They ran out of sausage patties at Clockers Corner last Saturday. That’s what one of the workers at the famed Santa Anita Park trackside concession stand told John Sadler, the trainer of Flightline, whose presence on the track that morning brought out throngs of interested parties. “She also said she served more cups of coffee than she ever served,” Sadler said. “I said, ‘You better have more for next weekend.’ ” Flightline fever is certainly growing. It should hit its apex right about 5:40 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 5 when the undefeated, untested colt faces some of the best horses in training in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland. Seven years after Triple Crown winner American Pharoah capped his career with a Classic victory before a raucous Keeneland crowd and just two years after Authentic won the Classic before a near-empty grandstand due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Breeders’ Cup is back at Keeneland for a third time, Nov. 4-5. The crowds at Keeneland each day will be capped at 45,000. :: BREEDERS’ CUP 2022: See DRF’s special section with top contenders, odds, comments, news, and more for each division As was the case in 2015, the Classic will have a legitimate superstar in the field. Flightline is 5 for 5 with his victories coming by a combined 62 3/4 lengths. He raised his profile significantly with a devastating 19 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Sept. 3 at Del Mar. It was only his second stat of the year, and fifth in his career, but it was a jaw-dropping performance that figures to make him the shortest-priced Classic favorite since American Pharoah was 3-5. Flightline’s final time of 1:59.28 for the 1 1/4 miles in the Pacific Classic translated into a 126 Beyer Speed Figure, tied for the second-highest ever recorded. Based on his two workouts since, Flightline appears ready for more. “The thing that surprised me a little bit is how he came out of that effort,” Sadler said. “You would have expected that race to have taken more out of him than it actually did, so he’s been right there for us out of the big race at Del Mar.” Flightline will continue a Saturday work at Santa Anita for the next three weeks. He is scheduled to ship to Kentucky on Oct. 23 and work once, presumably Oct. 29, at Keeneland. The $6 million Classic is the last of 14 Breeders’ Cup races to be run over two days, Nov. 4-5, at Keeneland. The purses for the 14 races total $28 million, with another $3 million available in breeders’ awards. :: Bet the Breeders' Cup with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs. Join DRF Bets. There is a two-stage process for entry into the Breeders’ Cup. First, there is the pre-entry stage. Pre-entry fees are due Oct. 24 and will be announced two days later. Horses may be pre-entered in a maximum of two races, with horsemen declaring a first and second preference at time of pre-entry. Twelve of the 14 races will have maximum fields of 14. The Juvenile Turf Sprint, on Nov. 4, and Dirt Mile, on Nov. 5, will be limited to 12 starters. The first seven horses who make the body of the race, or six in the two races limited to 12 starters, are those who have won a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race or have earned the most points in graded stakes races. The final half of the fields are selected by a panel of racing directors/secretaries, who also designate an order of preference for horses who don’t get in the body, and who are put on a preference list, but could still get in by entry time. Final entries are taken and post positions assigned on Oct. 31. Up to four also-eligibles are permitted in races where the maximum field size is 14; six also-eligibles may be carded in the Juvenile Turf Sprint and Dirt Mile. The Classic is likely to draw about 10 horses. Bob Baffert has won the Classic four times, including both years it was held at Keeneland. All of those wins came with a 3-year-old, including Arrogate, a late developer who came in off a monster race in the Travers. This year, Baffert sends out the lightly raced Taiba, who comes in off a strong victory in the Pennsylvania Derby. “I haven’t seen a Classic this tough since [California] Chrome-Arrogate,” Baffert said. “It’ll be interesting.” Baffert also could run Defunded and Country Grammer, but in the immediate aftermath of their 1-2 finish in last weekend’s Awesome Again at Santa Anita, he seemed to be leaning against it. Epicenter, who won the Travers and Jim Dandy at Saratoga after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, is considered the leader of the 3-year-old division. He will try to emulate Arrogate in that he will come into the Classic having not run since the Travers. He is trained by two-time BC Classic winner Steve Asmussen. Rich Strike, the 80-1 Kentucky Derby winner, tried to convince his connections he is worthy of a start in the Classic with a solid second-place finish in the Lukas Classic. His connections, including trainer Eric Reed, will take some more time before committing to the Classic. Cyberknife, second to Epicenter in the Travers, and third to Taiba in the Pennsylvania Derby, is under consideration for both the Classic and Dirt Mile. He is trained by Brad Cox, who won last year’s Classic with Knicks Go. Hot Rod Charlie, who nosed out Rich Strike in the Lukas Classic, has been targeting the Classic since he returned from a second-place finish in the Dubai World Cup in the spring. Trainer Doug O’Neill has kept him based at Keeneland since the spring. Trainer Todd Pletcher, who won the 2019 Classic with Vino Rosso, could have as many as four horses in the Classic. Life Is Good, last year’s BC Dirt Mile winner, tops the group. He has gone 4 for 5 this year with his lone defeat coming in the Dubai World Cup, his only try at 1 1/4 miles. That, and the fact his victory in last Saturday’s Woodward at Aqueduct was done in more workmanlike fashion, may lower expectations among handicappers, but not his connections. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in the horse. He trains brilliantly all the time,” Pletcher said. “It’ll be interesting to see it.” Pletcher also plans on running Americanrevolution and Happy Saver. Dynamic One, the Suburban Stakes winner, is possible. Olympiad, a winner of 6 of 7 starts this year, including the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, is yet another in a deep field of Classic contenders. He is trained by Bill Mott. By the time the Classic is run late afternoon on Nov. 5, sausage patties figure to be sold out in Kentucky. Perhaps when watching the Classic it’s best to heed the advice of noted philosopher Terrell Owens, the former NFL receiver who famously said “Get your popcorn ready.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.