Remembering ... Personal Ensign

“The Derby winner is loose on the lead!” The words echoed in my ears, as the great Phipps filly spun her wheels on the messy Churchill Downs’ dirt course. Everything was on the line for Personal Ensign that damp afternoon. A win would ensure her place among the all-time greats of racing history, as she would become the first major American horse to go undefeated since the legendary Colin, some eighty years before. A loss would drop her legacy down a notch, still a special horse, but not with the immortality of a perfect record. “The Derby winner is loose on the lead!” I kept hearing those words, mainly because my partner, that day, my father, kept saying them playfully after announcer Tom Durkin had said them early in the race. At the eighth pole, it still appeared hopeless as we stared at the TV monitors at the Meadowlands.  Four lengths behind Winning Colors, who was running her best race since winning the Derby half a year earlier, her task appeared too great. “The Derby winner is loose on the lead!” But Personal Ensign was no ordinary horse. With dogged determination she kicked into another gear. She was the only one who did not know how to lose. Rider Randy Romero kept asking for more and the great filly kept giving more. She ignored the nasty weather and track conditions and reeled in the Derby winner, who was loose on the lead. In the most thrilling finish in the history of the Breeders‘ Cup, Personal Ensign stuck her nose in front of Winning Colors in the final stride. It was a case of a true champion acting like only a true champion could. She retired perfect. Immortality was hers. Personal Ensign was foaled and raised at Claiborne Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. A dark bay daughter of Private Account out of the Hoist the Flag mare, Grecian Banner, Personal Ensign was bred in Kentucky by her owner, by legendary owner, Ogden Phipps. She was one of the greatest ever to carry the famous black silks and cherry cap of the Phipps family. She arrived on the racing scene in 1986, and began her career winning two races as a juvenile. Her maiden win was so impressive, winning by 13 lengths, that only two others challenged her in the prestigious Frizette Stakes. Sent off at odds on, she displayed her true grit by wearing down an excellent Majestic Light filly named Collins, by a head. Two starts and already a grade 1 winner, Personal Ensign was destined for greatness. Unfortunately she broke her left hind leg in two places while preparing for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Five screws were inserted to aid in healing and to keep the bone together. This was not the end of her career, though, far from it. The star returned to the races eleven months later, rattling off four consecutive wins against top competition in New York. Despite nearly a year away, and a major injury, Personal Ensign was absolutely dominant in two allowance races at Belmont, before winning the Rare Perfume Stakes and the Grade 1 Beldame Stakes, all with almost shocking ease. Her trainer Shug McGaughey, felt a trip to Hollywood Park for the 1987 Breeders' Cup Distaff would be too much to ask of her in too short a time period, so she was put away for the season, still unbeaten after six career starts. If her first two seasons were slightly unfulfilled because of the injury, 1988 would be her opportunity to accomplish everything. After winning two stakes easily at Belmont Park, the perfect filly made her first trip outside of New York. Watching that day at Monmouth Park, I remember wondering if the really nice Jersey filly Grecian Flight could give her a race. She could not. Seeing Personal Ensign in person at four was like seeing pure power in the form of a beautiful thoroughbred horse. She won the Molly Pitcher Stakes by eight lengths, and to this day I consider it one of the more impressive wins I have ever seen in person. Next came the males in the Whitney, and another easy win. Number ten. She dropped down to mile and powered by Winning Colors in the Maskette, and then romped with a repeat win in the Beldame. Finally she was able to run in the Breeders’ Cup, so it was on to Kentucky. The Phipps filly arrived in Louisville with seven grade 1 wins under to her credit, and 12 wins in 12 lifetime starts. After the amazing script played itself out in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, she was retired on the highest possible note. Her three year career comprised only thirteen races, but in that span she stamped herself as one of the finest distaffers ever race on America soil. A perfect racing career led to a perfect broodmare career. Personal Ensign became one of the most important broodmares in American history. Her very first foal, Miner's Mark, was a grade 1 stakes winner. Next came the nice stakes colt, Our Emblem, who went on to sire Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem. Personal Ensign also foaled, Traditionally, was a grade 1 winner at the races and as a sire. Personal Ensign's best runner was undoubtedly, My Flag. My Flag won four grade 1 stakes, including the 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She also tried males, and was third in the 1996 Belmont Stakes. Like Personal Ensign, My Flag went on to achieve great success as a broodmare, notably with the Eclipse Award winning filly, Storm Flag Flying, an undefeated juvenile champion. Her BC Juvenile fillies win, meant that three generations of females won the Cup, beginning with Personal Ensign, an amazing feat. Personal Ensign was named the Broodmare of the year in 1996. Her breeding career ended ten years later, after a barren year, at the age of 22. Personal Ensign was pensioned to Claiborne Farm to live her life in comfort, where she remains today at the age of 26. Whether Personal Ensign is deserving of being called one of the greatest of all time, might be subject to debate, there can be little doubt that she was one of the greatest to appear on the racing scene since Spectacular Bid retired in 1980. Was her racing career ‘managed’ to avoid defeat? That may have played a small part, but more likely she was handled carefully to avoid any worsening of her juvenile injury. I will leave you with this parting shot…it is hard to argue with perfection. I remember you Personal Ensign.

And Her Next Race is ...

I’ve been waiting. We all have been waiting. The Alabama, The Travers, The Woodward, The Personal Ensign, or The Pennsylvania Derby all seemingly or supposedly had a chance to attract the mega-star filly. Turf writers, like myself, Rachel Alexandra’s legions of fans, and pretty much anyone connected to a horse that was considering any one of those five races were waiting. Tick-tock Jess Jackson, tick-tock. Why must you make us wait so long? Don’t you know we just want to see her run? Finally, we have an answer. Rachel could not run in the Pennsylvania Derby. Come on! Philadelphia Park or Saratoga? No offense to Philadelphia Park and it certainly would have been different if she had already raced at Saratoga. She was stabled all Summer at the Spa, she needed to race at this venerable race place. Rachel could not run in the Alabama. Her races against 3-year-old fillies have been so ridiculously easy that no one interested in competitive horse racing wanted to see that again. As it turned out, Careless Jewel would have been the most competition that she would have faced within her division, but Rachel rightly will not run in a 3-year-old filly race ever again. Rachel could not run in the Personal Ensign. The older mare division, save one, is frankly a little boring to me. If there is no Zenyatta, then there is no reason for Rachel to be running against the older females. By the way, if Zenyatta had come to Saratoga for the Personal Ensign, then it would have become my first choice. Rachel could have run in the Travers, but… there is the matter of her stablemate, Kensei. It would have been fun to see her in the Mid-Summer Derby. One mile and a quarter, and one more chance to prove that she is the best 3-year-old out there. A chance to beat a horse, Quality Road, that people are talking about in glowing terms. Prestigious and historic, the Travers would have been a nice feather in her cap. In Kensei, however, the Rachel Alexandra team has a horse that could win the Travers and vault into the front runner position for 3-year-old champion. They obviously do not want to run them against each other. Rachel will run in the Woodward. She will become the first 3-year-old filly, or for that matter, the first female of any age, ever to win this prestigious, Grade 1 race for older horses. Yes, I expect her to win. The list of Woodward winners reads like a who’s who of American racing; Sword Dancer, Kelso, Buckpasser, Damascus, Forego, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, Slew O’ Gold, Precisionist, Alysheba, Easy Goer, Holy Bull, Cigar, Skip Away, Mineshaft, Ghostzapper, St Liam, Lawyer Ron, and Curlin have all won the Woodward. Now Rachel Alexandra. As she takes her next step towards greatness and once again does something no other 3-year-old filly has ever done.

The Year of the Filly and the Mare : Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta’s Place in History

Miss Woodford, Beldame, Regret, Busher, Twilight Tear, Gallorette, Gamely, Dark Mirage, Gallant Bloom, Shuvee, Susan’s Girl, Desert Vixen, Ruffian, Genuine Risk, Princess Rooney, Lady’s Secret, Personal Ensign and Go For Wand. The greatest females of American racing. These fillies and mares so dominated their competition at classic distances on the foremost surface of United States racing, that they will be forever remembered as all-time greats. Who is missing from the list? Before you start rattling off names of your favorite filly or mares that I neglected to include, (sorry, I wanted to keep the list short and sweet and some difficult decisions had to be made) my answer is Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta. That’s right, Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta already have accomplished enough to be included in my list of the 20 greatest American female horses of all time. I can already here the doubters and the protectors of history rumbling with all their arguments at the ready. These horses are still racing, what if they start losing? Just who have they beaten? Racing is not the same as it used to be, surely these two are not as good as some of the ones I saw race in the good ol’ days. One of them maybe, but I do not like the other one as much. OK, OK, I hear you. Fair arguments all, but I will do my best to dissuade even the harshest of critics. It is true that these two remarkable females are currently in training and their race records will undoubtedly soon change. They may strengthen their claims to history or they may weaken their position with their performances in future races, but my stance is; if either were retired tomorrow their accomplishments would already be sufficient for this lofty stature. Zenyatta has already won her first twelve races, the last ten being all Grade 1’s or Grade 2’s. She is an eclipse award winner and a Breeder’s Cup Distaff champion. The closest comparison in history to Zenyatta is clearly Personal Ensign. Personal Ensign completed her magnificent career twenty years ago a perfect 13 for 13. She received one eclipse award as outstanding handicap mare, losing out the Horse of the Year award to the outstanding older horse Alysheba, won one Breeder‘s Cup race and ten graded stakes. Sound familiar? Personal Ensign finished her career winning a memorable Breeder’s Cup Distaff by getting up in the last jump to catch the Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors. She did defeat males once in winning the sloppy Whitney, but her detractors pointed out her careful race selection, lack of racing outside the East Coast and her limited schedule much the way Zenyatta is criticized today. With the important place synthetic racing holds in current American racing, Zenyatta should not be discounted for running most of her races on synthetics. Remember also, that Zenyatta’s one foray on a dirt track is one of her most impressive wins easily beating the champion Ginger Punch. She has beaten all of the top fillies and mares of the past few years save Rachel Alexandra. Zenyatta’s current accomplishments may be a shade below that of Personal Ensign, but close enough to already ensure her place in history. As for Rachel Alexandra, her accomplishments in the last eight races are so impressive that she is hard to compare to many female horses in American history. The superstar Ruffian and the great Regret are in many ways incomparable, but young Rachel Alexandra is quickly moving in that direction. Regret who raced almost a century ago, was so talented that her connections were confident in running her against the best males of her generation. Her speed and ability carried her to a Kentucky Derby win and nine wins in only eleven races. In just those eleven races, Regret, like Rachel Alexandra, became a filly that will not be forgotten, due to her consistent excellence and partially because of her historic win in a triple crown race. Ruffian won ten consecutive races with Rachel like ease. She dominated her division so thoroughly that it was hard to know just how good the other fillies that were left in her wake were. Much like Rachel Alexandra, it was clear that Ruffian had proven everything against her own age and gender. Unfortunately her eleventh and final race, her first attempt against worthy competition, ended in tragedy. Despite her relatively short career and the lack of quality horses that she beat, Ruffian’s greatness and brilliance are undeniable. Just as we are seeing this year with Rachel Alexandra, Ruffian proved her greatness through her jaw-dropping dominance. Often it takes years before full appreciation for what we have sets in. Love them both, pick a side, consider where you might rate them in historical context, but no matter what you do, enjoy every day that these two wonderful race horses grace us with their presence. Mr. Jackson, Mr. Moss, how about a race?