LANDING

ground of William Farish’s Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky. Stretch runs and fnish lines behind him, his life as a stallion was about to begin.

For Flightline, who, at this point, had been heralded as an “all-time great,” the “horse of a lifetime,” and yes, even “Secretariat-like,” the transformation from racehorse to stallion was handled not unlike a president-elect’s transfer of power. As soon as the decision was made to retire him, a skilled transition team of owners, trainers, handlers, and farm managers went into action to assure a smooth handof, one ft for a megastar.

From Barnburner To Just Hanging Around The Barn

Actually, Flightline’s journey to barn No. 1 at Lane’s End began weeks before, at dawn on Oct. 23, when he departed trainer John Sadler’s Santa Anita barn en route to Keeneland for the race that would cement his career. Legs securely wrapped and his signature blue shadow roll in place, Flightline hopped a KC Horse Transport van to an eastbound FedEx® fight that was, needless to say, frst class. Te plane even altered its fight plans to accommodate its special passenger. “Te fight was meant to go into Indiana,” said Sadler, “and we had it switched to Louisville because the van ride to Lexington was shorter. Obviously that was more expensive, but everybody thought it was worth it. We were fortunate to get that.”

Flightline traveled with longtime Sadler barn foreman Cesar Aguilar, but the full entourage included Sadler himself, assistant trainer-exercise rider Juan Leyva, personal farrier Wes Champagne (who counts Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify among his clients), and groom Adolfo Correa. Other belongings making the cross-country journey included a pallet of his regular feed and the cautionary protective padding that hung on the walls of his California stall. (“He liked to kick the walls,” said Sadler.) Once in Louisville, another KC van met Flightline on the tarmac. Tis one, at the request of Sadler, was loaded with other horses and piloted by drivers who had accompanied Flightline on many occasions, assuring that this trip would be as run-of-the-mill as possible. “Tere wasn’t anything we didn’t do,” noted Sadler.

“Tat’s the great thing about working with Hall of Fame-level connections and a world-class stallion farm,” said Terry Finley, president and CEO of West Point Toroughbreds, one-ffh of Flightline’s racing ownership team, which included breeder Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Equine, Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, and the racing arm of Lane’s End, Woodford Racing. “Our focus was able to be on our partners knowing Flightline would be in great hands throughout the whole process.”

To complete the passing of the 1,250-pound baton afer the Breeders’ Cup, Aguilar remained with Flightline at Lane’s End for fve days. Tough, in hindsight, he hardly seemed to need it. “It was nice to have Cesar with us for a few days,” said Lane’s End stallion manager Peter Sheehan. “He told us Flightline’s likes, dislikes, his little idiosyncrasies, but to be honest, the horse has made it easy on us. He’s just such a calm, easy horse to be around. At the track he was always expecting to train,” added Sheehan, addressing Flightline’s reputation for being high energy, “and I think he may have always been anticipating that. But since he got here he has just settled into his routine perfectly.”

Veteran groom Juan Ruelas, who lists leading sire Candy Ride among his Lane’s End charges, was chosen as Flightline’s full-time caretaker. Te horse’s spacious stall — flched from Honor Code (not to worry, the Whitney Stakes winner got equally lush living quarters at another end of the barn) — was picked in part because of its view: a vista of the central courtyard at the end of which is a life-sized sculpture of Lane’s End foundation sire A.P. Indy. “I had heard stories that

Flightline liked to look out his window and look at the stars,” said Sheehan. “Tis gives him the opportunity to just look out and take everything in.” And that protective padding he traveled with? Tat’s back, too. “His stall was padded at the track, so with an abundance of caution we went ahead [and put it up],” said Sheehan. “It’s for consistency, though he hasn’t