Starlet Series: Personal Ensign

Starlet Series
Number 3: Personal Ensign

Joseph Di Rienzi

This is the fourth of an occasional series on the careers of the six best female thoroughbred horses I have observed racing in the years 1959 to the present. I have chosen these females based on their performances in their respective races. This is my assessment alone and will undoubtedly differ with others’ opinions. This issue discusses the career of third ranked Personal Ensign.

(nyra.com)

A full sister to major stakes performer Personal Flag, Personal Ensign was a lanky bay daughter by Private Account owned by Ogden Phipps and trained by Shug McGaughey. She raced three seasons, but only her last as a four year-old could be considered a full campaign. Personal Ensign is best remembered as one of the few top class United States raced thoroughbreds to retire undefeated, and the thrilling way she concluded her career embossed an exclamation mark on her record.

Personal Ensign won at first asking at Saratoga Race Course in late September 1986 in a 7 furlong race in a faster final time than the prestigious Spinaway Stakes was run later in the day. Installed a prohibitive favorite for the Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park in only her second start, Personal Ensign fought gamely to prevail by a head over Collins. As she was preparing to race in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Personal Ensign suffered an injury to her right hind ankle requiring surgery and the insertion of five screws. This ended her two year-old campaign and threatened her racing future.

September 6, 1987 marked the return of Personal Ensign. Missing from the racing scene since the fall of 1986, the tall bay daughter of Private Account was carefully brought back to the races by Shug McGaughey with two allowance wins at Belmont Park. In her first stakes race of the year, she ran away with the Rare Perfume Stakes at Belmont at 1 mile, winning by 4¾ lengths. Personal Ensign then returned 8 days later to run against a strong field of fillies and mares in the 1¼ mile Beldame Stakes and again showed her superiority with a handy 2¼ length victory. Undefeated now in six starts, Personal Ensign’s connections decided that they would forego the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and a chance for championship honors and bring her back for a full year of racing in 1988. This decision seemed questionable at the time, but it resulted in an unforgettable performance in the following year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

On Belmont Stakes Day 1988, spectators were also treated to a performance by an exemplary racehorse. Four year-old Personal Ensign was making her second start of the year in the 9 furlong Hempstead Handicap. She had won the 8½ furlong Shuvee Handicap to retain her unbeaten streak in her initial 1988 start. Carrying top weight of 123 lb., the rangy daughter of Private Account won with complete authority by 7 lengths in a good final time. Her mastery of her division was unquestioned, and it seemed just a matter of time before she would face her male contemporaries.

As the summer dirt races for older horses began, there was consideration in the Phipps Stable camp to enter Personal Ensign in races such as the Suburban Handicap. However, her older brother Personal Flag was in good form, and it was thought best to provide him opportunities to prove himself in the older horse division. One hour after Personal Flag indeed won the venerable Suburban at Belmont Park, Personal Ensign dispatched a field of fillies and mares in the 8½ furlong Molly Pitcher Handicap at Monmouth Park. Carrying top weight of 125 lb., she drew away effortlessly to coast to an 8 length victory.

The 9 furlong Whitney Handicap at Saratoga featured Personal Ensign’s foray against males. Carrying 117 lb. (with a 5 lb. sex allowance), she had only two rivals, Gulch (124 lb.) and King’s Swan (123 lb.). The last two had raced recently in the Tom Fool Handicap at Belmont Park with eight year-old King’s Swan upsetting Gulch by a ½ length. The sloppy Saratoga oval on Whitney Day gave trainer Shug McGaughey concern over Personal Ensign’s well-being considering she had five screws in her leg as a result of the surgery performed as a two year-old. Nevertheless, the filly took her place in the starting gate and settled in third place behind pacesetting Gulch and King’s Swan. The long bodied daughter of Private Account made her move along the backstretch and quickly challenged Gulch for the lead around the turn. The son of Mr. Prospector fought back bravely, and the two waged a spirted duel that saw Personal Ensign slowly draw clear to win by 1¼ lengths to the delight of the Saratoga crowd. Far back (17 lengths) was third finishing King’s Swan. Having proved her mettle against males, McGaughey would race Personal Ensign only against her own gender the rest of the year. 

The Maskette Stakes at 1 mile at Belmont Park was the first race back for the 1988 Kentucky Derby winning filly Winning Colors after the Triple Crown series. This also marked a return to racing against her own gender. However, Winning Colors was a decided second choice to all conquering Personal Ensign. At scale weights, the older filly carried 5 lb. more than the Derby winner in the compact four horse field. As expected, Winning Colors bounded out front setting a fast pace. Personal Ensign was initially fourth but moved up to third along the backstretch. Fears among Personal Ensign’s connections that Winning Colors would have too large a lead to catch diminished as their filly closed the gap around the far turn. At the top of the stretch, Personal Ensign drew even with Winning Colors who fought back gamely. In the final drive, Personal Ensign, under mild encouragement, gained a slight advantage that grew to a ½ length margin at the finish. Sham Say finished third, 3½ lengths behind the top pair. The final time was excellent, and this duel would be re-enacted to epic proportions on Breeders’ Cup Day. 

Personal Ensign had her penultimate race in the Beldame Stakes which she had won the previous year. Facing a field of four others including grade I winning sophomores Sham Say and Classic Crown, Personal Ensign won “in hand” by 5½ lengths over Classic Crown with Sham Say another ½ lengths further back. Any thoughts of running this superstar in the Breeders’ Cup Classic were dashed by McGaughey who believed his stable had legitimate chances with both Personal Flag and Seeking the Gold. Instead, Personal Ensign was pointed for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

The Distaff was one of the most anticipated races of the day. Unbeaten in 12 starts, Personal Ensign would put that streak to a test against Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors, Kentucky Oaks victor Goodbye Halo, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Epitome, Spinster Stakes heroine Hail a Cab and four others. Personal Ensign was the overwhelming favorite based on her record. Winning Colors had run poorly in her last race, the Spinster Stakes at Keeneland Race Course. However, she was returning to the track (Churchill Downs) she had won her greatest race. Goodbye Halo, could also not be dismissed, because at her best she was a dangerous competitor. The concern in the Phipps Stable camp was the condition of the track. Because of her injury two years ago, Shug McGaughey had been adverse to train or race Personal Ensign on muddy surfaces. The Churchill Downs track on Breeders’ Cup Day was indeed muddy and tiring.

The race itself was one of the most dramatic in thoroughbred history and has been replayed endlessly, never ceasing to amaze. As expected, Winning Colors under Gary Stevens bounded to a clear lead followed by Goodbye Halo and Sham Say. Personal Ensign was in mid-pack early and did not seem to be running comfortably over the gooey going. Around the far turn, Winning Colors increased her lead, just as she had in the Derby, as Goodbye Halo gave chase. Steering his mount to the outside to secure better footing, jockey Randy Romero had Personal Ensign in fourth place some 6 lengths from the lead as the field straightened out for the stretch drive. Goodbye Halo was gaining slowly on Winning Colors, but the Derby winner’s victory seemed likely until Personal Ensign changed leads in mid-stretch and closed dramatically with a will that only true champions can muster. At the finish, Personal Ensign thrust her nose on the line in front of the Derby winner in an almost unbelievable ending to a perfect race career. Third only a ½ length back was Goodbye Halo with Sham Say 5 lengths behind in fourth place.

1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff
(thoroughbreddailynews.com)

Eclipse Awards went to Personal Ensign for Older Female Horse and Winning Colors for Three Year-old Filly. Personal Ensign missed out on Horse of the Year honors due to Alysheba’s stirring win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic over Seeking the Gold.

Retired to Claiborne Farm, Personal Ensign achieved an admirable record as a broodmare and grand dam to numerous major winners including My Flag and Storm Flag Flying. She was pensioned from breeding duties in 2006 and died in 2010 at the age 26. Her legacy is continued to this very day through her progeny. But more importantly, Personal Ensign’s racing performances reminds us all of the courage, class and determination in the best of the thoroughbred breed.