Summer Wind Farm

We are racing to catch up with all the racing news in our world these days!

Due to some technical difficulties, we have been unable to maintain our usual pace but we are now turbo-charged again by news of another homebred winner in I'M GAME (Game Winner) and the entry of homebred HOW ABOUT NOW (Not This Time) in Sunday's $250,000 Pucker Up Stakes on the Ellis Park turf.

And so much more!

Let's start with the smooth-striding win by I'm Game, who was making her 2nd career start in 6f maiden special weight race on dirt at Horseshoe Indianapolis on July 28.

Ridden by Victor Carrasco for trainer Rusty Arnold, I'm Game stalked the early pace of :22.59 and :47.02 set by Aunt Sheryl (Authentic) before making her move on the outside. She caught odds-on favorite and $1 million yearling acquisition Glamorize (Maxfield), a half sister to MG1 winner Randomized (Nyquist), in the stretch drive and drew away to win by 1 3/4 lengths over that rival in time of 1:11.98.

I'm Game was produced by stakes winner Funny Feeling (Distorted Humor), a full sister to G1 winner and sire Jimmy Creed and a half sister to MG1 winner Pussycat Doll (Real Quiet) while also a daughter of G1 winner Hookedonthefeelin (Citidancer).

Summer Wind is so proud of I'm Game, who proved she is indeed game-worthy!

Looking ahead, How About Now has drawn post 4 in the Pucker Up, to be run at 1 1/8 miles, and will be reunited with jockey Axel Concepcion. Another Summer Wind runner trained by Arnold, How About Now already is a stakes winner but unfortunately did not care for the rain falling on her head in her last start, the Tepin Stakes on June 27 at Churchill Downs.

Among the top rivals to How About Now in the Pucker Up are Godolphin's G2-placed Infinite Sky (Not This Time), a half sister to G1 winner and millionaire Wet Paint (Blame), and her Brad Cox-trained stablemate Embrace Time (Not This time).

There is so much more going on, especially with the offspring of Summer Wind-bred & co-owned . The World's Best Racehorse of 2022 has 4 starters from his first crop of two-year-olds entered to run from July 31 (the filly Starry Flight at Ellis Park) through August 2, topped by impressive debut maiden winner Flight Command, who is the early 9-to-5 morning line favorite vs. 5 rivals in the G2 Saratoga Special Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs on August 1.

Flavien Prat has been named to ride Flight Command following his eye-catching 10-length maiden win at Aqueduct on June 25 under Manny Franco for trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

Also on August 1 at Saratoga, the filly Flightress -- out of Salty As Can Be (Into Mischief), a half sister to G1 winner Salty (Quality Road) -- is poised for her first start for trainer Shug McGaughey and co-breeders West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing.

Flightress has drawn post 9 in a field of 10 going 6 furlongs and, with Edgard Zayzas set to ride, is listed at 8-to-1 on the morning line in a seemingly wide-open event.

The final Flightline in the quartet racing in coming days is Another Flight, a filly entered for her debut going 6 furlongs at Ellis Park on August 2 for trainer Brendan Walsh and owner/breeder Farfellow Farms. Produced by the MGSP stakes winner Another Broad (Include), Another Flight has drawn post 11 in a field of 12 with 3 also-eligibles, so her task may not be easy.

Drawn in post 12 for the race is Charming Charlotte (Into Mischief), a full sister to G1 winner and $1.5-million-earner Atone.

Yet another exciting 2-year-old set for debut is Summer Wind-bred and co-owned Jackpot Rocket (Tapit), who is out of Justify's half sister Holiday Music (Harlan's Holiday). The gray c**t is entered in what appears to be a potentially tough field of 10 going 6 furlongs on the Saratoga main track on August 1.

Jackpot Rocket has drawn post 2 with Junior Alvarado up for Bill Mott, who also will saddle Godolphin's Apotheon (Gun Runner) for his debut from post 5 under Jose Lezcano. Apotheon is out of GSW Indulgent (Bernardini), a half sister to the late MG1 winner and sire Frosted (Tapit).

Also in that field is Dream More (Gun Runner), a $1.5 million purchase by Repole Stable and Grandview Equine out of the MG1-winning mare Cavorting (Bernardini who thus is a half brother to MG1 winner Clairiere (Curlin). Dream More is the early 3-to-1 favorite and has drawn the outside post with Prat up for trainer Todd Pletcher.

AND WE HAVE LIFTOFF! 🚀

Go for Launch, the juvenile daughter of and G1 winner Starship Jubilee (Indy Wind), leapt out of the Woodbine starting gate and was never headed by any of six rivals while making her racing debut a victorious one as the heavy favorite in a 5f maiden special weight event on July 25.

With that pedigree as well as her name, Go for Launch proved she is living up to her credentials for flying, and in the process she made Flightline's initial sire success even more international. The Summer Wind-bred and co-owned stallion who stands at Lane's End now has winners in the United States, Canada and Japan.

"This is a beautiful win," exclaimed Woodbine announcer Robert Geller while calling the race, adding that the bay filly "lives right up to expectations."

Video of the race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHxL5a1DPlM

With Pietro Moran aboard for trainer Kevin Attard, Go for Launch powered through fractions of :22.08 and :44.50 on the firm turf course before stopping the clock in :56.50. Her final time was not that much off the course record of :55.40 set by veteran gelding Silent Flash in 2022.

Attard also trained Go for Launch's famous dam -- who was honored as Canada's champion turf female three times and as that nation's Horse of the Year in 2019 -- and he indicated before the race that Go for Launch looked ready to rocket.

“She’s done everything well,” Attard said in a release from Woodbine before the race. “They’re babies; anything can happen on race day. But if she keeps her composure and breaks well, I think she’s going to run super.”

And she did just that! Go for Launch defeated Royal Foxtrot (Olympiad) by three-quarters of a length with Epic Affair (Epicenter) another 3 1/4 lengths back in third.

In both life at large and in horse racing, it's a good thing when major plans stay on schedule and thus we have two big reasons to celebrate.

As Daily Racing Form reported on July 12, Summer Wind-bred and co-owned Paladin (Gun Runner), the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby this year before incurring a non-displaced condylar fracture, is now back with trainer Chad Brown at Saratoga and beginning to prepare for a comeback, possibly later this year. The c**t's recovery went perfectly to schedule and he is doing well.

Also on the positive scheduling front, Summer Wind-bred and co-owned Powerline -- the son of Flightline who had been a heavy early favorite for a debut on June 27 at Churchill Downs prior to being scratched when stormy weather left the racing surface encased in deep, sticky mud -- has been re-entered for a maiden special weight event at Saratoga on July 18. That timing also has gone just as planned by trainer Steve Asmussen following the scratch.

Both c**ts have the potential to be stars, with Paladin already a multiple G2 winner over top-flight competition, but it will take some time to get him back to a starting gate, Brown cautioned.

“It’s going to take me quite a while to leg him up, but he couldn’t possibly look any better coming from (Coolmore's Ashford (Stud in Kentucky). They did a great job that team over there, the horse looks fabulous,” Brown said. Paladin is co-owned by Coolmore and others from the team who raced champion Sierra Leone, and the leggy chestnut spent his recovery time from surgery at Ashford, where he was given rehabilitation therapy.

The prime focus for Paladin will be on races in 2027, as Brown noted in the story by DRF's David Grening: "I got plenty of time to get him to the races by the end of the year, I do not have time to get him to the meaningful stuff (in 2026),” Brown said.

Paladin is undefeated to date, winning all 3 of his starts including the G2 Remsen Stakes over Renegade as a two-year-old and the G2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in February over Chip Honcho and eventual Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo (Curlin).

Looking ahead to Powerline, the $1.8 million Saratoga sale graduate co-owned with West Point Thoroughbreds, John Oxley and Bee Zee, has drawn post 4 in a field of 7 in a 6-furlong dash set to begin the July 18 racing program.

Powerline readied for his debut with a 4f work on July 11 with fellow juvenile Grand Yaupon in which he stopped the clock at :48.95 (7/55). The move was his second at the Spa following a 5f drill in 1:03.20 (3/6) on July 5.

Video of Powerline's July 11 workout from XBTV.com: https://1st.tv/video/workout/1_hdbrinuq/

Among those Powerline is set to square off with in the race is Greenwell, another son of Flightline who finished a solid second in his debut at Churchill on June 12. Finishing just a head behind Greenwell that day was Summer Wind-bred Midnight Still (Curlin), who returned with a stylish maiden special weight victory by 6 1/4 lengths at Saratoga on July 11.

Richardo Santana Jr. will ride Powerline while Jose Ortiz has the mount on Greenwell for trainer Mark Casse. Those Flightline c**ts stand out in the field, along with Win Star Farm co-bred and -owned The Good Life (Life Is Good), who will be making his debut for trainer Brad Cox after spending the spring working at Keeneland and Churchill.

In other racing news, congratulations go to Godolphin's Kapoor (Uncle Mo) who earned her first stakes victory on July 11 when taking the Mari Hulman George Memorial Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis for Bill Mott and Junior Alvarado.

Kapoor is a granddaughter of Summer Wind-bred and -raced MGSW India. Kapoor's stakes-winning dam Kareena (Medaglia d'Oro) thus is a half sister to MG1 winner and Japanese sire Mozu Ascot (Frankel) and to Secret Sigh (Tapit), the dam of Paladin.

It's all in the family and all on schedule as we begin another week.

He was always the yearling who was running across his paddock, no matter the weather or time of day or any other factor -- particularly if he saw someone nearby. Always in motion, always levelling out, always looking like he was ready to take on the world.

Those qualities shone through today at Saratoga when the now two-year-old Midnight Still (Curlin-More Moonshine, by Malibu Moon) displayed something that, considering his pedigree, might be called white lightning while overwhelming rivals to win a maiden special weight event by 6 1/4 lengths.

Even after breaking nonchalantly from the rail under Flavien Prat and then taking a lot of dirt kickback, Summer Wind-bred Midnight Still was full of competitive fire. Ranging up four-wide, the chestnut set his sights on pacesetter Decimation (Jacke's Warrior) after fractions of :22.51 and :46.18 and, despite running greenly and not changing leads until late in the stretch, drew off with ease. In the words of announcer Frank Mirahmadi, Midnight Still was "much the best."

NYRA video can be found here, with Midnight Still's race the first of the broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I27zvMT7nbw

Although not the choice of any of the NYRA television commentators, Midnight Still was pegged the odds-on favorite by bettors who had noticed his strong rally to take third in his debut at Churchill Downs for owner Doubledown Stables and trainer Kinnon LaRose last month. The c**t rewarded fans with an effort that looks like it could take him to higher ground going forward.

"He's a nice c**t, ran well today and hope he has a bright future," said LaRose, who celebrated his initial Saratoga victory with Midnight Still, who also was the trainer's first Saratoga starter. "He's just learning. He certainly looks like he wants a lot more ground."

Midnight Still covered the 5 1/2 furlongs of the race in 1:05.20, pricking his ears as he approached the wire and galloping out like he was having fun.

"This is the kind of horse we could see in the (G1) Hopeful at the end of the meet," observed NYRA analyst Richard Migliore after the race, "and he will appreciate every bit of the 7 furlongs."

Summer Wind sold Midnight Still for $350,000 at the Keeneland September sale last year. His dam, More Moonshine, is a full sister to MG1 winner Moonshine Memories and a half sister to No Joke (Distorted Humor), dam of juvenile champion Citizen Bull.

Another juvenile jet-powered son of has taken off in Japan, setting a course record for a two-year-old over 1800m (about 1 1/8 miles) on turf in the process.

The beautifully named and intriguingly bred Shonan Galleon rated easily in third during his debut Sunday, July 5, at Hakodate racecourse before hitting his afterburners and leaving rivals in his wake.

Although the race was his first, Shonan Galleon looked and acted like a professional, cruising across the wire in time of 1:47.60 while 2 1/2 lengths in front of pace-setting Danon Cube (a daughter of Kitasan Black, who also has sired the likes of 2023 World's Best Racehorse Equinox).

Danon Cube had opened a huge lead on the backstretch before being surpassed by Shonan Galleon in the compact field of five runners in the race for "newcomers" making their first starts. Video of the race from X: https://x.com/Vincenzo0612/status/2073646634408255796/video/1

"He has the makings of a star. I want to take good care of him," proclaimed jockey Katsutoshi Sakashima after riding Shonan Galleon home, as quoted by Netkeiba on X. Next race for the c**t will be the 1800m Sapporo Nisai Stakes on September 5, previously known as the Sapporo Two-Year-Old Stakes, the publication reported.

The Japan Racing Association reported that Shonan Galleon's winning time bested the previous course mark set by a two-year-old by 0.5 seconds.

Bred by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Racing, trained by Shizuya Kato, and owned by Tetsuhide Kunimoto -- who paid the equivalent of $1,304,308 for the c**t as an unweaned foal at the 2024 Japan Racing Horse Association sale at the Northern Horse Park -- Shonan Galleon is the first foal out of the champion Argentine-bred mare Tan Gritona.

Winner of a pair of G1 events, Tan Gritona was Argentina's 2022 champion two-year-old filly and possessed the talent necessary to win her elite races going 1500m (about 7 1/2 furlongs) on dirt and 1600m (about 1 mile) on grass. Tan Gritona is a daughter of Juddmonte Kentucky-bred French G1 juvenile winner Full Mast (Mizzen Mast) and the Argentine-bred mare Sallustiana.

There are many American names in Shonan Galleon's female family, including broodmare sire Manipulator, son of Unbridled and champion Inside Information (Private Account).

Named by his owner after the massive galleon sailing ships known particularly for being armed warships and cargo carriers, Shonan Galleon follows the winning c**t Demian, a $1.7 million Keeneland September yearling produced by the Curlin mare Mira Alta, while making Flightline 2-for-2 with runners in Japan. The World's Best Racehorse of 2022, Flightline has about 25 juveniles located in Japan.

Flightline also has sired impressive 10-length Aqueduct maiden special weight winner Flight Command, who was never threatened in his June 25 debut on dirt.

With more Flightlines lining up on the racetrack runways, it promises to be an exciting summer!

Photo of Shonan Galleon winning at Hakodate by Weekly Gallop/X.

He can fly! the first of many to come.

Flightline's son Flight Command shot out of the starting gate and was never challenged today at Aqueduct, becoming the first North American winner for his sire in a fashion that brought back vivid memories of the undefeated champion.

NYRA video from the race: https://x.com/TheNYRA/status/2070236742238548229/video/1

As announcer Chris Griffinn called the final stages of the 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight event: "Flight Command is opening up this margin! Flight Command is just sprinting away! Flight Command, with a furlong left to go, giving a resemblance to his sire ... dominant in victory, geared down and wins impressively."

Ridden by Manny Franco, who lost his whip in the stretch, Flight Command seemed to need little encouragement even though he was a bit green. As the Equibase chart notes the bay c**t "drew off under a hand ride in upper stretch, had the rider lose his crop while attempting to un-cock it at the furlong marker and widened to win handily."

Flight Command flew through fast fractions of :22.37 and :45.60 and just kept going, although final time for the race, 1:06.44, reflected his being geared down.

Bred by Machmer Hall, Carrie and Craig Brogden, Flight Command may not have been the most high-profile graduate of the OBS March two-year-olds in training sale when sold for $275,000 -- far off the $10.5 million that Flightline's son Zedan brought the following month at OBS -- but his racing performance today made that irrelevant.

Flight Command is the latest to soar from his Machmer Hall family that has produced G1 winners Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) and Gift Box (Twirling Candy) as well as his second dam, Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast), a G1pl MG2 winner and earner of over $850,000. His dam is the unraced Candy Ride mare Stonetonic.

Outstanding mare Special Me (Unbridled's Song) is Flight Command's 3rd dam as well as a full sister to Dubai Golden Shaheen victor Our New Recruit, who, like Flightline, was trained by John Sadler.

Flight Command clearly wasn't listening to commentary by members of NYRA's on-track team, which found reasons not to pick him as the probable winner despite the betting public sending him off as the 1.28-to-1 favorite. In the end, his race was a "statement victory," as commentator Greg Wolfe declared, and lots of credit to trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

The race was a reward to the savvy buying practices of the Sarf family's LSU Stables. In addition to grabbing Flight Command at OBS, LSU made a huge statement at the Keeneland September yearling sale by purchasing 3 offspring by Flightline for a combined $3.55 million. Those acquisitions were topped by the $2.2 million filly Graceline, who is out of G1 winner Four Graces (Majesticperfection).

Graceline is in the early stages of her pre-race training while based at Saratoga. She worked an easy 3f in :39 over the Oklahoma training surface.

Meanwhile, other Flightline 2yos are readying for take-off. Quick reminder that Summer Wind-bred and co-owned Powerline has been entered for Saturday's first race on G1 Stephen Foster Stakes day at Churchill Downs and has been tabbed as the 8-to-5 morning line favorite in a field of 12.

Powerline has drawn post 11 and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Literally and figuratively, this coming Saturday is going to be a "power-packed" celebration of racing at Churchill Downs with two special Summer Wind-breds featured on the program.

Of course, the $2 million, G1 Stephen Foster Stakes is the marquee event having drawn reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty, Dubai World Cup hero Magnitude, the venerable multiple G1 winner White Abarrio, and the talented G1 winner Baeza, the half brother to Classic winners Mage and Dornoch, to the 7-horse field.

But we'll be on the edge of our seats from the minutes leading up to the very first race of the day, post time scheduled for 12:45 p.m. That's when Summer Wind-bred and co-owned 2yo Powerline (Flightline) is set to make his career debut in going 6 furlongs.

This race is going to be no walk in the park. With a full field looking likely following the entries of 16 c**ts, including 4 "also eligibles," Powerline has drawn post 11 for trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Jose Ortiz.

He is set for his debut off a series of strong workouts topped by a trio of bullet drills among his last 8 timed moves reported by Equibase, with the last 4 at Churchill and the previous 4 at Keeneland. Two of those bullets came during breezes from the starting gate, including this eye-catching move on May 20 (4f in :47.40, 1/31) at Keeneland.

Video of Powerline's May 20 bullet work at Keeneland: https://brunowiththeworks.s3.amazonaws.com/KEE/2026-05/Powerline-KEE-20260520_hq.mp4

Leadingn the rivals poised to meet Powerline, who was a $1.8 million Saratoga yearling now co-owned by John Oxley and West Point Thoroughbreds and Bee Zee, are:

Salahudin (Uncle Mo), carrying the silks of Zedan Racing Stable and trained by Bob Baffert in post 3 with Flavien Prat up; Antivenom (Candy Ride), an $850,000 yearling purchase by D.J. Stable who is out of a half sister to twice champion Unique Bella (Tapit) in post 5 with Javier Castellano riding for Mark Casse, and Arminius (Curlin), a son of G1 Personal Ensign Stakes winner Vexatious (Giant's Causeway) bred and owned by Calumet Farm, trained by Brendan Walsh and set to be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.

Juvenile maiden races don't get any better at this time of year!

And co-starring in the $275,000 Tepin Stakes for 3yo fillies at a mile on turf to close out the big racing day (post time 6:32 p.m.) is Summer Wind homebred stakes winner How About Now (Not This Time).

Trained by Rusty Arnold, How About Now is coming off a come-from-behind victory in the one-mile Cleopatra Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis, and winning jockey Axel Concepcion will be back in the saddle when she starts from post 7.

Among others in the Tepin field to watch are Ground Support (Army Mule), 3rd in last year's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and winner of the G2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Aqueduct who is making her seasonal debut, and stakes winner Tam Tam (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of the Sanibel Island Stakes at Guflstream on March 28 and then second in the G2 Edgewood Stakes and third in the G3 Regret Stakes, both at Churchill.

With 7 stakes overall worth a total of $4.1 million on the Stephen Foster program, it's guaranteed to be a day to remember.

Sailing in for a brilliant landing, Demian powered across the finish line in turf maiden race at Tokyo on June 13 to become the first winner for his sire Flightline, the Summer Wind-bred World's Best Racehorse of 2022.

Renowned international jockey Damian Lane, who steered the juvenile c**t through traffic to gain the victory after biding his time early praised his mount for handling the race like "an old pro" even though it was his first start.

Sent off as the second choice in the 1400m (about 7 furlongs) turf dash for "newcomers" behind Ecoro Nine, a son of 2021 European Horse of the Year St Mark's Basilica, Demian handled his task with ease, bursting between rivals in the stretch run and galloping out strongly after finishing 1 1/4 lengths in front of pacesetter Desert Spirit (Isla Bonita). Time was 1.22.8 on a course rated good to firm.

Video of the race can be found here: https://jra.webcdn.stream.ne.jp/web/jra/onetag2020/eqPcPlayer2.html?target=202603050306

Trainer Makoto Saito has been praising the $1.7 million Keeneland September purchase by owner Naohiro Sakaguchi for his "suppleness" despite his robust size. Demian was the biggest runner in the field of 7 c**ts and 2 fillies at 480kg (about 1,058 pounds).

"He has a muscular, well-built physique. He's been getting better with each training session. He's easy to handle and runs with light footwork," Saito said before the race. And afterward, Saito added: "He is still a bit heavy (plump), so he will only get better from here."

Bred in Kentucky by Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds, Demian is out of the Curlin mare Mira Alta, a half sister to G1 winner Great Hunter (Aptitude) and thus he is a half brother to G3 Peter Pan Stakes winner Promise Keeper (Constitution) as well as to GSP stakes winner Wicked Awesome (Awesome Again) and GSP multiple winner War Stopper (Declaration of War. Mira Alta also produced a yearling full sister to Demian.

Now that Fightline's first winner has safely landed, there is so much to anticipate for the season ahead. More takeoffs will be forthcoming shortly, including the June 13 entry of Flightline's daughter House Boat Party in the sixth race at Churchill Downs. House Boat Party, produced by the American Pharoah mare Lake Garda, is the 4-to-1 second choice on the morning line.

Flightline's first starter, the c**t Greenwell, finished a good second to front-running Balloteer in a 5f maiden special weight dash at Churchill Downs on June 12.

Throughout the course of history, religion and mythology, the white horse has been a powerful symbol of purity and a link to heavenly redemption. The key ideas connected to the notion of unicorns were an association with grace and Christ himself and that they could magically heal in ways equal to their stunning beauty.

Even today, far from the forests of the Middle Ages where unicorns once roamed through literature, gray and white Thoroughbreds are often beloved on racetracks around the world for their enchanting presence.

Here at Summer Wind, Jane Lyon's "unicorns" -- the pale gray mares in the broodmare band, all of whom have close and elite connections to champions or G1 winners -- dazzle us daily.

Today on this Memorial Day , the spotlight falls on the gray Krissy's Candy (Candy Ride), dam of G1 winner Nutella Fella (Runhappy) among her 3 winners from 3 starters to date.

Krissy's Candy is a big-boned, rather sassy individual who is not averse to stirring up life in the fields when she so chooses. She doesn't much like to be idle and seems to be working on passing along this strong personality to to her c**t by born on April 27.

Among their pranks earlier this month, prior to hot weather and then long stretches of rain in Kentucky, was a purposeful rousing of Flightline's mother Feathered (Indian Charlie) and her c**t by Tapit as that pair rested peacefully in bluegrass dappled by sunlight. Krissy's Candy spotted them from across the field and decided they were far too quiet, and -- with her c**t in complete lockstep against her side -- strode forcefully over to Feathered and her foal, waking them unceremoniously from their nap.

While she didn't push the mild confrontation any further as no one messes with Feathered, she and her son did look a bit pleased with themselves as they turned and sauntered away.

Krissy's Candy's c**t is currently a deep reddish hue, quite striking, especially against his freckled gray mother, but there are silver hairs in his coat indicating he will transform into a unicorn himself.

There already is magic in this pedigree as Krissy's Candy's third dam produced champion sprinter Housebuster.

Her second dam, Dreamscape (Mt. Livermore), produced multiple stakes winner Tax Refund (Artax) and stakes winner Sophia's Song (Bellamy Road). The latter was sold to Teruya Yoshida's Shadai Farm for $1.35 million in 2023 after producing MGSW Booth (Mitole), who has earned $993,161 to dat; MGSW and G1 victor Bright Future (Curlin), and earner of $947,950 and now a stallion at Claiborne Farm, and G1-placed G2 winner Musical Mischief (Into Mischief), who banked $519,276.

Krissy's Candy, who delivered a filly by Not This Time at Summer Wind in 2025 after being acquired the previous year at the Keeneland November sale, has been bred back to Flightline for 2027.

If we hadn't seen it ourselves, we might not believe it. But then again, history and literature have long shown that the relationship between a mother and her son is a special one that can affect present times and linger into future generations.

The first image in this group tells this story more fully than words can.

Feathered (Indian Charlie) recently took her young son by Tapit -- the full brother to 2022 World's Best Racehorse and American Horse of the Year -- over to a corner of their expansive field.

With a breeze blowing over their backs, they stood quietly and seemed to gaze upon the huge banner promoting Flightline that had hung over Fasig-Tipton's Humphrey S. Finney sale pavilion in Saratoga in 2023 while promoting the champion as a Saratoga graduate. (We thank Fasig-Tipton for gifting Summer Wind with the banner, which is proudly displayed on the wall of a storage facility near the foaling barn.)

To onlookers who happened upon that moment with mother and foal, it was almost as if Feathered was showing her new son how special his family is -- and what he himself might become one day.

And why not? Born on April 21, the c**t undoubtedly possesses the family charisma in looks while possessing his own special attitude.

Watching his relationship with Feathered develop has been so interesting. Long known at Summer Wind as a tough customer who would push aside any other mares and foals in order to be first in line for carrots, Feathered seems to have mellowed over time.

With her now juvenile son Wingmead, also a full sibling to Flightline, Feathered was rather more easygoing than she had been with the champion and her earlier foals. He tended to be very independent and she was fine with that.

Feathered and her 2025 filly, another full sibling to Flightline named Red Sky Dawning, enjoyed a new dynamic: they were more like cherished friends who completely understood one another from the moment the filly arrived. They would stand together for long moments, from their earliest days to the time of weaning, with the mother gently grooming the gray filly's back with her teeth and the filly responding in kind.

This newborn c**t, a bay like Flightline but marked with a unique and artistic swoosh looking like a feathery waterfowl, came into this world like a rascally firecracker. He challenged his mother from the get-go, even interrupting her naps by standing over her and nibbling at her ears, but they now seem to have closely bonded.

We recently spied them sleeping in their stall together, the mare resting her head over the back of the foal, who was curled up against her in the most blissful expression of mother and foal affection.

The future beckons, as Feathered seemed to show her son when they gazed at Flightline's banner.

It was an unforgettable moment, and we hope that all the dreams embodied in their reflection on the family's greatest achievement will ultimately come true in this c**t's own special way.

(continued on Tuesday)