Progeny of Flightline Soar at Saratoga Sale

After paying $1.1 million for a filly by first-crop yearling sire Flightline   on the first night of The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale, West Point Thoroughbreds went to $1.8 million on the second night Aug. 5 for a Flightline colt, partnering on this one with John Oxley.

Consigned by Lane's End, agent for Summer Wind Equine, Hip 176 led the Flightline progeny offered at the sale, with nine yearlings going through the ring and eight selling for a total of $7.1 million. The average price was $887,500. 

"He's been in the right hands since the day he was foaled," Terry Finley, president and CEO of West Point Thoroughbreds, said of the colt bred by Summer Wind Equine and Sarah S. Farish. "We're just really happy to get him, and to have the honor and privilege of partnering with John Oxley and his agent Justin Casse."

In 2019, Finley signed the ticket for Flightline at this sale, paying $1 million for the son of Tapit  . 

The bay colt is the first foal out of the graded stakes-placed Quality Road   mare Park Avenue . 

John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock kicked off the buying early, taking home the second horse through the ring Tuesday evening. Stewart paid $875,000 for Hip 111, a bay Flightline colt out of Hennesey Smash, a New Mexico-bred multiple stakes winner and producer of four stakes winners, including grade 2 winner Slammed .

"I really liked this colt," Stewart said. "I thought he was really sporty-looking. My primary focus tonight is on colts, and this is the first of several I'm going to be picking up tonight."

Despite an overall exceptionally strong market, Stewart had expected to go much higher to get the colt, which was bred by Brad King, Scott Bryant, Clay Cash, Chris Coleman, and Stan Kirby and consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, agent.

"I had written in my catalog that I thought he'd bring between $1.5 million and $2 million," he said. "I got him for $875,000, and I feel like I stole him."  

Hips 118 and 135 both brought $750,000, the former from Flying Dutchmen and the latter from David Ingordo Racing.

A chestnut colt out of the multiple graded stakes winner Hot Dixie Chick  (Dixie Union), Hip 118 is a half brother to Pauline's Pearl  (Tapit), a six-time graded stakes winner who counts among her victories the 2022 La Troienne Stakes (G1). 

Hunter Rankin, president of Flying Dutchmen, said, "He's a smooth, really nice colt, very athletic. There are a lot of really good representatives of Flightline here, but we thought he was one of the better ones, if not the best. And I've always had a thing for that mare." 

The colt was bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and consigned by Gainesway, agent for Stonestreet Bred for Brilliance. 

Also coming from the consignment of Lane's End on behalf of Summer Wind Equine, which bred the yearling, Hip 135 is a filly out of the Galileo mare Key To My Heart . Ingordo said that the filly will head to Florida to be broken.

"I've got some clients that wanted a Flightline," he said. "We'll see how she develops and come up with a plan then."

The final Flightline to go through the ring was Hip 208, purchased for $600,000 by MyRacehorse. The bay filly was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, acting as agent for breeder Don Alberto Corporation, and is out of the Into Mischief   mare Slam Dunk .

The lone Flightline RNA was Hip 156, bringing a final bid of $475,000. 

Undefeated in six lifetime races, four of them grade 1 contests, including the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), Flightline earned $4.5 million and was voted 2022 Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male. He stands at Lane's End for a 2025 stud fee of $150,000.