‘Words Can’t Describe The Feeling,’ Sisterson Says After Personal Ensign Win

Trainer Jack Sisterson said he was still riding high from his first career Grade 1 triumph in Saturday's $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets, which saw an upset victory when Vexatious bested reigning Champion Older Dirt Female Midnight Bisou in a dramatic stretch duel in the 71st renewal of the 1 1/8-mile event for older fillies and mares at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The victory garnered a 105 Beyer Speed Figure for Vexatious.

In winning the Personal Ensign, a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” qualifier, Vexatious earned an automatic entry into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff on November 7 at Keeneland, where Sisterson is primarily based.

“My assistant Mark O'Dwyer was taking pictures of her once she was back in her stall. Her head was right at the front of the stall, her ears were pricked, so she knew what she did yesterday,” Sisterson said. “Mark and the rest of the team has done a fantastic job with her, as well as the rest of the horses. That's what we live for, the opportunity to have horses in races like this, let alone win one.

“Words can't describe the feeling,” Sisterson continued. “It just goes to show how good the people behind me are. I have a great staff and great owners. If it weren't for the staff or the owners I wouldn't be in this position.”

Owned by Calumet Farm, the well-bred Vexatious is a 6-year-old daughter of Giant's Causeway out of Grade 1-winner Dream of Summer, making her a full-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Creative Cause as well as multiple graded stakes winner Destin. A graded stakes winner on grass and five-time graded stakes placed on both dirt and turf, Vexatious enhanced her already high breeding value by acquiring Grade 1 blacktype in the Personal Ensign.

Vexatious' only other start at Saratoga was a runner-up to subsequent Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Blue Prize in last year's Summer Colony.

Sisterson noted how well his mare handles training at Saratoga and said Vexatious will remain at the Spa, where Sisterson keeps a small string of horses.

“She'll stay at Saratoga for the time being,” Sisterson said. “Keeneland is home for her, but she really blossoms up at Saratoga. We didn't want to be tough on her at the beginning of the year so we ran her in some allowance races. I didn't want to disappoint her too early in the year to ultimately have her peaking at Saratoga mid-summer and that's worked. She did so well here last year. She put on weight, her coat looked good and she did great.”

Options for Vexatious' next start include the Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland and the Grade 2 Beldame at Belmont Park.

“She'll tell us when she's ready to run back again. I assume it'll be one or the other,” Sisterson said.

For Sisterson, the fun did not stop after the Personal Ensign as fellow Calumet Farm color bearer Everfast picked up a triumph against winners in the following race – a seven-furlong allowance event over the main track.

The son of Take Charge Indy will likely point to the Grade 1, $300,000 Forego presented by America's Best Racing on August 29.

“He never lost his competitive step, so that was great for him. With him wining the way he did it allows him to step forward into a bigger race now,” Sisterson said of the runner-up of last year's Grade 1 Preakness and Grade 1 Haskell Invitational.

“We'll see how he trains out of it. He broke his maiden going seven eighths and was obviously running those Classic distances last year,” Sisterson said. “I wasn't worried going into yesterday, just curious to see how he would respond to the seven-eighths distance. I thought seven eighths to a mile is good for him.”

Initially breaking at the rear of the field, Everfast inched his way into contention as the race progressed and shook clear through the final furlong to a 2 ½-length win.

“He did it well enough yesterday,” Sisterson said. “He had a lot in reserve and [jockey] Joel [Rosario] rode him perfectly. Mark told him before the race, 'Ride him like he's a Christophe Clement horse' and those instructions worked out well. It's great to see him back in the winner's circle.”

Sisterson came close to scoring his first two Grade 1 wins on the same day when Lexitonian ran second to Collusion Allusion in Del Mar's Grade 1 Bing Crosby.

The son of Speightstown was initially entered in last Saturday's Grade 1 Vanderbilt at the Spa, but was scratched at the starting gate, which forced Sisterson to call an audible and send the dual stakes winner to the West Coast.

“He was training very forwardly and showing us signs he would run a big race,” Sisterson said. 'It was a big step up in class, but he was doing things in the morning that told us that he was ready.”

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Vexatious Upsets Midnight Bisou In Personal Ensign

Giving trainer Jack Sisterson his first Grade 1 victory, Calumet Farm's Vexatious held off champion Midnight Bisou the length of the stretch under Jose Lezcano to win Saturday's Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

A 6-year-old mare by Giant's Causeway, Vexatious covered 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:48.82, winning by about a neck over the odds-on favorite, who was seeking her 14th career win in 22 starts. Point of Honor finished third, with pacesetter Motion Emotion fourth and Abounding Joy rounding out the field of five fillies and mares.

Stewards lit the inquiry sign and jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. – riding Midnight Bisou for the first time because COVID-19 restrictions prevented the Midnight Lute mare's regular jockey, Mike Smith, from coming to Saratoga – claimed foul for stretch interference, but the original order of finish was allowed to stand. Vexatious, winning her second stakes and fourth race overall in a 23-race career that began with trainer Neil Drysdale in California in October 2016, paid $21 for the win.

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Giant’s Causeway’s Vexatious Gets Better of ‘Bisou’ in Personal Ensign

Champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) was bet like she could not lose Saturday’s GI Personal Ensign S. at 1-5, but apparently no one told 9-1 shot Vexatious (Giant’s Causeway). The Calumet runner refused to yield to the Eclipse winner in the final furlong of the Saratoga stretch to secure a spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Stakes winner Motion Emotion (Take Charge Indy) went straight to the front with Vexatious stalking in a close-up second and Midnight Bisou just off of them in third through opening splits of :24.15 and :48.36. Vexatious drew even with the pacesetter with three-eighths left to run and that rival called it quits as Midnight Bisou ranged up dangerously on the outside. The Eclipse winner was three-wide turning for home with Vexatious just to her inside as Point of Honor (Curlin) snuck up the fence and looked ready to tussle with the top two. Vexatious came out a bit on the chalk in early stretch, but was quickly righted by pilot Jose Lezcano. Point of Honor swiftly folded her tent on the rail, leaving Vexatious and Midnight Bisou to duke it out to the wire and that they did. The pair stormed clear of the rest of the field in a fierce battle to the finish, but Vexatious was always going the better of the two and held Midnight Bisou at bay for a neck success. There was a stewards’ inquiry into the stretch run, as well as a claim of foul by Midnight Bisou’s jockey Ricardo Santana, but the result was left as is. It was the first Grade I victory and first win at Saratoga for trainer Jack Sisterson.

“We always thought she had a big win in her and all credit to the filly,” said Sisterson. “I want to say thank you to [owner] Calumet Farm, and my employees for getting her in the best shape possible. We started off the year in allowance races and allowed her to improve, and she deserves it. It’s a whole team effort and I have a lot of people to thank.”

He continued, “We’ll give her a well-deserved few days off and let her jump ahead a bit. Obviously, it’s a Win and You’re In.’ We’ll run her again before the Breeders’ Cup and look forward to being home at Keeneland.”

“I had a perfect trip,” said Lezcano. “My filly broke well. She was relaxed the whole way and just sitting behind the leader. I could feel the other filly [Midnight Bisou] coming and I started asking my filly. Every time the other filly came close to her, my filly dug in. I showed her to the other filly and she kept going. She kept running. We could have gone around one more time and I still would have been in front with my filly.”

As for the beaten favorite Midnight Bisou, co-owner Jeff Bloom said, “She ran a huge race. She barely lost the race. She’s just a remarkable race mare. I think what happened in the race definitely caused a shift in momentum. Is it disappointing to lose? Of course it is. You want to win all of them. They don’t give Grade I races away. You’ve got to go out there and do it. The filly that beat us is a really nice filly. She ran a huge race last out and is on the upswing, and that’s what happens.”

Vexatious last visited the winner’s circle when promoted to first via DQ in the 2018 GIII Dowager S. at Keeneland for Neil Drysdale. Transferred to Jack Sisterson last summer, she checked in second in the track-and-trip Summer Colony S. And was off the board in the GI Spinster S. next out. She kicked off 2020 with a fifth in a tough Oaklawn optional claimer Apr. 30 and was third next out in a turf test at Churchill June 6. The 6-year-old was runner-up to another Eclipse winner in Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in Belmont’s GII Ruffian S. July 11.

 

Pedigree Notes:

Vexatious is the 35th Grade I winner for the late Giant’s Causeway and is one of the 114 graded winners and 192 stakes winners for the legendary sire. The winner’s dam Dream of Summer captured the GI Apple Blossom H. and won over $1.19-million. She took her talent from the racetrack to the breeding shed, producing the likes of Grade I-winning stallion Creative Cause (Giant’s Causeway) and MGSW & GISP young sire Destin (Giant’s Causeway). The 21-year-old mare is also responsible for the unraced juvenile filly Hippie Cowgirl (Not This Time), who was purchased by Casner Racing for $200,000 at KEESEP. Dream of Summer produced an Uncle Mo filly Jan. 25 of this year and was bred back to Justify.

Saturday, Saratoga
PERSONAL ENSIGN S.-GI, $485,000, Saratoga, 8-1, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:48.82, ft.
1–VEXATIOUS, 120, m, 6, by Giant’s Causeway
1st Dam: Dream of Summer (GISW, $1,191,150), by Siberian Summer
2nd Dam: Mary’s Dream, by Skywalker
3rd Dam: Proper Mary, by Properantes
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($150,000 Ylg ’15 KEESEP). O-Calumet
Farm; B-James C. Weigel & Giant’s Causeway Syndicate, LLC.
(KY); T-Jack Sisterson; J-Jose Lezcano. $275,000. Lifetime
Record: 23-4-3-7, $723,985. *Full to Creative Cause, GISW,
$1,039,000; Destin, MGSW & GISP, $947,800.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Midnight Bisou, 124, m, 5, by Midnight Lute
1st Dam: Diva Delite, by Repent
2nd Dam: Tour Hostess, by Tour d’Or
3rd Dam: Counsel’s Gal, by High Counsel
($19,000 RNA Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $80,000 2yo ’17 OBSAPR).
O-Bloom Racing Stable, LLC (Jeffrey Bloom), Madaket Stables
LLC & Allen Racing LLC.; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen. $100,000.
3–Point of Honor, 120, f, 4, by Curlin
1st Dam: Zayanna, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Heavenly Cat, by Tabasco Cat
3rd Dam: In Excelcis Deo, by Forty Niner
($825,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred
Partners & Stetson Racing, LLC; B-Siena Farms LLC (KY);
T-George Weaver. $60,000.
Margins: NK, 6 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 9.50, 0.30, 3.65.
Also Ran: Motion Emotion, Abounding Joy. Scratched: Bossy Bride. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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After Gate Scratch In Vanderbilt, Lexitonian Heading West For Bing Crosby

Calumet Farm's Lexitonian, trained by Jack Sisterson, was scratched at the gate of Saturday's Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., but was in good order Sunday morning breezing a half-mile under assistant trainer Mark O'Dwyer in 47.66 seconds on the main track.

Whitmore, assigned post 2 in the Vanderbilt, broke through the gate before the start of the race and was quickly pulled up by jockey Joel Rosario. Lexitonian, from the inside post, subsequently sat back on his haunches dislodging jockey Tyler Gaffalione and was scratched at the gate. The remainder of the four-horse field was backed out and reloaded with Volatile proving victorious.

“I think a horse's natural instinct when another horse breaks through the gate is to want to go after it,” said Sisterson. “He's such a competitive horse that when Whitmore broke through, he wasn't going to abide by Tyler. He wanted to go after that horse and that's just him.

“Mark was with him and looked at him at the barn after the race and the vet went over him and there were no issues,” added Sisterson. “Unfortunately, that's racing. You can't predict what's going to happen, but the main thing is he's okay.”

O'Dwyer said Lexitonian was in good order Sunday morning and moved comfortably during the swift half-mile breeze.

Lexitonian entered the Vanderbilt off a sharp optional-claiming win on May 29 at Churchill Downs that garnered a 95 Beyer Speed Figure. The Speightstown chestnut was expected to use Saturday's test as a springboard to the Grade 1, $300,000 Forego, presented by America's Best Racing, a seven-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up on August 29.

However, Sisterson said Lexitonian will now ship to Del Mar for a start in Saturday's Grade 1 Bing Crosby, a six-furlong sprint offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“He ran such a fast Ragozin number at Churchill, a career high, we thought with that much of a leap forward you don't want to run back too quick,” said Sisterson. “So, we penciled in the Vanderbilt and if he ran well we'd go to the Forego. We had the plan for months and it didn't happen and now he's full of energy and needs to run, so if he comes out of the breeze well this morning, he'll go to the Bing Crosby at Del Mar.”

Calumet Farm and John Anthony Stables' American Tattoo, who was nominated to Saturday's Grade 1 Whitney, will instead point to next Sunday's $100,000 Birdstone, a 1 ¾-mile stamina test for older horses at the Spa.

Previously trained by Todd Pletcher, the Birdstone will mark the 5-year-old son of Not For Sale's first start for Sisterson. A five-time winner from 11 starts, American Tattoo was a Group 1 winner in his native Argentina capturing the 2018 Polla de Potrillos. He finished third in last year's Grade 2 Marathon at 1 ¾-miles in November at Santa Anita and won the 10-furlong H. Allen Jerkens in December at Gulfstream Park.

“He's training great at the moment at Keeneland. We have a great facility, thanks to Calumet, where we can train them and allow them to be a horse at the same time,” said Sisterson. “He gets turned out in his paddock every day and he enjoys that. He's bought into our system and really blossomed and come around. He acts like a distance type of horse in his breezes, and he gets better as he hits the wire and gallops out. I think the mile and three-quarters will suit him. If he runs well there, we'd look at the Calumet Cup for him at Kentucky Downs [on September 7].”

Calumet Farm's Vexatious, a 6-year-old Giant's Causeway mare, posted a career-best 100 Beyer when second last out to Monomoy Girl in the Grade 2 Ruffian on July 11 at Belmont and is slated to make her next start in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets, offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Vexatious ran second in the Grade 3 Modesty on the Arlington Park turf last July in just her second start for Sisterson and followed up with a brave second in the nine-furlong Summer Colony, defeated a neck to Blue Prize who exited that race to win the Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita.

“She ran great in the Ruffian,” said Sisterson. “It was her third race off the layoff and typically, the way I train, they improve with racing. We leave a lot in the tank for them to improve and we thought she'd run a good race and she was second with a career high.

“In my opinion, she has the talent to be within a few lengths of any top filly in the country on her day,” added Sisterson. “Which she proved last summer finishing just a neck behind Blue Prize, who went on to the Breeders' Cup.”

Vexatious breezed a half-mile in 49.45 Saturday on the Saratoga main track with O'Dwyer in the irons.

“Mark knows her well and he called me after the work to say she feels as good as she has done going into any race she's run well in,” said Sisterson. “She's coming back in just two weeks [from the Ruffian], which is a concern, but I think she'll tell us when she's not doing well. She's held her coat well and eaten up, so she's telling us she's doing well.”

Sisterson said a prominent approach may be in the cards for Vexatious on Saturday.

“If it comes next week that Midnight Bisou scares people off and it's a short field with no speed in the race, I'd have no problem at all if Jose [Lezcano] wants to jump out and make all with her,” said Sisterson. “She's a true distance type of filly, but she can also run well at a one-turn mile and I wouldn't be afraid of jumping out and making all because of the distance because in my opinion she only gallops and stays. The further the better.”

Calumet Farm's Everfast, a closing second in last year's Preakness for former trainer Dale Romans, joined the Sisterson barn for his 4-year-old campaign. With blinkers on for all three starts this season, Everfast ran a good second in his seasonal debut on April 18 in an Oaklawn Park allowance and followed up with another strong second, defeated a half-length by Owendale, in the Blame traveling one mile on the Churchill Downs main.

Last out, Everfast was off-the-board in the Grade 1 Makers Mark Mile on the Keeneland turf on July 10.

Sisterson said the addition of blinkers have helped provide the former late-running Everfast a more prominent running style.

“He jumped and went forward in his race at Oaklawn and he was forward again in the Blame,” said Sisterson. “We gave him a shot in the Makers Mark Mile but he didn't handle the turf at all.”

Sisterson said the Take Charge Indy bay will make a return to dirt at Saratoga in an allowance sprint with an eye down the road to the Grade 1, $300,000 Forego presented by America's Best Racing at seven furlongs on August 29.

“He'll run seven eighths next Saturday at Saratoga,” said Sisterson. “That would be a prep for the Forego for him if all goes well.”

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