TOP FLIGHT H. (gr. II ), Aqueduct , March 02, 2013 , $200,000 Guaranteed , value of race $200,000 , 3 yo's & up , 1 1/16 miles , 1:44.10 Inner track FT .

Bill and Carol McAlpin, who bred and co-own Top Flight Handicap (gr. II) winner Summer Applause, knew they had a special filly on their hands when the daughter of Harlan’s Holiday took her first steps at their Paris, Ky.-based Greenwood Lodge Farm.

“We were always impressed by her…she was very elegant, has a wonderful temperament, and was very sweet (as a foal),” said Bill McAlpin. He added that Summer Applause had similar characteristics to the first offspring out of her dam Summer Exhibition (by Royal Academy), a stakes-placed daughter of Gulch named Big Easy.

“(Summer Applause) looked quite similar except had a little more substance,” he explained. “We thought she’d have a good chance to be successful on the racetrack, which is why we RNA’d her when she didn’t meet her reserve.”

Summer Applause was consigned to the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale by Greenwood Lodge through Bluewater Sales, agent, but was bought back when the bidding stopped at $82,000.

Trained by Chad Brown, the 4-year-old bay filly is owned by Greenwood Lodge with Gillian Campbell and R Group Management, a partnership put together by bloodstock agent Mark Cornett. It’s safe to say McAlpin was right about Summer Applause’s chances on the racetrack, as she has now won or placed in six of her nine starts, including an additional victory in the 2012 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (gr. III), for earnings of $472,406.

The McAlpins, who are also involved in the coffee industry, bred Summer Applause’s dam Summer Exhibition under the name Paradigm Thoroughbreds.

They bought the Top Flight winner’s stakes-winning second dam, Dewan’s Flag (by Dewan), for $50,000 when she was 16 years old at the 1996 Keeneland November mixed sale. In foal to Cherokee Run, she was consigned by Jaime S. Carrion, trustee through Robert Courtney, agent.

The couple liked Dewan’s Flag because she had already produced multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Recoup the Cash (by Copelan), plus other stakes winner Up With the Flag.

Twelve-year-old Summer Exhibition, whose youngest offspring is a yearling Congrats filly, was bred to Tiznow for 2013.

Harlan’s Holiday is the sire of 36 stakes winners, including five 2013 added-money victors. General Election, a 3-year-old son of Harlan’s Holiday, won the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway on the same afternoon as the Top Flight. The son of Harlan stands for $35,000 at Kenny Troutt’s WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky.—E.M.

ALLAIRE DUPONT DISTAFF S. (gr. III ), Pimlico , May 18, 2013 , $150,000 Guaranteed , value of race $150,000 , 3 yo's & up , 1 1/16 miles , 1:46.54 Dirt FT .