Monday’s runaway Malibu Stakes (7f) at Santa Anita winner Flightline is the 28th Gr 1 winner for Tapit.
Superlatives are flowing for Flightline who made it three wins from as many starts with an effortless 11-1/2 length win in 1:21.37 for the trip and barely looking to get out of second gear (pic: santaanita.com).
Raced by Hronis Racing, Summer Wind Equine and West Point Thoroughbreds, Flightline, sold for $1m as a Fasig-Tipton yearling and has now earned $259,800 in his three starts for trainer John Sadler.
Flightline is the second stakes winner for Tapit out of a mare by Indian Charlie and interestingly Tapit sons Tapiture has 2021 Listed winner Buy The Best out of a mare by Indian Charlie as well as Peruvian stakes winner Alway’s Comerio out of a mare by Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie).
Tapit’s Gr2 winner Mohaymen has this year’s Gr2 Sorrento Stakes winner Elm Drive and Constitution (Tapit) is the sire of this year’s Gr3 Iroquois Stakes winner Major General out of a mare by Uncle Mo.
Also worth noting is Mohaymen’s 2021 stakes winner Mowins, whose broodmare sire Pure Prize has Blitey as his third-dam.
Blitey is relevant as she is the fifth-dam of Flightline.
Flightline is the second foal of Feathered who won the Gr3 Edgewood Stakes on turf and finished runner-up at Gr1 level in the Starlet Stakes and American Oaks.
This is a proven Phipps running family. Flightline’s third-dam Finder’s Fee (Storm Cat) won the Gr1 Starlet at two and Gr1 Acorn at three while Blitey (Riva Ridge) herself won the Gr2 Test Stakes in 1979 and was Gr1-placed in the Ruffian, Top Flight and Delaware Handicaps.
At stud she surpassed her race record, leaving the three-time Gr1 winner (but disappointing sire) Dancing Spree (Nijinsky), Gr1 Hempstead Handicap winner Fantastic Find (Mr Prospector) and Gr1 Ballerina Handicap winner Furlough (Easy Goer).
One of Blitey’s daughters Oh What A Dance (Nijinsky) featured on the same Santa Anita card as the fifth-dam of the Gr2 American Oaks winner Queen Goddess, the 38th Graded or Group winner for Empire Maker.