Passing the Torch - Breeders' Cup Winning Dams of Breeders' Cup Winners

 

Passing the Torch
Breeders’ Cup Winning Dams
of Breeders’ Cup Winners

Joseph Di Rienzi

In the 37 year history of the Breeders’ Cup Championship Series there have been many related bloodlines in the pedigrees of victors. In a normal stud career a stallion can have 1000s of foals, thus it is not unusual for a Breeders’ Cup winning male horse to sire future Breeders’ Cup victors. With the recent plethora of different races over the now two day Breeders’ Cup extravaganza, there are now even greater opportunities for a stallion to enhance his stud career by having sons and daughters cross the finish line first. Much less common is for a female who had won a Breeders’ Cup race to produce an offspring that also wins one. In fact, to date, there have been only four mother – daughter combinations, and one of these is a grandmother – daughter – granddaughter threesome.

Personal Ensign was a lanky bay daughter by Private Account bred and owned by Ogden Phipps and trained by Shug McGaughey. She raced three seasons, but only her last as a four year-old in 1988 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 in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff embossed an exclamation mark on her record.

The 1988 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 victress Goodbye Halo, the previous 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. However, she was returning to the track (Churchill Downs) where 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 a severe injury Personal Ensign suffered in 1986, Shug McGaughey had been adverse to train or race Personal Ensign on muddy surfaces. As fate would have it, the Churchill Downs track on Breeders’ Cup Day was 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, ridden by 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 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 six 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.

 

Personal Ensign (no. 6) winning the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff
(thoroughbreddailynews.com)

Bred to Easy Goer, Personal Ensign foaled in 1993 My Flag - the product of two of the best horses to carry the cherry red and black silks of Ogden Phipps. The tall chestnut broke her maiden at first asking at Belmont Park, but finished fourth in the Schuylerville Stakes, third in the Matron Stakes and a close second to divisional leader Golden Attraction in the Frizette Stakes.

Breeders’ Cup Day at Belmont Park in 1995 had typical late October weather on Long Island, N.Y. Overnight rains and morning showers left the track surface carrying a lot of water. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies attracted only eight runners, but it had Golden Attraction, and her recent closest pursuers - Cara Rafaela and My Flag. In the early stages of the race, Golden Attraction was leading Cara Rafaela. My Flag was out of the gate in last place, but not as far back as in her previous starts. As the field went around the single turn, Cara Rafaela came up the rail to challenge her stable mate. Jockey Jerry Bailey had My Flag moving up on the inside drafting behind the two leaders. At the top of the stretch, Golden Attraction looked to be holding off Cara Rafaela, but that changed as the latter forged to the lead in mid-stretch. My Flag initially seemed to have too much distance to make up, but, when switched to the outside, she closed dramatically to catch and pass Cara Rafaela in the shadow of the finish for a ½ length victory. Finishing third, another 1½ lengths back was Golden Attraction.

My Flag (no. 9) winning the 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly
(bloodhorse.com)

Thus with her victory, My Flag became the first offspring of a Breeders’ Cup winning dam to have Breeders’ Cup glory. She carried the family tradition one generation further as her daughter Storm Flag Flying would repeat in the same race in 2002. The latter was a lithe bay or brown daughter of outstanding sire Storm Cat. Owned by Ogden Phipps’ son Dinny and trained by Shug McGaughey, she came into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies race undefeated in three starts. Breaking her maiden at Saratoga Racetrack, Storm Flag Flying proceeded to win both the Matron and Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park impressively.

In 2002, the Breeders’ Cup series of races was run at Arlington Park, just outside of Chicago, IL. The two-year-old races (the Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile) were lengthened to 9 furlongs (from 8½ furlongs) due to the configuration of the racetrack. Storm Flag Flying was the odds-on favorite in the 10 horse field. Her main competition was presumed to come from the Bob Baffert trained entry of Composure and Santa Catrina. After the start, longshot Humorous Lady opened a clear lead followed by Storm Flag Flying, Santa Catarina and Composure. Nearing the far turn, Santa Catrina went up to challenge the leader temporarily putting Storm Flag Flying between her and Composure on the inside. Jockey John Velazquez swung Storm Flag Flying to the outside of Santa Catrina around the stretch turn and forged to the lead. But as she did so, Composure, under Mike Smith, surged three wide and actually gained the advantage over Storm Flag Flying in mid-stretch. But the Phipps filly fought back and re-captured the lead. At the finish, she edged clear over Composure by a ½ length with Santa Catrina some 9¾ lengths further back.

Storm Flag Flying, the product of Breeders’ Cup winners in her dam and grand dam, is, to this date, the only third generation descendant of two female Breeders’ Cup winners.

Hollywood Wildcat was a Florida bred, dark bay or brown daughter of Kris S. out of a Mr. Prospector mare, who had a productive juvenile year in 1992. Owned by Marjorie and Irving Cowan, she started her sophomore year in Florida. After being winless in four starts, Hollywood Wildcat was sent to trainer Neil Drysdale in California. She scored an upset, at 16-1 odds, in the Hollywood Oaks. Staying in California for the rest of the year, Drysdale launched a campaign for his filly that would culminate on Breeders’ Cup Day which would be held at Santa Anita that year. Winning the San Clement Handicap, the Del Mar Oaks and the Lady’s Secret Handicap, Hollywood Wildcat seemed to peaking just in time for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

The 1993 Distaff appeared to be a very contentious race. Last year’s victor, Paseana was entered and the leading sophomore fillies, Sky Beauty, Dispute and Hollywood Wildcat were in the eight horse field. There was a ground swell of support for Hollywood Wildcat, and she went off as the clear favorite with Paseana the second choice. Hollywood Wildcat broke well, settled into second position stalking longshot Supah Gem with Paseana, just behind her in third with Dispute fourth and Sky Beauty, alternating between fifth and sixth position. Jockey Eddie Delahoussaye sent Hollywood Wildcat to the lead around the far turn closely followed by Paseana. Both Sky Beauty and Dispute were in contending positions, but failed to close ground on the leaders. The stretch run was an epic battle between Hollywood Wildcat and Paseana, neither yielding to the other. Just before the finish, Delahoussaye dropped his whip and had to resort to hand slaps to maintain a narrow lead that resulted in a nose victory. Paseana was a clear second, 2½ lengths in front of the rallying Re Toss with Dispute, a length back in fourth. Sky Beauty, who loomed dangerously on the stretch turn, finished fifth.

 

Hollywood Wildcat (on right) winning the 1993 Breeders' Cup Distaff
(bloodhorse.com)

                                                            

This victory by their homebred was enormously satisfying for the Cowans. For Neil Drysdale, this was another example of his ability to develop a young horse into a champion. And to Eddie Delahoussaye, much credit was given for a masterful ride under difficult circumstances.

War Chant, a foal of Hollywood Wildcat, was a prime Kentucky Derby prospect in 2000. By super sire Danzig, the dark bay colt was just like his dam, owned and bred by the Cowans and trained by Neil Drysdale, War Chant proceeded to win his first three races including a game victory in the San Rafael Stakes. He followed that with a close second in the Santa Anita Derby. Sent to Louisville, War Chant could finish no better than ninth in the Kentucky Derby to his Drysdale trained barn mate Fusaichi Pegasus.

War Chant resurfaced at Santa Anita in October on a different surface, namely grass, with an impressive come from behind victory under Gary Stevens in a prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

The 2000 edition of the Mile held at Churchill Downs had some intriguing European based runners in the 14 horse field, but the horse that was the center of attention (at least the betting favorite) was War Chant. In the Mile, Stevens had War Chant launch his bid from 12^th place as longshot North East Bound set a relatively moderate pace. Closing strongly in the last furlong, War Chant prevailed by a neck in a four horse photo finish.

In winning the Mile, he became the first (and, so far, only) son of a Breeders’ Cup winning mare to win a Breeders’ Cup race. Marjorie and Irving Cowan delighted in their homebred carrying forward the family legacy, while Neil Drysdale continued to burnish his credentials as a master conditioner. Winning jockey Gary Stevens had come out of his first of two retirements to resume riding, and this win was the capstone of his return.

The final Breeders’ Cup winning dam to produce a Breeders’ Cup champion was an abject longshot in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The field for the 11 furlong race (run over the firm Churchill Downs turf course) included the previous two year’s winners Midday and Forever Together. The former was the odds-on favorite, while the latter, winless in five 2010 starts, was sent off at 36-1 odds. There was an upset in the race, but it was by an even less fancied runner than Forever Together. Sagamore Farm’s Shared Account, a four-year-old daughter of Pleasantly Perfect trained by Graham Motion, was, at 46-1, the second longest shot in the Filly & Mare Turf field. Racing in third place, saving ground on the inside, Edgar Prado drove Shared Account between horses in deep stretch and out fought Midday to win by a neck. The favorite was also a neck in front of Keertana. Forever Together failed to make an impression, finishing in a dead-heat for sixth but was only beaten a total of 2 lengths.

Shared Account winning the 2010 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
(bloodhorse.com)

Kevin Plank, CEO and Chairman of Under Armour, had purchased historic Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, MD in 2007 and restored it to the grandeur it possessed when owned by Alfred G. Vanderbilt. Under Sagamore Farm’s black, white and red colors, Shared Account had been a consistent East Coast campaigner winning a couple of graded stakes and placing in several others in the last two years prior to her surprise Breeders’ Cup victory.

Nine years later in 2019, Shared Account’s daughter Sharing would complete the mother –daughter Breeders’ Cup double in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf at Santa Anita. Sharing had truly a Breeders’ Cup pedigree in that her sire, dam, and dam sire all had won Breeders’ Cup races. Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable, Sharing was a Maryland bred daughter of Speightstown (Sprint winner in 2004) out of Shared Account (2010 Filly & Mare Turf victress) by 2003 Classic winning Pleasantly Perfect. Trained by Graham Motion, Sharing had broke her maiden in her second start in an off-the-turf race at Saratoga, then traveled to Laurel Racetrack to win the Selima Stakes on the grass. Let go at a generous 13-1 odds in the Juvenile Filly Turf, jockey Manny Franco guided her just off the pace for a 1¼ length victory over race favorite Daahyeh.

What I find intriguing about these dam – foal combination Breeders’ Cup victors, is that each couplet (and in the first case, triplet) were brought to their Breeders’ Cup success by the same trainer: Shug McGaughey for Personal Ensign – My Flag – Storm Flag Flying, Neil Drysdale for Hollywood Wildcat – War Chant and Graham Motion for Shared Account – Sharing.  Did knowing the mom aid these very astute horseman in preparing her respective offspring for Breeders’ Cup glory?