First US winner for Flightline as 'very, very impressive' Flight Command storms home on debut

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The brilliant Flightline was represented by his first US winner on Thursday when Flight Command stormed to a ten-length victory at Aqueduct. 

Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, Flight Command made more than a passing impression of his unbeaten sire, starting quickly from the stalls before establishing a clear lead in the hands of Manny Franco. He quickened up the home straight and cruised home to win unchallenged. 

“[He was] very, very impressive,” Rodriguez told the Daily Racing Form. “I thought he would run big. He’d been training good. I was a little concerned when they scratched the [rail-drawn Roadhouse Warrior] because I didn’t want to be on the inside, but he had trained well from the gate.”

Flight Command was bred by Machmer Hall and Carrie and Craig Brogden out of the unraced Candy Ride mare Stonetonic, a daughter of Grade 2 winner Stonetastic. He was bought by Northshore Bloodstock for $275,000 at this year's OBS March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. 

He is the second winner for the Lane's End Farm resident, following on from Demian in Japan on June 13. Flightline has 126 juveniles from his first crop bred from an opening fee of $200,000. The son of Tapit stood this season for $125,000 and had fielded another couple of runners at Churchill Downs, both of whom were placed.

Flightline was unbeaten in six starts for John Sadler, romping to a near 20-length victory in the Pacific Classic Stakes and concluding his career with another power-packed display in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland in 2022. 

He retired as world champion that year with an official rating of 140, equalling Frankel in the process.

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