Bill Gotimer’s Through My Binoculars Column:
Flightline and Early Voting Winners
And a Veterinarian Records Controversy
William G. Gotimer, Jr.
June 15, 2026
Last week 3-year-old thoroughbreds were all the focus but this week the sport’s eyes turned towards the 2-year-olds and sires unveiling their first runners.
Flightline
Initially much excitement centered on the unveiling of the first crop of runners sired by Flightline – the most exciting runner of the current century. His progeny hit the track this week almost simultaneously in the Western and Eastern Hemispheres and their efforts were encouraging. As expected, they were heavily bet in Kentucky Dollars and Japanese Yen.
A sage analyst – Mary Elizabeth Rufo – opined publicly prior to the unveilings that she expected Flightline’s progeny to be better suited for longer distances than the sprints run for 2-year-olds. She boldly predicted they would be better on grass -even though Flightline never ran on the turf. Ms. Rufo based that opinion on Flightline’s breeding and the conformation of the babies she had seen. This observation was quickly proven correct when the two Flightline Kentucky runners in dirt sprints finished well to be second and third, respectively, from off the pace while Flightline found his first winner on the grass in Tokyo Racecourse in Japan going seven furlongs.
The Japanese winner, named Demian, out of a Curlin mare, was a $1.7 million yearling purchase at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The two Churchill Downs runners, Greenwell (2nd) and House Boat Party (3rd) will be heavily favored in their next starts.
Expect the excitement surrounding the Flightline babies to accelerate this summer with two unraced babies named Zedan and Powerline garnering much attention in their early workouts.
Flightline stands at Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky for a stud fee of $150,000, down from the initial fee of $200,000 which is not uncommon for a new stallion. The stud fee of a new stallion can increase dramatically with success of his initial crop.
Early Voting
Separately, the complicated story surrounding another new sire -2022 Preakness winner Early Voting – is one of expertise and innovation. After successfully producing a full crop from his first season, Early Voting suffered from sexual dysfunction and his future as a sire was in severe jeopardy. In a sign of industry cooperation his connections accepted the recommendation of Coolmore Stud, which stood him the first year, to transfer the stallion to Taylor Made to enlist the expertise of international veterinarian and scientist Dr. Padraig O’Casaigh – the foremost problem solver in this area. Through use of his natural treatment called Chaperonze, O’Casaigh has solved the problem and Early Voting is resuming his career. Notably, this week Early Voting’s first starters reached the races. Six ran four won.
Veterinary Records Controversy
A controversy erupted this week when it was publicly asserted that certain bettors have somehow gained access to detailed veterinary information regarding horses starting in races around the country. The information consists of the type of veterinary information that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (“HISA), (among others), gathers under federal auspices for its database but not for public consumption. The suggestion that some parties have managed to access this information- legitimately or illegitimately- has been made. The information in question would clearly seem to be helpful in the handicapping puzzles that take place for every race.
One position being made is that divulging the detailed level and nature of veterinary assistance some horses receive would paint the sport in a poor light. While that may or may not be so, one thing we all should agree upon is that such information should not be available to select bettors and not others
The last thing racing needs is more suspicion from the everyday bettor. Just Monday, HISA Executive Director Lisa Lazarus vehemently denied that her organization was the source of the information in question but her statement that the information is shared with some of HISA’s vendors, including Palantir, left some uncomfortable. Whatever the source, the industry must fully address this in order to maintain credibility within the betting public.