Top Flight (KY)

Biography

Bred by Harry Payne Whitney and campaigned by his son, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, Top Flight was sired by French stakes winner Dis Donc out of the Peter Pan mare Flyatit. Trained by Hall of Famer Thomas J. Healey, Top Flight was the best filly of her generation as both a juvenile and sophomore.

As a 2-year-old, Top Flight won all seven of her starts and set a single-season earnings record of $219,000, breaking the previous mark established by Hall of Famer Domino almost 40 years earlier. Top Flight debuted with a victory at Aqueduct in the Clover Stakes on June 17, 1931. She followed with a victory in the Lassie Stakes at Arlington in July before heading to Saratoga, where she defeated colts in the Saratoga Special and won by five lengths in the Spinaway. That fall, Top Flight added victories at Belmont in the Matron and Futurity (defeating colts once again) before closing out her perfect campaign with her third victory of the year against males in the Pimlico Futurity.

Top Flight tired in her first start as a 3-year-old, finishing off the board in the Wood Memorial. She returned to form with consecutive victories in the Acorn, Coaching Club American Oaks, and Arlington Oaks. Top Flight added wins in the Alabama Stakes and Ladies Handicap before being retired at the end of the year with a career record of 12-0-0 from 16 starts and earnings of $275,900. Three of her four career defeats came against males.

At the time of her retirement, Top Flight owned the career earnings record for an American filly or mare.

As a broodmare, Top Flight produced only one stakes winner, Flight Command, from seven mares. Top Flight died in 1949 at the age of 20.

Achievements

Champion 2-Year-Old Filly — 1931
Champion 3-Year-Old Filly — 1932