LEXINGTON, USA (AP) — Running the biggest race of a brief career, Flightline left no doubt about this year’s top thoroughbred.

The unbeaten colt posted another dominant run, overtaking Life Is Good entering the top of the stretch and pulling away to an 8¼-length victory in the US$6-million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday (November 5, 2022) at Keeneland, and all but locking up honours as Horse of the Year.

“Brilliant is his normal,” trainer John Sadler said. “He didn’t disappoint, and never has… This race, he’s just a remarkable, remarkable horse.”

The four-year-old bay colt entered the Grade 1 race 5/0 lifetime with an average victory margin of nearly 13 lengths, making him the overwhelming 3/5 favourite over the eight-horse field that included Kentucky Derby upset winner Rich Strike and 5/1 second choice Epicenter. Flightline went off at 2/5 from the number 4 post and he and Todd Pletcher-trained Life Is Good, at 8/1, separated themselves from the pack with a blistering pace and building a nine-length gap through the far turn.

Sadler’s pupil was moving up at that point and eventually passed Life Is Good before the stretch and quickly building a two-length gap that steadily grew from there. Olympiad (10/1) soon overtook Life Is Good with Bob Baffert-trained Taiba gaining, though both were far behind the horse who has earned lofty comparisons to legendary Triple Crown champion Secretariat.

His remarkable run in the Classic will likely ratchet up the praise, and the trainer didn’t shy away from it.

“He’s just that rare horse that happens every 20 or 30 years,” Sadler added. “One of the best American racehorses we’ve seen in a long, long time. And I’m talking back to Secretariat, Seattle Slew, you go through the list.

“What I try to be is a good steward to him. If you’re good with your horse, he’ll be good with you.”

His winning time was just off Authentic’s record of 1:59.60 set here two years ago.

Epicenter, considered a strong Horse of the Year favourite with four wins and three seconds, was pulled up by jockey Joel Rosario in the backstretch with an injured right forelimb. He walked into a van and was taken to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for evaluation.

While Pletcher came up short in the Classic, his filly Malathaat provided the day’s most exciting finish by winning the US$2-million Distaff by a nose over Blue Stripe and Clairiere and in a three-wide photo finish.

The 2021 three-year-old champion filly and 3/1 choice surged from the middle between the final turns and was on the outside among five horses in the stretch before she broke free with Clairiere to her left and Blue Stripe on the rail over the final 100 yards. Malathaat eventually caught Clairere and nosed past Blue Stripe at the wire, which replay confirmed.

Blue Stripe was second by a nose over Clairiere, who beat Malathaat’s stablemate Nest (9/5) by 3¼ lengths.

“Where I was positioned, I thought we won,” Pletcher said. “And then every time I watched the replay, it seemed like it got closer and closer. I thought she won, but I wasn’t a million per cent sure.”

The nine-race Breeders’ Cup card went off with partly sunny skies and stiff crosswinds blowing across the infield and backstretch. It became more overcast as the Classic neared but without precipitation.

Most importantly, the grandstands were full, a stark and welcome contrast to the 2020 edition held here without spectators because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In other Breeders’ Cup races before a crowd of 45,973 at Keenland:

— US$2-million Filly and Mare Turf: Tuesday caught In Italian at the 1/16th mark and ran to a one-length victory. The Irish-bred won for the third time this year and ended a four-race drought.

— US$2-million Breeders’ Cup Mile: Irish-bred Modern Games earned a ¾-length victory, one of two on the day for Charles Appleby.