{{Short description|American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse}} {{About|the 1940s champion racehorse|the medical research horse used to develop the first botulinum antitoxin|First Flight (medical research horse)|other uses|First Flight (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox racehorse | horsename = First Flight | image = | caption = | sire = [[Mahmoud (horse)|Mahmoud]] | grandsire = [[Blenheim (horse)|Blenheim]] | dam = Fly Swatter | damsire = Dis Donc | sex = [[Filly]] | foaled = 1944 | country = [[United States]] | colour = [[Bay (horse)|Bay]] | breeder = [[Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney]] | owner = [[Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney]] | trainer = [[Sylvester E. Veitch]] | record = 24: 11-3-3 | earnings = [[United States dollar|US$]]197,965 | race = [[Fashion Stakes]] (1946)<br>[[Astoria Stakes]] (1946)<br>[[Matron Stakes (United States)|Matron Stakes]] (1946)<br>[[Belmont Futurity Stakes|Futurity Stakes]] (1946)<br>[[Monmouth Oaks]] (1947)<br>[[Fall Highweight Handicap]] (1948) | awards = [[American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly]] (1946) | honours = | updated= }} '''First Flight''' (foaled 1944 in Kentucky) was an American [[Thoroughbred]] racehorse who was voted the [[American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly]] of 1946<ref>{{cite news|author=[ Displaying Abstract ] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1897/05/09/archives/it-was-voters-race-the-metropolitan-handicap-won-by-james-r-keenes.html |title=New York Times - May 9, 1897 |work=The New York Times |date= 9 May 1897|accessdate=2012-02-11}}</ref>
==Background== First Flight was bred and raced by [[Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pedigreequery.com/first+flight |title=First Flight's pedigree |publisher=Pedigreequery.com |date= |accessdate=2012-02-11}}</ref> and conditioned for racing by [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] inductee, [[Sylvester E. Veitch|Sylvester Veitch]].
==Racing career== Her first season started in May 1946 where she equaled a [[Belmont Park]] [[Glossary of North American horse racing#track record/course record|track record]] in winning her racing debut with [[Arnold Kirkland]] aboard in the [[Fashion Stakes]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Richardson |first=William D. |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0B16F9345413738DDDA10894DD405B8688F1D3 |title=New York Times - May 8, 1946 |publisher=Select.nytimes.com |date=1946-05-08 |accessdate=2012-02-11}}</ref> After a "going away" victory in the [[Astoria Stakes]] during June, the filly received some time off. She went on to win the [[Matron Stakes (United States)|Matron Stakes]] on September 28. 7 days later the filly defeated [[Colt (horse)|colts]] in winning (the then) most prestigious race for [[Glossary of North American horse racing#juvenile|juveniles]], the [[Belmont Futurity Stakes|Futurity Stakes]] in October. Ridden by [[Eddie Arcaro]], First Flight beat I Will by one and a half lengths with the future [[Kentucky Derby]] winner [[Jet Pilot (horse)|Jet Pilot]] in third. In doing so, she became the first filly to win the Futurity since the Whitney-owned [[Top Flight]] in 1931.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eYstAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MZ0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1954,4258781&dq=first-flight+filly&hl=en |title=Whitney's speedy filly collects $50,000 Futurity |publisher=Reading Eagle |date=6 October 1946 |accessdate=2012-02-11}}</ref> Her 5 for 6 season gained her the Two-Year-Old Filly Championship
At age three, she won two races with her main victory coming in the [[Monmouth Oaks]].
At age four, her major win came against males when she captured the 1948 [[Fall Highweight Handicap]]. She won three other races that year to compile a record of 11 wins in 24 lifetime starts.
==Pedigree== {{Pedigree |name = First Flight |f = [[Mahmoud (horse)|Mahmoud]] |m = Fly Swatter |ff = [[Blenheim II|Blenheim]] |fm = Mah Mahal |mf = Dis Donc |mm = Miss Whisk |fff = [[Blandford (horse)|Blandford]] |ffm = Malva |fmf = [[Gainsborough (horse)|Gainsborough]] |fmm = [[Mumtaz Mahal (horse)|Mumtaz Mahal]] |mff = [[Sardanapale (horse)|Sardanapale]] |mfm = Lady Hamburg |mmf = [[Whisk Broom II|Whisk Broom]] |mmm = Wonder |ffff = [[Swynford]] |fffm = Blanche |ffmf = Charles O'Malley |ffmm = Wild Arum |fmff = [[Bayardo (horse)|Bayardo]] |fmfm = [[Rosedrop]] |fmmf = [[The Tetrarch]] |fmmm = Lady Josephine |mfff = [[Prestige (horse)|Prestige]] |mffm = Gemma |mfmf = [[Hamburg (horse)|Hamburg]] |mfmm = Lady Frivoles |mmff = [[Broomstick (horse)|Broomstick]] |mmfm = Audience |mmmf = Disguise |mmmm = Curiosity |}}
==References== {{reflist}}
[[Category:1944 racehorse births]] [[Category:Thoroughbred family 8-c]] [[Category:Racehorses bred in Kentucky]] [[Category:Racehorses trained in the United States]] [[Category:American Champion racehorses]] [[Category:Whitney racehorses]]