WATCH: Jockeycam Footage of Breeders’ Cup Winner Flightline’s ‘Secretariat-Like’ Performance Will Absolutely Blow Your Mind
Flightline came into the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic as the favorite to win at 2/5 — and dominated the field in historic fashion in Lexington, Kentucky.
Flightline stayed perfect in his career after winning his sixth race from six starts Saturday evening. Flightline passed Life Is Good at the top of the stretch and never looked back en route to a remarkable 8 1/4 length score.
NBC’s Larry Collmus called Flightline’s performance “Secretariat-like” — in that he dominated the strongest field assembled each year in horse racing. The Breeders’ Cup Classic is North America’s richest race, with a purse of $6 million.
Jockey Flavien Prat could not believe the performance by Flightline and was happy to get the opportunity to ride the once-in-a-generation-like horse.
“I’m just grateful to be on him,” Prat told a reporter from Fan Duel TV. “I just pinch myself every day, ‘why me?’ And I just try to enjoy it. It’s been a great journey, and I hope it keeps going.”
The footage captured by JockeyCam was truly remarkable, as Prat wore a camera to give fans a view from the pilot’s seat. As the gates sprung open, a thunderous stampede of all the horses in the race could be heard. Flightline and Life Is Good quickly made it a two-horse race when they got through the first turn. Flightline stalked Life Is Good down the backstretch before making his move rounding the final turn. Prat’s view showed Flightline got outside of Life Is Good, got past him, and quickly pulled away from the competition. The crowd at Keeneland Race Course roared as it became clear Flightline would win in truly scintillating fashion. After Flightline crossed the finish line, Prat patted the horse in celebration.
Flightline’s trainer, John Sadler, believes Flightline would go down in history as one of the most incredible horses to compete.
“This is one of the great horses of all time, so I think history will show that,” Sadler told NBC from the winner’s circle.
Flightline’s win on Saturday was the fourth Breeders’ Cup win for Prat as a jockey and Sadler’s second as a trainer.
Watch above via NBC.
