Jet Pilot (March 29, 1944 – March 3, 1967) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

best known for winning the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

in 1947.

Background

Jet Pilot was sired by the 1930

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...

winner, Blenheim, out of the mare Black Wave, a daughter of the French-bred sire Sir Gallahad III. Blenheim and Sir Gallahad were both brought to stand at

stud Stud may refer to: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco * ...

in the United States by groups of American horsemen, both of which were led by Arthur B. Hancock of

Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...

. Black Wave's dam Black Curl was a half-sister to Myrtlewood, the female-line ancestor of

Seattle Slew Seattle Slew (February 15, 1974 – May 7, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who became the tenth winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States), American Triple Crown (1977). He is one of only ...

and Mr Prospector. Jet Pilot was purchased for

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

41,000 at the Keeneland Yearling Sale by

Elizabeth Arden Elizabeth Arden (December 31, 1881 – October 18, 1966), also known as Elizabeth N. Graham, was a Canadian-American businesswoman who founded what is now Elizabeth Arden, Inc., and built a cosmetics empire in the United States. Backg ...

and raced under her Maine Chance Farm colors.

Racing career

Racing at age two, Jet Pilot was second in the 1946 Arlington Futurity and third in that year's Futurity Stakes and Champagne Stakes. However, he won the important

Tremont Stakes The Tremont Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race run annually for two-year-olds over the distance of furlongs on the dirt in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event carries a purse of US$150,000. (A furlong is .) ...

and Pimlico Futurity. One of the winter-book favorites for the 1947

, Jet Pilot broke from post position thirteen and immediately took the lead in the 73rd edition of the Derby and never relinquished it in defeating C. V. Whitney's betting favorite,

Phalanx The phalanx (: phalanxes or phalanges) was a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar polearms tightly packed together. The term is particularly used t ...

. In the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

, the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series, Jet Pilot finished fourth behind Calumet Farm's winner, Faultless. After the Preakness, Jet Pilot contested the Withers Stakes at Belmont Park, where he finished fourth. He bowed a tendon in that race and was retired to stud for the 1948 season. ''

The Blood-Horse ''The Blood-Horse'' (also referred to simply as ''Blood-Horse'' and displayed on its nameplate in upright all-capital letters without hyphenation as BLOODHORSE) is a news magazine that originated in 1916 as a monthly bulletin of the Thoroughbred ...

'' ranked him eighth among American juvenile males of 1946 and fifth among American 3-year-old males of 1947.

Stud record

Jet Pilot sired multiple stakes race winners Jet Action and Myrtles Jet, plus 1951 Champion 2-year-old Filly, Rose Jet. The product of his last mating was born in 1964.

Pedigree

References

Jet Pilot's offspring at the Triple Crown database by Kathleen Irwin and Joy Reeves
{{Kentucky Derby Winners 1944 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Kentucky Derby winners Thoroughbred family 13-c