(Flightline after winning the G1 TVG Pacific Classic / Benoit Photo & Courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club)

From the Del Mar Media Team:

THE MORNING AFTER FOR TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC WINNER FLIGHTLINE

It was a busy morning at Barn K on the backside at Del Mar. That’s where trainer John Sadler keeps his horses, though only one in particular seemed to be getting all the attention. Groups of visitors stopped by to get a glimpse of racing’s newest superstar, Sadler engaging many of them.

Flightline, however, couldn’t be bothered. Every once in a while he’d poke his head out of his stall to see what all the fuss was about but otherwise he stayed tucked away, out of sight.

Sadler says his undefeated son of Tapit and winner of the G1 TVG Pacific Classic Saturday came out of the race good with no problems.

“We’re literally talking 14-hours but this early, he looks perfect,” he says.

You can add that to Flightline’s developing legacy. He puts in a near-record performance, wins by the largest margin ever in the Pacific Classic (19 ¼ lengths) and 14-hours later he’s back to his old self.

For Sadler, the most impressive aspect of Flightline’s race Saturday was the way he opened up on the rest of the field.

“Obviously, I was thrilled about him putting them away on the turn,” Sadler says. “That was really exciting, probably the funnest part.

“I was just so happy to see him good and clear,” he added. “He was always going to have a clear trip once he got going a little bit. A little bump at the start but once he got clear I knew it was going to be good from there.”

So what’s in the immediate future for Flightline?

“He’ll walk for three days and then he’ll probably go back and jog a little bit this week,” Sadler says. “Then ship up to Santa Anita and we’ll start finalizing our plans for Breeders’ Cup.”

“I think he thinks he won the race,” trainer Bob Baffert exclaimed soon after the race. He was referring to the runner-up, Country Grammer. Baffert said Sunday morning his Dubai World Cup winner came out of the race great and looks good.

“He likes a deeper race track,” Baffert says. “That was a little bit too fast for him. He wasn’t going to win but he would have been closer.”

Baffert says they’re going to wait and see how Country Grammer is doing in the next couple of days before deciding where to go with him next.

Trainer Richard Mandella had two words for how his horses came out of the Pacific Classic…”shell shocked.” He says Royal Ship, who finished third, and Extra Hope, who finished fifth, came out of the race good.

“We’ll probably look at the Awesome Again at Santa Anita (for Royal Ship),” Mandella says, “and the Tokyo City for Extra Hope at a mile and a half.”

Rounding out the field, Express Train, trainer John Shirreff’s Santa Anita Handicap winner, finished fourth in the Classic. Stilleto Boy, from the Ed Moger, Jr. barn, was wide in both turns and finished last.

WINNERS CHECK IN FINE AFTER STAKES-FILLED SATURDAY AT DEL MAR

It was back to the business of training horses for many of the conditioners who participated in Saturday’s stakes-filled card at Del Mar. Some were winners, others near misses, and still others find themselves heading back to the drawing board.

Phil D’Amato captured two of the stakes races. Hong Kong Harry won the G2 Del Mar Mile, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

“He came out of the race in good shape,” he said. “He’s not Breeders’ Cup nominated so we’ll play it by ear. Possibly the City of Hope at Santa Anita could be an option for him or just wait until Del Mar (Bing Crosby Meet) and do something like the Seabiscuit.”

Golden Phoenix was D’Amato’s other winner, taking down the G2 Del Mar Handicap, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“He came out of the race really good,” D’Amato says. “Another horse we can entertain running in the John Henry Stake (at Santa Anita), or just wait for the Breeders’ Cup.”

The runner up in the Del Mar Handicap, Master Piece, missed by a head in the three horse blanket finish. Trainer Michael McCarthy couldn’t have been more proud of the Chilean-bred.

“A really game effort,” he said. “Yesterday’s pace wasn’t quite the same as it was opening weekend in the Eddie Read. The horse ran his race.”

McCarthy is non-committal about where they’re going next with Master Piece.

“Two races down here quick,” he says. “I think we’ll probably wait a couple of weeks before we come up with anything concrete.”

The runner-up in the Del Mar Mile, Irideo, is another horse who put in a valiant effort Saturday only to come up a little short. Trainer Marcelo Polanco says he came out of the race in good order.

“I’m very happy with him,” he said. “He’s improving, improving, improving. Right now we’re more focused on how he comes out of the race. Next week we go back to Santa Anita and get a new book. I saw a couple of options. I’ll talk to the connections and make a plan.”

Trainer Doug O’Neill was back at work, inspecting his horses Sunday morning, including his G2 Del Mar Derby winner Slow Down Andy.

“He looks phenomenal,” O’Neil said. “He looks really good this morning, came out of it in great shape. I’m just so proud of him.”

The runner up in the race, Spycatcher went off at 66-1. That’s because he’s still a maiden.

“We knew he was on the improve,” trainer Mark Glatt says, “and since we couldn’t find a maiden race at his preferred distance, we thought we’d take a shot in the Derby.”

Glatt says he wasn’t surprised at how well his horse ran, missing by just half a length. He’s certainly a horse to watch his next time out.

“Since he hasn’t broken his maiden, we’ll probably run him in a maiden race up at Santa Anita,” Glatt says. “He ran three times at Del Mar, so we’ll give him a bit of a breather first.”

The two horses that locked up in the $125,000 Shared Belief also came out their race in good order. Go Joe Won got the best of the bob after a thrilling stretch-long duel.

“He came out really well,” trainer Paula Capestro said. “Ate up last night, real frisky this morning for his bath, wanted to bite and play. He’s definitely not down in the mouth at all.”

Capestro says she hasn’t thought about where she’s going next with her new star of the barn.

“This is the first time in a while since I’ve had a stakes horse so I have to really look it over,” she said.

That’s not the issue for the trainer whose horse came out on the losing end of the head bob at the end of the Shared Belief Saturday. Bob Baffert said High Connection came out of the race fine.

“I was kind of disappointed, I thought he could win that race,” he said. “That other horse was really game, he wouldn’t let him pass.”

FILLIES AND MARES CLASH IN MONDAY’S $100,000 TRANQUILITY LAKE

The first of two stakes races on the special Labor Day card at Del Mar is the $100,000 Tranquility Lake, a one mile test for fillies and mares. One contender is a mare dropping out of graded stakes company, another is a filly who has won three allowance races in a row and is stepping up to stakes company for the first time.

Samurai Charm is not a stranger to the winners circle. She won four races in a row last year, the middle two victories here at Del Mar. Boosted with confidence, trainer Peter Miller stepped her up into graded stakes company, running in the G2 Zenyatta at Santa Anita. She lost by 22-lengths.

Miller gave the daughter of First Samarai eight months off before bringing her back in the G3 Desert Stormer at Santa Anita in June. She finished third and followed that effort with a runner-up finish to Becca Taylor in the G2 Great Lady M at Los Alamitos.

“She’s a nice filly,” Miller says. “She can go short, she can go long. Very consistent, solid filly and we expect a big effort from her.”

As for the drop in class, Miller says there’s nothing to read into it, it’s just the way it came up.

Waiting for Samurai Charm will be Teddy’s Barino, who won a Cal-bred entry level allowance sprint by five lengths at Santa Anita in May. She’s two-for-three at Del Mar, winning the Fleet Treat Stakes in 2021 and an open company non-winner of one allowance test going a mile last month when she won by two lengths.

La Castiglione comes into the Tranquility Lake riding a five-race win streak, albeit at Turf Paradise and Arizona Downs. The daughter of the Uncle Mo sire, Uncle Lino, is trained by Jeff Matz.

Bye Bye Bertie is not without a look. She won four straight starter allowance races at Santa Anita this past winter. Then trainer Leonard Powell stepped her up into stakes company and the closest she’s come in four races is a second to Leggs Galore in the $75,000 Mizdirection down the hill at Santa Anita in May. She finished a well beaten 10th in the $100,000 Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar on opening weekend.

Tranquility Lake was a hard knocking mare who raced from 1998 until 2001. She won the 2000 Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita and the 2001 Clement Hirsch at Del Mar on her way to compiling over $1.6 million in earnings.

Here’s the field for the Tranquility Lake from the rail with the jockeys: Ever Smart (Ryan Curatolo); Lisette (Victor Espinoza); Teddy’s Barino (Mike Smith); Velvet Slippers (Juan Hernandez); La Castiglione (Hannah Leahey); Samurai Charm (Ramon Vazquez), and Bye Bye Bertie (Drayden Van Dyke).

COOLING OUT: A thunderstorm blew through Del Mar early Sunday morning, bringing thunder and lightning and leaving puddles of standing water and debris around the facility. Trainer Rafael DeLeon, who was staying at the trailer park on the south side of the property, rushed over to the back side out of concern for his horses and said debris was blowing everywhere. No serious incidents were reported…Jockeys Flavien Prat and John Velazquez have left Del Mar after enjoying a successful day in the saddle Saturday. Prat won four races, three of them stakes, including the TVG Pacific Classic on Flightline. Velazquez had two wins, three seconds and a third…Notable works for Sunday: Dirt – Justique (4f, :50.20); Cave Rock (5f, 1:00.20); Havnameltdown (5f, 1:00.20), and Hejazi (6f, 1:12.20).