Airmans Guide is an American Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 filly

Filly

A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....

 racehorse

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

. The granddaughter of Count Fleet

Count Fleet

Count Fleet was born and died at Stoner Creek Stud farm in Paris, Kentucky, United States. He was a Thoroughbred racehorse and Triple Crown champion in 1943....

 won the Delaware Handicap

Delaware Handicap

The Delaware Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid July at Delaware Park Racetrack in Wilmington, Delaware. The Grade II race is open to filles and mares, age three and up, willing to race one and one-quarter miles on the dirt....

 and the Beldame Stakes

Beldame Stakes

The Beldame Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares three-years-old and up. Inaugurated in 1939, it was run as a handicap prior to 1960...

. On May 20,1960, Airmans Guide won the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes

Black-Eyed Susan Stakes

The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The race is open to three-year-old fillies willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt and currently offers a purse of $250,000...

 at Pimlico Race Course

Pimlico Race Course

Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...

. In 1961, she was voted by the country's top sports writers as the American Champion Older Female Horse.

Early career

Airmans Guide was born in 1957 in Kentucky, where she was by bred by horseman W. P. Little. She was sold at the Keeneland spring sale for two year-olds in training for only $7,500 to her new owner, Hugh A. Grant, Sr. In her two year-old season, she rose to the top of her class quickly by winning the grade three Churchill Downs Debutante Stakes

Churchill Downs Debutante Stakes

The Debutante Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of June at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. A Grade III event open to two-year-old fillies, it is contested on dirt over a distance of six furlongs....

 in Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

, during the last week of June. Later that year, she won the 1-1/16 mile Marguerite Stakes at Pimlico Race Course

Pimlico Race Course

Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...

.

Three year-old season

Airmans Guide showed up big in her first two stakes races back as a three-year-old. She won the grade one Ashland Stakes

Ashland Stakes

The Ashland Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. It and the Ashland Oaks, the Kentucky Association racetrack's predecessor race, were named for Ashland, the homestead and breeding farm of statesman...

 at Keeneland

Keeneland

Keeneland is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Operated by the Keeneland Association, Inc., it is also known for its reference library on the sport, which contains more than 10,000 volumes, an extensive videocassette collection, and a substantial...

 in April over Tingle. She followed that up with a gritty third-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks

Kentucky Oaks

The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers 1⅛ miles at Churchill Downs; the horses carry 121 pounds . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year...

, losing to Make Sail. She ran so well in those two races that her connections decided to enter her in the second jewel of America's defacto Filly Triple Crown, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes

Black-Eyed Susan Stakes

The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The race is open to three-year-old fillies willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt and currently offers a purse of $250,000...

. She did this over a steller field of nine stakes winners including Chalvedele Warlike. She completed the mile and a sixteenth at Pimlico Race Course

Pimlico Race Course

Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...

 in 1:46.20 under jockey Willie Harmatz.

Throughout her three year-old season, she performed admirably with strong, consistent runs. In June, she placed second in the grade one Acorn Stakes

Acorn Stakes

The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $250,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara and is followed by the Coaching Club American Oaks...

 at one mile on the dirt at Belmont Park

Belmont Park

Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...

. Later that year, she won the New Castle Stakes at Delaware Park at nine furlongs against many older mares.

Four year-old season

At age four, Airmans Guide continued to show strong runs in each of her races. In 1961, she won the grade one Delaware Handicap

Delaware Handicap

The Delaware Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid July at Delaware Park Racetrack in Wilmington, Delaware. The Grade II race is open to filles and mares, age three and up, willing to race one and one-quarter miles on the dirt....

 at Delaware Park under jockey Howard Grant in 2:02.4 for the 1 1/4 miles. She also won the prestigious grade one Beldame Stakes

Beldame Stakes

The Beldame Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares three-years-old and up. Inaugurated in 1939, it was run as a handicap prior to 1960...

 at Belmont Park

Belmont Park

Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...

 in New York. After that race, her trainer Burt Williams lobbied for a division championship in the media. That year, she was voted American Champion Older Female Horse.