Flightline Retires To Stud At Kentucky’s Famed Lane’s End Farm; He Waltzes Into The History Books With A Shining Six-Win Career

Very nearly airborne in his stretch run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 5, Flightline has waltzed into the history books and arguably into the Hall of Fame with his brilliant 8-and-a-quarter-length Keeneland win. Soon after the race he moved to Lane’s End, where he is to stand at stud, and, although Kosta Hronis — of principal Flightline owners Hronis Racing — seemed to indicate that the discussions were beginning, the Lane’s End showing was more than a strong hint that the owners were leaning heavily toward his retirement. As it should be: Estimates of his worth are now in the range of $100 million. A stud fee has not been announced by Lane’s End, but we should expect one shortly. It will be at the top end.

Flightline’s margin of victory in the Breeder’s Cup Classic is the largest in the 39-year history of the race, his time was a blistering one, and his six races with no defeats will place him firmly in the books. He’s in good company: Triple Crown winner Justify was also happily retired after six races.

In the largest sense, however, Flightline retires at the peak of his popularity — much like Secretariat and Seattle Slew, he had developed national reach, beyond the sport’s cognoscenti and in fact beyond the sport. He was drawing people to racing that hadn’t previously been interested — as evidenced by the folks lining the rails at dawn at Keeneland to watch his work in the week before the race. That sort of popularity wasn’t based simply on his wins, but on his consistent demonstration of strength and his immense competitive spirit, undamped by any condition, any sort of competition, or any track.

The key to it, his owners and the rest of the equine world agree, was the amazing fluidity of his stride. Flightline did not grind his way around a track.

Technically, taxonomically a large land mammal, the Kentucky-bred Flightline could fly.