Bred for speed, Flight Bird could not live up to that heritage on the track, winning only one of her nine starts. She fared better as a broodmare, producing a Grade 3 winner, but her real gift to her breed was her broodmare daughters, collectively responsible for two champions and a slew of good stakes winners among their descendants.
Race record
9 starts, 1 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds, US$2,620
As an individual
A bay mare; no further information available.
As a producer
Flight Bird produced 12 named foals, of which 11 started and seven won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Flight Bird was bred and owned by Mr. and Mrs. John W. Hanes. After Mrs. Hanes bred Flight Bird’s first foal, Stewardess, the mare was sold to Whitney Stone, who bred the remainder of Flight Bird’s foals. Flight Bird died in 1977 after producing her last foal, the More the Merrier colt Foxey Fleet, in 1974.
Pedigree notes
Flight Bird is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to 1950 California Breeders Champion Stakes winner Gold Capitol (by Alibhai), 1953 Del Mar Futurity winner Double Speed (by Count Fleet’s full brother Count Speed), 1955 San Felipe Handicap winner Jean’s Joe (by Nasrullah), and 1958 Richmond Stakes winner Hieroglyph (by Heliopolis). Flight Bird is also a half sister to Second Edition (by Alibhai), second dam of Irish Guinness Oaks (IRE-G1) winner Olwyn and third dam of 1998 Hungarian champion older female Blue Fleur.
Flight Bird was produced from unraced Pocket Edition, a half sister to 1949 American champion 2-year-old male Oil Capitol (by Mahmoud) and to multiple juvenile stakes winner Cigar Maid (by Pavot), dam of 1961 Donn Handicap winner General Arthur (by Count Fleet), second dam of 1970 Vanity Handicap winner Commissary and multiple French Group 3 winner General Holme, and third dam of 1992 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (ENG-G1) winner Lahib and multiple Grade 2 winner Double Discount. Pocket Edition and her siblings, in turn, were produced from Never Again II, who raced in France under the name of “New Deal.”
Sired by English and French champion sire Pharos, Never Again II is a half sister to Destiny II (by Astérus), dam of juvenile stakes winner Summerhill (by Unbreakable), second dam of 1960 French champion 2-year-old filly Solitude, and third dam of Grade 2 winner Chum Salmon, multiple Grade 3 winner Sarre Green, and 1970 Prix La Fleche winner Flash Light. Never Again II and Destiny II were themselves produced from Confidence (by two-time Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner and 1931 French champion sire Ksar), winner of the 1931 Prix de Pomone and 1932 Grand Prix de Deauville.
Last updated: January 28, 2022
Race record
9 starts, 1 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds, US$2,620
As an individual
A bay mare; no further information available.
As a producer
Flight Bird produced 12 named foals, of which 11 started and seven won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Stewardess (1958, by Mr. Busher) won one of her 16 starts. She is the third dam of Grade 2 winner Nettie Cometti.
- Forward Thrust (1959, by Jet Action) is the dam of 1970 American champion 2-year-old filly Forward Gal (by Native Charger).
- Winter Wren (by Princequillo) never raced but is the dam of stakes winners Stark Winter (by Graustark) and Silver in Flight (by Silver Series) and is the second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Bien Bien, 2005 Las Virgenes Stakes (USA-G1) winner Sharp Lisa, 2008 Donn Handicap (USA-G1) winner Spring At Last, Grade 2 winner Sharp Susan, and multiple Grade 3 winner Dr. Schwartzmann. She is also the third dam of 2018 South African Horse of the Year Oh Susanna, 2017 Metropolitan Handicap (AUS-G1) winner Foundry, and Grade/Group 3 winners Signore Fox, Housesofparliament, and Sharp Performance.
- Princess Fleet (1961, by Princequillo) won one of her 16 starts. She is the dam of Grade 2 winner Tampoy (by Tumiga) and stakes winner My Only Sunshine (by Helio Rise), the second dam of 1988 Mowerinalob (Danish One Thousand Guineas) winner She’s a Beauty, and the third dam of Grade 3 winner Crown Jewel.
- Perfect Foil (1966, by Sword Dancer) was unplaced in her only start. She is the dam of Grade 2 winner Pretty Perfect (by Wajima) and Grade 3 winner Wicked Park (by Kauai King).
- Traffic Cop (1969, by Traffic Judge) won a division of the 1973 Royal Palm Handicap (USA-G3). He sired only five stakes winners from 205 named foals, but one of them was 1983 Preakness Stakes (USA-G1) winner Deputed Testamony.
- Beautiful Design (1970, by Traffic Judge) was unplaced in all three of her starts. She is the dam of stakes winner Silver Design (by Silver Series) and the second dam of Grade 3 winner He Is Risen.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Flight Bird was bred and owned by Mr. and Mrs. John W. Hanes. After Mrs. Hanes bred Flight Bird’s first foal, Stewardess, the mare was sold to Whitney Stone, who bred the remainder of Flight Bird’s foals. Flight Bird died in 1977 after producing her last foal, the More the Merrier colt Foxey Fleet, in 1974.
Pedigree notes
Flight Bird is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to 1950 California Breeders Champion Stakes winner Gold Capitol (by Alibhai), 1953 Del Mar Futurity winner Double Speed (by Count Fleet’s full brother Count Speed), 1955 San Felipe Handicap winner Jean’s Joe (by Nasrullah), and 1958 Richmond Stakes winner Hieroglyph (by Heliopolis). Flight Bird is also a half sister to Second Edition (by Alibhai), second dam of Irish Guinness Oaks (IRE-G1) winner Olwyn and third dam of 1998 Hungarian champion older female Blue Fleur.
Flight Bird was produced from unraced Pocket Edition, a half sister to 1949 American champion 2-year-old male Oil Capitol (by Mahmoud) and to multiple juvenile stakes winner Cigar Maid (by Pavot), dam of 1961 Donn Handicap winner General Arthur (by Count Fleet), second dam of 1970 Vanity Handicap winner Commissary and multiple French Group 3 winner General Holme, and third dam of 1992 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (ENG-G1) winner Lahib and multiple Grade 2 winner Double Discount. Pocket Edition and her siblings, in turn, were produced from Never Again II, who raced in France under the name of “New Deal.”
Sired by English and French champion sire Pharos, Never Again II is a half sister to Destiny II (by Astérus), dam of juvenile stakes winner Summerhill (by Unbreakable), second dam of 1960 French champion 2-year-old filly Solitude, and third dam of Grade 2 winner Chum Salmon, multiple Grade 3 winner Sarre Green, and 1970 Prix La Fleche winner Flash Light. Never Again II and Destiny II were themselves produced from Confidence (by two-time Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner and 1931 French champion sire Ksar), winner of the 1931 Prix de Pomone and 1932 Grand Prix de Deauville.
Last updated: January 28, 2022