There are not many points on the back of the belt at Racecourse Saratoga or the Oklahoma Training Track on September 4, where the conversation isn’t about the incredible performance of Flight route in TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) worth $1 million at Del Mar Yesterday.
“He looks spectacular,” Hall of Fame coach Bill Mott said outside his stable in Oklahoma. “For me, it’s a Clerk performance we’ve seen. There’s not much more to say about it.”
“Very impressive,” said Todd Pletcher, a friend at the Hall of Famer, at his Oklahoma warehouse. “He’s still undefeated. Definitely impressive. I hope he runs well.”
Flightline raised its record to 5 to 5 with 19 runs of 1/4 length. He has won both of his starts this year.
Next stop for my son Tapit will be Breeders’ $6 million Cup Classic at Keeneland November 5th.
It was also a possible landing point for the horses trained by Pletcher and Mott.
Pletcher is targeting Life is good , who won $1 million worth of Whitney Stakes (G1) in Saratoga on August 6 for the Classic. Mott is hoping to run Olympiad winner of the US$1 million prize pool for the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on September 3.
Pletcher will aim for Life Is Good, son of Into Mischief with $500,000 Woodward Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct race track October 1. When asked about Life Is Good playing Flightline in Keeneland, Pletcher wouldn’t offer much.
“Hopefully (Classic) is a success for us,” he said. “I mean, we have a lot of respect for (Flightline). We’re also very confident in how good we think Life Is Good is. I’m looking forward to being in the Breeders’ Cup Classic if Life Is Good runs well. in Woodward and keep moving forward.”
The Olympiad recovered from a disappointing fourth place in the Whitney to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup in two runs. Mott said the son of Sightstown will stay in Saratoga where he will train him to Classic.
And as far as facing Flightline? Come on, let’s go, Mott said.
“We’re leaning towards the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” he said. “Of course, the next question would be ‘what about Flightline?” They often run more than one horse in the race, and we will probably be participants. It’s the end of the year with a lot of money. “
Smullen is still on the way to recovery
It’s been a long year for Heather Smullen. Trainer Barclay Tagg is recovering from a horrific riding accident that left her with broken tibia and fibula in her right leg. It happened at the end of 2021 meet at Racecourse Saratogaand the road to recovery is very slow.
Heather Smullen with Tiz the Law
She is a regular partner of Belmont Stakes 2020 presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) winner Law Tiz . She worked for the New York-bred horse for most of his racing career alongside several other horses in the Tagg stables.
40-year-old Smullen, the niece of Tagg’s longtime assistant Robin Smullen, hurt herself when Blitz to win jumped onto the rails in Saratoga at the far turn and landed on her knees.
Smullen had surgery last September, and at the start of this year’s encounter, had another surgery.
“They have to get rid of the part that has grown,” she said. “They put a plate and seven screws on the bone and fibula and grafted onto the unhealed area.”
Going back to work for the Tagg warehouse was a goal, but she wasn’t sure if that would ever happen.
“I don’t know if I can do it,” she said. “If you can’t do well, you don’t want to do it. If I can’t hold a squat, I won’t be able to gallop.”
Blitz to Win, owned by Tiz the Law ties, Sackatoga Stable, is still in training and finished fifth in an allowance race at Saratoga on Aug. 20.
Smullen, who calls Florida home, was in Saratoga for the entire meeting because she had surgery in the Capital Region and her doctors are here.
“I miss the horses, but I still get to be around them, which is great,” she said. “You can’t sit at home and do nothing. I miss riding beautiful horses. The obstinate people are getting ridiculous, I don’t miss them too much.”
Smullen said she will see how long it takes for her leg to fully recover before deciding what to do next for her career. She estimates that her right foot is 75 percent.
“We’ll just wait and see how it heals,” she said. “At the moment, it hurts, but it’s stable.”
