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Point Of Honor ‘Deserves A Shot’ Against Midnight Bisou In Personal Ensign

Proud as he is of the way Point of Honor performed last summer at Saratoga, finishing second in both the Grade 1 Alabama and Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, trainer George Weaver is hoping for a little better this year.

“She ran big here last year, but she got beat,” Weaver said. “Hopefully, she doesn't get beat this time.”

The task will be a difficult one, as Point of Honor will line up against champion Midnight Bisou and four others in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets. The 1 1/8-mile event for older fillies and mares is the first of five stakes, four graded including three Grade 1s, worth $2 million in purses on a 12-race Whitney Day program.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing's Point of Honor won the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan last spring at Pimlico Race Course prior to her Saratoga runs, and did not race back until finishing second as the favorite in a seven-furlong handicap in March at Tampa Bay Downs.

The 4-year-old daughter of Hall of Famer Curlin overcame a slow start to run third in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 18 at Oaklawn Park, and most recently came up a nose shy of winner She's a Julie in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on June 13 at Belmont Park. Both races are contested at 1 1/16 miles.

“I think she's a better filly at 4. I think she's filled out and she's a stronger filly. Her races have all been good this year, though we're still waiting to get that first win,” Weaver said. “It's a tough assignment on Saturday but she deserves a shot at it as much as anybody in there.”

Point of Honor drew far outside in the field of six, while Midnight Bisou will break from post 3 in defense of her 2019 Personal Ensign victory, which came by a nose over Elate with She's a Julie third.

“Midnight Bisou is the champ. If you're trying to pick the horses to run against you wouldn't pick her,” Weaver said, “But, we're here and she's doing well and she deserves a shot at it so we'll see what happens.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, aboard for seven of Point of Honor's nine races including both Saratoga starts and the Black-Eyed Susan, has the return call Saturday.

Weaver also said R.A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables' Vekoma, impressive last out winner of the Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile on July 4 at Belmont, is doing well and expected to make his next start in the Grade 1, $300,000 Forego on August 29 at Saratoga.

Vekoma has yet to return to the work tab since the Met Mile, a front-running 1 ¼-length triumph that extended his win streak to three races and came 28 days after a 7 ¼-length romp in the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter Handicap which, like the Forego, is contested at seven furlongs.

“I was on the fence in running back in the Met Mile after four weeks off the big race in the Carter, and following the Met Mile I was not looking to come back in four or five weeks,” Weaver said. “We're trying to make it to the Breeders' Cup and the Forego is the most logical next spot.

“So far, everything's looking good and we're looking forward to getting him back to the races,” Weaver said. “He's always been a good horse. The sky's the limit for him.”

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‘Better Than Ever,’ Midnight Bisou Chasing Back-To-Back Wins In Personal Ensign

Reigning Champion Older Dirt Female Midnight Bisou, crafting another Eclipse Award-worthy campaign, will seek a 14th graded stakes victory in the 71st running of Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets on Whitney Day at Saratoga Race Course.

Whitney Day will feature three Grade 1 events, led by the historic Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney at 1 1/8 miles with an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic on November 7 at Keeneland on the line. The card is bolstered by the Grade 1, Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Distaff in November; and the Grade 1, $300,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial presented by Runhappy for 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs. The stakes-laden card also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green for 4-year-olds and up on the turf and the $200,000 Caress, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares. The card will be broadcast on Saratoga Live beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.

Midnight Bisou, a dark bay 5-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute, has put together a sensational record of 21-13-5-3 with purse earnings of $7,371,520. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Midnight Bisou will attempt to be the first horse to score back-to-back Personal Ensign triumphs since John C. Oxley's champion Beautiful Pleasure did so in 1999-00.

“It would be awesome,” said Jeff Bloom, who owns Midnight Bisou in partnership with Madaket Stable and Allen Racing. “Anytime you run in those type of races, they're big regardless of what you've done in the past. She's training better than ever and we're ready for it.”

Midnight Bisou garnered a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure when taking last year's edition of the Personal Ensign in dramatic fashion by a nose over Elate following a tenuous stretch battle.

Midnight Bisou is a five-time Grade 1-winner with each score taking place at different tracks. During her 3-year-old campaign, Midnight Bisou won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks while conditioned by west coast-based Bill Spawr before being transferred to Asmussen following a third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Three starts later, she picked up a victory in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing en route to a third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff.

At age four she came back bigger and stronger putting together an Eclipse Award-winning campaign which consisted of Grade 1 victories in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn, Ogden Phipps at Belmont and last year's Personal Ensign.

This year, Midnight Bisou has sustained her winning form, displaying an inside-closing effort in the inaugural $20 million Saudi Cup in February and last out won the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs by 8 ¼ lengths.

Bloom said Midnight Bisou gives preference to certain main tracks, but noted that she has taken quite well to the new dirt surface at Saratoga.

“At the end of the day, I think she probably likes certain tracks more than others,” Bloom said. “She's a huge fan of Belmont, but she's run well over any surface and over any environment. Once you give her the chance to see what's going on around her, she's okay. I think with the changes they made at Saratoga this past season she's training even better over there. She has a great feel for the track, from what I've seen.”

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. will be aboard Midnight Bisou for the first time from post 3.

Following a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park, Point of Honor will be going back to two turns for the Personal Ensign.

Owned by Aron Wellman's Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing, the 4-year-old chestnut Curlin filly added “graded stakes winner” to her consistent resume last May, taking the Grade 2 Black Eyed Susan at Pimlico. She then followed up with two Grade 1-placings at the Spa in the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama. She then received a freshening after her runner-up effort in the Alabama to Dunbar Road and has placed in all three of her starts this year. Prior to the Ogden Phipps, she finished third in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 18 at Oaklawn Park.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano will attempt his fourth Personal Ensign win aboard Point of Honor, who will exit from post 6.

Calumet Farm's Vexatious, a 6-year-old Giant's Causeway mare trained by Jack Sisterson, posted a career-best 100 Beyer when second last out on July 11 in the Grade 2 Ruffian won by Monomoy Girl traveling a one-turn mile at Belmont Park.

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 game 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.

Bred in Kentucky by James C. Weigel and Giant's Causeway Syndicate, the versatile and well-bred Vexatious is out of Grade 1-winning millionaire Dream of Summer and is a full-sister to Grade 1-winner Creative Cause and a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Destin.

Vexatious will stretch back out to nine furlongs for the Personal Ensign following her stellar effort at a one-turn mile in the Ruffian under Jose Lezcano.

“She ran such a good race in the one-turn mile. My concern going into the Ruffian was it was a new dimension for her cutting back to one turn,” said Sisterson. “That one-turn mile is an extended sprint and you don't get much of a breather chasing fast fractions.

“Jose Lezcano rode her perfectly and he told me she's such a hard-trying filly and gave it her all,” added Sisterson. “I think she'll stay whatever trip you put her over, it's just a matter of how fast she can stay the trip, but I do think the mile and an eighth will be better suited for her.”

Vexatious will emerge from post 4 under the returning Lezcano.

Last weekend, Paris Lights and Crystal Ball gave members of WinStar Stablemates Racing a major thrill when battling down the stretch to a one-two finish in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks. This weekend Abounding Joy will seek to keep their spirits high when breaking from post 1.

Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Abounding Joy arrives at her graded stakes debut in the Personal Ensign off a 5 ½-length win in the Iowa Distaff on July 4 at Prairie Meadows.

The 5-year-old bay mare is by Quality Road, who sired 2018 Personal Ensign hero Abel Tasman, and is out of the graded stakes winning Jump Start broodmare Jump On In.

Abounding Joy will be ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz.

Abbondanza Racing, Mar DeDomenico and Medallion Racing's Motion Emotion will attempt to turn the table on Midnight Bisou after finishing second to the champion in the Fleur de Lis last out.

Trained by west coast-based conditioner Richard Baltas, the Take Charge Indy bay filly was second in three of her four starts this season and will seek her first victory since taking the Zia Park Oaks on November 27.

During her 3-year-old campaign, Motion Emotion was second in the Grade 3 Honeybee and Grade 3 Fantasy (both at Oaklawn Park) en route to a ninth-place finish to Serengeti Empress in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will pilot Motion Emotion from post 2.

Rounding out the field is Lawrence P. Roman's Bossy Bride, who makes her graded stakes debut for trainer Rob Atras.

The daughter of Malibu Moon is a three-time winner from 15 starts and arrives at the Personal Ensign off a three-length starter allowance victory on July 10 at Belmont Park.

Jockey Junior Alvarado will pilot Bossy Bride form post 5.

The Personal Ensign is named in honor of Ogden Phipps' undefeated champion mare who won all 13 of her lifetime starts, including a triumph against colts in the 1988 Whitney. Perhaps her most memorable performance was a rallying victory in that year's Breeders' Cup Distaff over a sloppy main track Churchill Downs, where she unleashed a devastating turn of foot to defeat Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors. Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Personal Ensign also enjoyed a successful career as a broodmare having produced 1995 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly My Flag (the dam of 2002 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Storm Flag Flying, who won the 2004 Personal Ensign), as well as Grade 1-winners Miner's Mark and Traditionally.

The Personal Ensign is slated as Race 5 on Saturday's 12-race card, which offers a first post of 1:10 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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McGaughey Looks to Add to Whitney ‘Honor’ Roll

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Following the draw for the GI Whitney S. Wednesday morning, trainer Shug McGaughey answered more questions about his previous Whitney winners than this year’s runner, Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}).

McGaughey, a member of racing’s Hall of Fame since 2004, will try for his fourth victory in Saratoga’s premier dirt race for older horses Saturday with William Farish’s 4-year-old homebred colt.

The chestnut drew in the middle of the strong five-horse field, that features Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike), who has won four straight stakes, and GI Hollywood Gold Cup winner Improbable (City Zip), trained by Bob Baffert. Last year, Baffert won the Whitney with McKinzie (Street Sense).

The Whitney field also includes three-time graded stakes winner By My Standards (Goldencents) and Mr. Buff (Friend Or Foe), the massive New York-bred division champion seeking his first graded stakes victory.

With Whitney winners Personal Ensign (1988) and Easy Goer (1989), both Hall of Famers, and Honor Code (2015) on his vast stakes resume, McGaughey, 69, spent a fair amount of time talking about the present and the past.

Code of Honor was moved up to second in the 2019 GI Kentucky Derby following the disqualification of Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) and won last year’s GI Runhappy Travers and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup via the disqualification of eventual GI Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (Curlin).

Code of Honor enters the Whitney following a third-place finish in the GI Runhappy Metropolian H. July 4.

Though the Whitney field is the smallest since Personal Ensign beat just two others 32 years ago, McGaughey said it is deep in quality and will be a big test for his late-runner. Tom’s d’Etat with Joel Rosario up, is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the “Win and You’re In” race for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Improbable and Code of Honor are listed at 5-2. On June 27, Tom’s d’Etat extended his win streak in the GII Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.

“It won’t be easy,” he said. “I’ve just got to hope that Code of Honor runs a monster race. It will be kind of interesting to see what the tactics are with only five. I know where I’m going to be, but I’m not sure what the others are going to do or how much they’re going to press. You know that Joel isn’t going to do anything stupid. Hopefully, he’ll be up there fairly close, as he was, I think, in the Stephen Foster and we are able to pick him up. It’s a pretty solid field. I feel like we’re lucky to be in it. If he runs his race, they’ll know he is there.”

McGaughey said that Code of Honor is better suited for the two-turn 1 1/8 miles of the Whitney than the one-turn Met Mile at Belmont Park. Code of Honor is two-for-two at the Spa.

“I have a lot of confidence,” McGaughey said. “He was so fresh last year for the Travers. I think it will be a little different kind of a race this year because he ran on June 6 [winning the GIII Westchester] and ran back in the Met Mile. He’s bounced out of it good. His two works here were good. I’ve got confidence that he will run his race. If that is good enough, we’ll get our picture taken. If not, we’ll figure out something else.”

McGaughey was in his third year training for Ogden Phipps and his family when he ran Personal Ensign in the Whitney. She had recovered from an injury–a broken bone in a rear leg–that had kept her away from the races for almost a year. The 4-year-old filly faced two very capable runners, Gulch and King’s Swan, and McGaughey said he had some concerns about asking her to face males over a sloppy track.

“The rain came up early, so I came over here to kind of see what was going on with the track,” McGaughey said. “They ran a sprint race earlier in the card–I remember Angel Penna had a horse in there–and it looked like to me that the water was just on top of the track. I told Mr. Phipps that I thought they were going down into a drier track and I didn’t think it would be a problem. I knew she didn’t mind the mud.”

Personal Ensign prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths over Gulch at 4-5 and is the last female to win the Whitney.

“She was able to run an incredible race,” he said. “It’s funny, one of the numbers guys called me earlier in the week and said ‘She can win this race if she gets the perfect trip.’ If you remember, [jockey Angel] Cordero and King’s Swan pushed her way out in the middle of the racetrack. She was out there kind of the whole way, but she was good enough to win.”

Three months later, Personal Ensign finished her career at 13-0 record with a heart-stopping victory by a nose over Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs.

McGaughey said the Whitney was part of the plan to silence some critics and put her at the top of the older female division.

“I remember on the West Coast they said, ‘She only wins at Belmont.'” McGaughey said. “So I said, ‘Well, I’ll take care of that part of it.’ We took her down to Monmouth and she won the Molly Pitcher from here to across the street. Mr. Phipps was anxious to start her against the colts and I thought this was the perfect place to do it. In case we were wrong and it took too much out of her, we would still have enough time for the fall racing. We thought this was a pretty good opportunity. Plus, he didn’t want to duck and run to some place, like Chicago, to run against the colts. He wanted to do it here.”

The following summer, McGaughey became the first trainer to win-back-to-back Whitneys in over 50 years with the 3-year-old Easy Goer. After runner-up finishes to Sunday Silence in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, Easy Goer beat Sunday Silence by eight lengths in the GI Belmont S.. Rather than prep him for the Travers in the Jim Dandy, McGaughey put him in the Whitney and ran Fast Play in the Jim Dandy. Easy Goer, the last 3-year-old to win the Whitney, won as he pleased by three lengths over Clever Trevor at 1-5.

“We knew that Easy Goer was an exceptional horse,” McGaughey said. “He came out of the Belmont–and I wouldn’t have done it–but he gave you the feeling that you could run him back in two weeks. We obviously didn’t do that, but we pointed for here. Mr. Phipps was anxious to do something of that sort and we had an alternative, too, with Fast Play, who we could run in the Jim Dandy. Obviously, it was the right decision and I thought it was the right decision going in, too.”

Hall of Fame jockey Jacinto Vazquez provided some drama by pinning Easy Goer along the rail behind the pacesetter for a while, but he took advantage of an opening.

“He had to come through there, but he was in a little bit of trouble,” McGaughey said. “I can remember watching Pat Day and thinking, ‘He’s got a lot of horse. Whenever it opens he’s going to be there.'”

McGaughey was second to Criminal Type with Dancing Spree by 1 1/2 lengths in 1990 and Out of Place was second by a nose in 1992. He added his third Whitney five years ago with Honor Code, who edged Liam’s Map by a neck at 7-2. It followed his victory in the Met Mile and was the last of his six wins in an 11-race career.

“Honor Code was an exceptional horse,” McGaughey said. “He wasn’t the easiest horse to train. He kind of did a little bit of what he wanted to do. After he won in the Whitney, he didn’t want to go back to the training track. I had to bring him up here and train. I don’t know why.”

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Breeders’ Cup Announces 16 Challenge Series Races For August

Headlined by two automatic qualifiers for the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and three “Win and You're In” starting positions at York's Ebor Festival in Britain, the Breeders' Cup today announced its August schedule of races as part of the 2020 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge, now in its 14th year, is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid for a corresponding race in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held this year on Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

There will be 16 Breeders' Cup Challenge races in August, beginning on Aug. 1 with two races at Saratoga Race Course and one at Del Mar. Saratoga will host the 1 1/8-mile Whitney (G1), which will give the winner an automatic starting position into the 1 ¼-mile, $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, as well as the 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign (G1), providing the winner with a “Win and You're In” for the 1 1/8-mile, $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Later that day at Del Mar, the second automatic berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) will be awarded to the winner of the 6-furlong Bing Crosby Stakes (G1). The following day, Aug. 2, Del Mar will host its “Win and You're In” for the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, the 1 1/16-mile Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1).

On Aug. 8, the first “Win and You're In” for a spot in the 7-furlong, $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) will be on the line in the 7-furlong Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

One week later, on Aug. 15 at Saratoga, the winner of the 1 ¼-mile Alabama Stakes (G1), for 3-year-old fillies, will earn a free bid into the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff. The Alabama will be televised live on NBC as a part of the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing.”

The scene will then shift to Europe for the next four Breeders' Cup Challenge races. On Aug. 16, France's historic racing venue, Deauville, will host the 1-mile Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le Buffard – Jacques Le Marois (G1), granting an automatic berth into the 1-mile, $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) on turf.

On Aug. 19 in Great Britain, York Racecourse will open its Yorkshire Ebor Festival, which will be home to three Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races. On the first day of the meet, the 1 ¼-mile Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) will offer Europe's only free berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. On Aug. 20, fillies and mares will be in spotlight for the 1 ½-mile Darley Yorkshire Oaks (G1), with the winner awarded a free spot in the 1 3/16-mile, $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). A “Win and You're In” position for the 5 ½-furlong, $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) will be at stake the following day, Aug. 21, in the 5-furlong Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (G1).

Back in the U.S., three Breeders' Cup Challenge races will be held on Aug. 22. Saratoga will host the 1-mile Fourstardave (G1), earning the winner a free spot in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile. Del Mar will host two Breeders' Cup Challenge races: the 1 ¼-mile TVG Pacific Classic (G1) for the year's sixth automatic berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, and the 1 3/8-mile Del Mar Handicap – presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2), a “Win and You're In” for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1).

On Aug. 23, the second “Win and You're In” for the 5 ½ -furlong, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) will be offered at Deauville in the 6-furlong Darley Prix Morny (G1) for 2-year-olds.

The month of Challenge Series races will close with two events on Aug. 29: the 1 ½-mile Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga for a free berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, and the 7-furlong Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar, which offers an automatic starting position into the 1-mile, $2 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

As part of the enhanced benefits to horsemen competing in the series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees and guarantee a starting position in a corresponding Championships race for winners of all Challenge races. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards, and those rewards must be used in the year they are earned.

Breeders' Cup also will provide a $10,000 travel allowance for starters within North America that are stabled outside of Kentucky, and a $40,000 travel stipend to the connections of all Championship starters from outside of North America.

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