One time Indiana Sires Stakes contender American Flight is still flying high in the northeast. The 13-year-old gelding has found a home at Bangor Raceway, a spot he has been racing at almost exclusively for the past five years.
American Flight leads the way down the backstretch at Bangor Raceway in Maine Sunday, June 4 en route to his second win of 2023 over a very sloppy track.
American Flight turned in his most recent journey Sunday, June 4 at Bangor in a conditioned pace with Nicholas Graffam driving. The Panspacificflight old timer left for the lead and was joined by That’s Some Plan and Bruce Ranger from the outside. He allowed the opponent to move to the lead in the first turn before popping right back out and overtaking him before the quarter in :30.2 on the very sloppy track. American Flight then kept the field in single file to the half in 1:02.3 before That’s Some Plan was back out to challenge.
That’s Some Plan could never get close enough to challenge and eventually began to tire at the three quarters in 1:34.2, forcing horses three wide in the final turn. But American Flight was well in control of the race, opening up in the stretch by open lengths and as the announcer said, Graffam tucked the whip because he knew he had the race wrapped up. American Flight won by four and one-half lengths in 2:06.1 over Goin Manstyle and Andrew Harrington. Brett McFavrelous and Aaron Hall finished third.
American Flight and Brett McFavrelous are both trained by Neal Grass. American Flight has been with Grass since 2018 when he shifted barns at Yonkers Raceway and moved to the northeast with Grass. He is owned by Bernie Garrison of Virginia, a recent ownership change. The gelding was bred by Lavon Miller of Indiana.
American Flight was first owned by Ted Comerford, Alvin and Zach Miller. He started his career off as a two-year-old at then Indiana Downs and was later a winner in the Silver Division of the Indiana Sires Stakes final. He now has 279 career starts with 31 career wins, two of which have been recorded this year. Overall, he has $304,000 on his card with his career best time of 1:51.4 taken as a four-year-old at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
American Flight was part of the second crop of Panspacificflight and was one of 16 sold at auction as a yearling. He was the highest priced yearling by the aggressive stallion, fetching a price of $25,000 at the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale. He is out of the Dontgetinmyway mare Modern Way, who has produced three with earnings over the $100,000 mark, including Limited Edition with a mark of 1:51.0 and Model with a mark of 1:52.2. Both horses are by Rockin Image. The second dam is Modern Bobbi, who produced Sara’s Lucky Charm, dam of Breeders Crown winner Beckhams Z Tam and winner of more than $870,000, and On the Virg, winner of nearly $500,000 and a mark of 1:50.0.