. fifth-place finisher continued to catch the eye upon return while jogging along the outer rail with his neck arched. He stood briefly by the gap and soaked up plenty of attention from a handful of photographers as...

The unbeaten sensation Flightline (Tapit) has been cleared for takeoff. Last seen making it a perfect three-for-three with a gaudy 118 Beyer Speed Figure in Santa Anita's GI Runhappy Malibu S. Dec. 26, Flightline will launch his highly anticipated 4-year-old campaign in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. on the completely stacked GI Belmont S. undercard June 11. "We're at that stage where he's all ready," trainer John Sadler said. "He's doing really well. He hasn't missed a beat. We just have to get to next week and get...