ARCADIA, Calif. – Flightline made it look easy Saturday morning at Santa Anita. The world’s top-rated horse worked an effortless half-mile in 48 seconds in his first drill since a crushing victory in the Pacific Classic on Sept. 3 at Del Mar. Flightline worked by himself at 6:35 a.m. under exercise rider Juan Leyva. Flightline broke off at the half-mile pole, trainer John Sadler timed his splits in 12.0, 23.80, and 35.80. Santa Anita clockers timed the workout in 48.0; Sadler had him two-fifths slower. No matter. It was purely a maintenance drill, six weeks in front of the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Keeneland. “Very nice,” Sadler said afterward. :: Get ready for Santa Anita racing with DRF PPs, Clocker Reports, Picks, and more. Shop Now.  Flightline was under no urging from Leyva in his first work since winning the Pacific Classic by 19 1/4 lengths with a 126 Beyer Speed Figure. The workout was three weeks since his last start, the first time Flightline worked this soon after a race. “He was going work either three or four weeks” after the Pacific Classic, Sadler said. “He’s doing so well. It gives us plenty of spacing into the big one. You build in a little cushion.” Flightline remained stabled at Del Mar for a week after his Pacific Classic win. He walked three days, resumed jogging, and shipped to Santa Anita on Sept. 12. Sadler said he jogged “a couple days” at Santa Anita before he resumed galloping. His workout on Saturday was the first in a series of Saturday works leading to the BC Classic in which he is expected to be heavily favored. Flightline has won all five starts by a combined margin of 62 3/4 lengths, capped by his runaway victory in the Pacific Classic. “You can debate his greatness, but I don’t think you can debate that race as one of the greatest performances ever by a Thoroughbred racehorse,” Sadler said. “I don’t think you can debate it’s in the elite group.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.