Flightline pulls away for majestic win in Breeders’ Cup Classic

WASHINGTON: Undefeated Flightline cemented his superhorse status in spectacular fashion, pulling away in the stretch for a breathtaking 8 1/4-length triumph in Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

French jockey Flavien Prat rode the heavily favored four-year-old colt to victory in the 1 1/4-mile showdown, which capped a two-day, 14-race card worth more than $30 million at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.

“This is one of the great horses of all time. I think history will show that,” Flightline trainer John Sadler said.

Flightline left behind his last rival at the top of the final stretch and surged to an impressive victory.

“He showed so much talent,” Prat said. “We were expecting a great run from him. I thought it was one of the deepest fields but he was an all-pro.

“He broke really well. I was traveling well and he relaxed really well down the back side. I felt like I was in control the whole race.”

The 2-5 favorite, Prat’s fourth career Breeders’ Cup winning ride, improved to 5-0 with 25-1 Olympiad left a distant second and Taiba (8-1) finishing third.

“This is a very special animal to our sport,” Flightline co-owner Kosta Hironis said. “We need a hero. We need a champion. We need an undefeated horse and somebody that can really go out and do his thing.

“And that’s Flightline.”

Asked about the horse’s future, a prior plan to retire him to stud or perhaps possible future races in the wake of the Classic romp, Hironis said no decision has been made.

“The partnership group will get together in the next couple of days and consider how we’re going to move forward,” he said.

Hironis was impressed at how Flightline, who missed out on US Triple Crown bid as a three-year-old as injuries disrupted his early