Curlin half-brother to world champion Flightline to debut at Santa Anita on Monday

Our resident bloodstock experts profile the well-bred eyecatchers and expensive purchases set to grace the track.

Eagles Flight

Maiden special weight (4.30pm local time Santa Anita, Monday, 12.30am BST Tuesday)

What's the story?

A very special debutant takes to the stage at Santa Anita in the form of Eagles Flight, a Summer Wind Equine-bred half-brother to the 2022 world champion Flightline.

Owned by Summer Wind Equine alongside Hronis Racing LLC and Will Farish, the son of Curlin is trained by his famed sibling's handler John Sadler and will be the mount of Flightline's rider Flavien Prat at the Memorial Day meeting

It's undeniably a late hour for British and Irish racing and bloodstock fans, but the colt is a newcomer worth watching if you can stay the distance.

How's he bred?

The three-year-old is out of the smart Indian Charlie mare Feathered, winner of the Grade 3 Edgewood Stakes and Grade 1-placed when second in the American Oaks and Starlet Stakes for Todd Pletcher. 

Feathered is out of Receipt, a Dynaformer daughter of Grade 1 Matron and Acorn Stakes winner Finder's Fee, herself a daughter of top-flight scorer Fantastic Find. 

Feathered: the dam of the brilliant Flightline with her 2024 Tapit brother to the world championCredit: Summer Wind Farm

Feathered's crowning glory at stud is the phenomenal Flightline. The son of Tapit won all six starts for Sadler – all by wide margins – including the Breeders' Cup Classic, Pacific Classic Stakes and Malibu Stakes. 

He retired with an official mark of 140, rating him the equal of Frankel, and stood his first season at Lane's End Farm in 2023. 

The mare's other winners include the War Front-sired Good On Paper and Voron, a winner in Russia. Feathered has a two-year-old Into Mischief filly and produced a brother to Flightline this year.

Who does he face?

Eagles Flight's rivals include Santarena, a son of Omaha Beach and black-type producer Catch My Fancy who has placed second on his last two starts. 

The $425,000 Fasig-Tipton graduate is a half-brother to the Grade 3-placed Dubini and to Catch The Moon, the dam of Grade 1 Haskell Invitational Stakes winner Girvin and Preakness and Travers Stakes second Midnight Bourbon.

Frankie Dettori has a ride in the race, Mitole's son Thunder Ball, out of a Smart Strike mare, but his morning line price of 20-1 indicates he has it to do. Eagles Flight is 2-1 favourite on the morning line.

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