While both of Top Flight's parents were underachievers, she certainly was not. The dark brown filly with the blazed face was never beaten by one of her own sex and at 2 was simply unbeatable, her victims including the following year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, Burgoo King. She could not handle the males as a 3-year-old, but her domination of her fellow females remained absolute. She was a modest success as a broodmare.
Race record
16 starts, 12 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds, US$275,900
1931:
1932:
Honors
Assessments
Top Flight was rated #66 among the top 100 American racehorses of the 20th century by a panel of experts assembled by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005). She was ninth among the 26 fillies and mares on the list.
As an individual
According to the 1947 American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form), Top Flight was "a delicate-looking filly, somewhat frail in appearance...she did not gain very much in robustness, nor very much in size from two to three." She was temperamental and possessed less than ideal conformation but was a good mover.
As a producer
Top Flight produced seven foals, or which seven started and five won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Top Flight was bred by Harry Payne Whitney. She was owned by C. V. Whitney, who inherited the filly on his father's death in 1930. She was trained by Thomas J. Healy. Following her death in 1949, she was buried at the Whitney farm in Kentucky.
Pedigree notes
Top Flight is inbred 5x5 to both St. Simon and Perdita II through the full brothers Florizel II and Persimmon; she has an additional cross of St. Simon in the fourth generation of her pedigree. She is also inbred 5x5 to the important 19th-century broodmare Mannie Gray. Her dam Flyatit is a half sister to 1929 Lawrence Realization winner The Nut (by Mad Hatter) and two other stakes winners. Top Flight's second dam, Afternoon (by Prince Palatine), is a half sister to stakes winners Rialto (by Chicle) and Candy Kid (by Peter Pan) and is out of Matinee (by Broomstick), a full sister to 1913 Horse of the Year and important sire Whisk Broom II.
Books and media
Top Flight is profiled in Chapter 6 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: August 7, 2020
Race record
16 starts, 12 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds, US$275,900
1931:
- Won Clover Stakes (USA, 5FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Futurity Stakes (USA, about 7FD, Belmont)
- Won Lassie Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Arlington Park)
- Won Matron Stakes (USA, 6FD, Belmont)
- Won Pimlico Futurity (USA, 8.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Saratoga Special (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- Won Spinaway Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
1932:
- Won Alabama Stakes (USA, 10FD, Saratoga)
- Won Coaching Club American Oaks (USA, 11FD, Belmont)
- Won Ladies' Handicap (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
- Won Acorn Stakes (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
- Won Arlington Oaks (USA, 9FD, Arlington Park)
Honors
- National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1966)
- Saratoga Hoofprints Walk of Fame (inducted as part of the inaugural class in 2013)
- American champion 2-year-old filly (1931)
- American champion 3-year-old filly (1932)
Assessments
Top Flight was rated #66 among the top 100 American racehorses of the 20th century by a panel of experts assembled by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005). She was ninth among the 26 fillies and mares on the list.
As an individual
According to the 1947 American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form), Top Flight was "a delicate-looking filly, somewhat frail in appearance...she did not gain very much in robustness, nor very much in size from two to three." She was temperamental and possessed less than ideal conformation but was a good mover.
As a producer
Top Flight produced seven foals, or which seven started and five won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Singing Top (1935, by Royal Minstrel) produced the good steeplechaser Lieut. Well (by Peace Chance).
- Flight Command (1937, by Peace Chance) won the 1939 United States Hotel Stakes.
- Bug Bug (1941, by Gallant Fox) is the second dam of 1966 Prix Lagrange winner Shyme (by Sheshoon).
- White Lady (1945, by Mahmoud) is the dam of stakes winners Snow White (by Counterpoint; dam of stakes winner Gleaming Sword, by Sword Dancer) and Prim Lady (by Primate; dam of the good Louisiana regional sire Zuppardo's Prince, by Cornish Prince). She is also the dam of Pet Child (by Revoked), whose four stakes winners include 1969 New Castle Stakes winner Watch Fob (by Tompion). In further removes, Whte Lady is the ancestress of Italian champion and multiple Group 1 winner Sikeston.
Connections
Top Flight was bred by Harry Payne Whitney. She was owned by C. V. Whitney, who inherited the filly on his father's death in 1930. She was trained by Thomas J. Healy. Following her death in 1949, she was buried at the Whitney farm in Kentucky.
Pedigree notes
Top Flight is inbred 5x5 to both St. Simon and Perdita II through the full brothers Florizel II and Persimmon; she has an additional cross of St. Simon in the fourth generation of her pedigree. She is also inbred 5x5 to the important 19th-century broodmare Mannie Gray. Her dam Flyatit is a half sister to 1929 Lawrence Realization winner The Nut (by Mad Hatter) and two other stakes winners. Top Flight's second dam, Afternoon (by Prince Palatine), is a half sister to stakes winners Rialto (by Chicle) and Candy Kid (by Peter Pan) and is out of Matinee (by Broomstick), a full sister to 1913 Horse of the Year and important sire Whisk Broom II.
Books and media
Top Flight is profiled in Chapter 6 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- In a poll of the American Trainers Association conducted by Delaware Park in 1955, Top Flight was rated the fourth best filly or mare to have raced in North America up to that time.
- During her juvenile season, Top Flight broke Domino's 38-year-old record for earnings by a 2-year-old while becoming the first filly or mare to win more than US$200,000. Her own juvenile earnings record of US$219,000 stood for 21 years before finally being broken by the great Native Dancer, and it remained a record for juvenile fillies until broken by Idun in 1957.
- Top Flight was the first filly to be the winter book favorite for the Kentucky Derby. .
- The Top Flight Handicap was inaugurated in 1940. It is currently a listed race for fillies and mares aged 4 and up and as of 2020 is run over 9 furlongs on dirt at Aqueduct.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: August 7, 2020