LOS ANGELES — Flightline, whose brief two-year, six-race career drew comparisons to Secretariat, was given horse racing's highest annual honor on Thursday when he was given the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year. He also was named top Older Dirt Male among the 17 horse and human awards announced at a ceremony in Palm Beach, Fla.
Flightline finished his career with a record-breaking 8 1/4-length win at the Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 5. He was based at Santa Anita and trained by John Sadler.
Flightline was undefeated in six races, winning by a total of 71 lengths. The owners of Flightline, part of a sport that is in desperate need of stars, did what is usually done, retired him to stallion duty the day after the Classic. The horse can make more money in the breeding shed than racing.
