Catch him if you can: America's best Flightline ready for take-off at Del Mar

North America's version of Baaeed is in action this weekend when Flightline gets the latest chance to show his abundant talent in Del Mar's TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (1.50am Sunday).

Like the brilliant Baaeed, Flightline was unraced at two and did not take in Classic assignments in the early part of his three-year-old campaign, but as an unbeaten four-year-old, is threatening to become one of the sport's champions.

His first top-level success came in the 7f Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita a day after Christmas, while he was an easy winner of the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park in June, a performance that earned a Racing Post Rating of 130.

Baaeed: officially the world's best horseCredit: Edward Whitaker

That effort put him in Baaeed territory on RPRs. However, that was before the Shadwell superstar stormed home at York in the Juddmonte International Stakes, soaring to a new RPR of 138.

Handicappers tend not to ignore wide-margin wins, so Flightline might be capable of going higher yet given his four wins have come by 13 and a half, 13, 11 and a half, and six lengths.

He is forecast to start a red-hot favourite for the Pacific Classic, which his trainer John Sadler has won in three of the last four years.

The colt's earnings of £585,931 is dwarfed by the £8,250,683 his rival and Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer has earned, but money might not be everything.

The mount of expat French jockey Flavien Prat, Flightline, who was a $1 million yearling, will break from stall five in the six-runner field and little, it seems, is worrying Sadler.

"Good post, I'm very pleased with that," he said.

"We thought most of the posts would have been good because of the relatively small field, and he's tactical, he doesn't have to have the lead and he doesn't have to be way back either.

"If you think about what you want, you jinx the post. So you just let it happen and that's a good post."

In any case, a bad draw with a good horse is preferable to a good draw with a bad horse, but Flightline and Baaeed are a bit better than good.

Flightline details

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