Eagles Flight, the Curlin colt that is a half brother to the brilliant Flightline , has been withdrawn from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by breeder Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Equine, Bill Farish of Lane's End confirmed Sept. 6.
Out of the grade 3-winning Indian Charlie mare Feathered, the colt had been consigned to the sale by Lane's End as Hip 243. He will be retained to race by Lyon, who bred and co-owns Flightline, the undefeated son of Tapit who dazzled Sept. 3 with a 19 1/4-length tour de force in the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar.
GANTZ: Flightline Spectacular in Pacific Classic
"It's a little bit of a blow to our consignment. He was generating a lot of buzz, but of course we understand and wish Jane the best with him," Farish said. "She doesn't have to sell him. If I was Jane Lyon, I'd keep him, too."
Lyon sold Flightline for $1 million in 2019 through the Lane's End consignment to The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. While West Point Thoroughbreds signed the ticket, Lyon remained in on the horse for a percentage as partners Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, and Woodford Racing—the latter founded by Farish—joined the mix.
Flightline broke his maiden at 3 going six furlongs for trainer John Sadler with a 13 1/4-length romp at first asking in April of 2021 at Santa Anita Park, graduated to the allowance ranks with similar ease last September at Del Mar, and flew home by 11 1/2 lengths in the seven-furlong Runhappy Malibu Stakes (G1) at the end of the season. He returned this year with a six-length airing in the Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) going a mile at Belmont Park, then shaded the track record set by Candy Ride in 2003 despite being geared down by Flavien Prat with his flawless stretch to 1 1/4 miles in the Pacific Classic. His five winning margins total 62 3/4 lengths.
Feathered was bred in Kentucky by Teresa Viola Racing Stable out of the stakes-placed Dynaformer mare Receipt, a daughter of multiple grade 1 winner Finder's Fee. Purchased by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners for $300,000 from Crupi's New Castle Farm at 2014 Ocala Breeders' Sales Selected Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, she won the 2015 Edgewood Stakes (G3T) and was grade 1-placed as part of a 3-4-1 record from 12 starts. Feathered was purchased for $2.35 million by Lyon from Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency's consignment to the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale while carrying her first foal, a War Front filly.
That resulting filly, Good on Paper, was purchased privately by Glen Hill Farm and broke her maiden for their operation in California, then was sent to Sir Prancealot and sold privately to Farish. The resulting colt, dropped April 7, was bred by Farish, Ken Langone, and Hronis Racing Stable. That partnership group owns the mare, who was barren this year and will be bred next season to a stallion to be determined.
Flightline is the second foal out of 10-year-old Feathered. Her third, the 2019 Pioneerof the Nile colt Voron, sold for $100,000 to VSK Racing at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale and won last season as a 2-year-old in Russia.
The mare's fourth foal, a Tapit colt named Olivier that failed to meet his reserve at $390,000 at The Saratoga Sale last year, is owned by Lyon in partnership with WinStar. Now 2, he most recently worked for Rodolphe Brisset Saturday at Keeneland after steadily breezing at WinStar Training Center over the summer. Lyon also has Feathered's 2022 foal, an Into Mischief filly born May 17,
Plans call for Eagles Flight to remain at Summer Wind Farm near Georgetown, Ky., until he is sent to Eddie Woods Stables near Ocala, Fla., for breaking and training in late December or early January.
Ready to fly: #Flightline's yearling 1/2b by North America's leading sire of G1 winners, @HillnDaleFarm's #Curlin, romping in his paddock at Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm. He is consigned as Hip 243, Book 1, @keeneland Sept. sale, with @LanesEndFarms. https://t.co/cPcvgc0f5Q pic.twitter.com/8YkPXgaat7
— Summer Wind Farm (@MoreSummerWind) September 4, 2022
