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Background Check: Personal Ensign

In this continuing series, we examine the past winners of significant filly/mare races by the lasting influence they've had on the breed. Up today is Saratoga's GI Personal Ensign S., renamed in 1998 to honor the undefeated Hall of Fame Phipps mare.

Originally known as the Firenze H. and then the John A. Morris H., the Personal Ensign dates to 1948. While members of the Phipps family have won six editions of the race which now holds one of the greatest names associated with the stable, Personal Ensign never actually ran in the contest.

In 1987, when the great mare was three, she had not yet returned to the races from a broken pastern bone in her left rear leg sustained as a juvenile. That year's race was run on Aug. 30; Personal Ensign would not come back until a week later in a Belmont allowance, her first start in nearly 11 months. The race would also miss the champion's dance card in 1988, but for a very different reason. She was fresh off a win over males in the GI Whitney S. just three weeks prior.

The transcendent mare's champion granddaughter, Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat), did win the Personal Ensign S. in 2004. Like her legendary granddam, she was a Phipps homebred raised at Claiborne Farm and trained by Shug McGaughey.

Not only was Personal Ensign an unblemished champion on the racetrack, she also was named Broodmare of the Year in 1996. She produced one champion, three Grade I winners, and a dynasty through her daughters that is still churning out major winners today, including 2023's GISW Arabian Lion (Justify), who is set to run in Saturday's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., and GSW Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro).

Following are highlights of some of the most important Personal Ensign winners by what impact they've had on the sport through their sons and daughters.

Cavorting (2012, Bernardini–Promenade Girl, by Carson City), bred by Swettenham Stud: A mare this young with two stakes winners to her name wouldn't normally make a list of matriarchs, but one of her foals is Clairiere (Curlin), a four-time GISW and 5-2 morning-line second choice in this year's Personal Ensign.

Heavenly Prize (1991, Seeking the Gold–Oh What a Dance, by Nijinsky II), bred by Ogden Phipps: This Phipps homebred and Hall of Famer produced MGISW Good Reward (Storm Cat), as well as GSW and good sire Pure Prize (Storm Cat). Her descendants include GISW Persistently (Smoke Glacken), a 2010 Personal Ensign winner for Phipps Stable, as well as more recent GISWs Instilled Regard (Arch) and Queen Goddess (Empire Maker).

Number (1979, Nijinsky II–Special, by Forli {Arg}), bred by Claiborne Farm: Japanese champion and MG1SW Gold Dream (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}), Breeders' Cup and GI Met Mile winner Corinthian (Pulpit), French G1 winner and Japanese sire Jade Robbery (Mr. Prospector), and a 'number' of other graded performers trace to this incredibly well-bred mare from one of the most 'special' families in the stud book.

Relaxing (1976, Buckpasser–Marking Time, by To Market), bred by Ogden Phipps: How fitting that this mare's greatest son would be bred to Personal Ensign, resulting in that mare's greatest daughter, My Flag. This 1989 Broodmare of the Year produced champion and Classic winner Easy Goer (Alydar), as well as GI winners Cadillacing (Alydar) and Easy Now (Danzig). Her descendants include GISW Strolling Along (Danzig), MGSW Cat Cay (Pleasant Colony), and MGSW & MGISP Abaco (Giant's Causeway).

1980 winner Relaxing's son Easy Goer was the sire of Breeders' Cup winner My Flag (outside), a filly out of Personal Ensign who would produce 2004 Personal Ensign winner Storm Flag Flying | Horsephotos

Sugar Plum Time (1972, Bold Ruler–Plum Cake, by Ponder), bred by Calumet Farm: A number of big winners trace to this mare, who was the first Phipps mare to win the then-Firenze, although she wasn't a homebred. Among her descendants are GISWs Grand Slam (Gone West), Christmas Kid (Lemon Drop Kid), and Kudos (Kris S.); MGSW Christmas Gift (Green Desert); and MSW & MGISP Bright Candles (El Gran Senor).

Kittiwake (1968, Sea Bird {Fr}–Ole Liz, by Double Jay), bred by Martin Andersen: This bay Florida-bred produced French G1SW Kitwood (Nureyev), six-time GISW Miss Oceana (Alydar), and MGSW & GISP Larida (Northern Dancer). Among the top horses tracing to her are European champion and MG1SW Dawn Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), GISW Aruna (Mr. Greeley), and English G1SW Magic of Life (Seattle Slew).

Obeah (1965, Cyane–Book of Verse, by One Count), bred by Bertram N. Linder: There may not be a big placeholder for this mare in the breeding annals as her two best foals to make it to the breeding shed–MGSW/MGISP Dance Spell (Northern Dancer) and GSW/GISP Discorama (Northern Dancer)–weren't able to leave a significant mark. Regardless, this mare will forever command a special place in racing due to her beloved champion daughter Go for Wand (Deputy Minister), who was lost too soon.

Straight Deal (1962, Hail to Reason–No Fiddling, by King Cole), bred by Bieber-Jacobs Stable: Desiree (Raise a Native) was the sole Grade I winner produced by this champion, whose multi-year racing campaigns meant she didn't have her first foal until age 10. However, her daughters certainly gave her an assist, with descendants including MGISW Adored (Seattle Slew); Breeders' Cup winner Dangerous Midge (Lion Heart); GISWs Qualify (Danzig), Scorpion (Seattle Slew), and Alwajeeha (Dixieland Band); MGSW and good sire Belong to Me (Danzig); and popular MGSW and GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles (Unbridled's Song).

Blue Banner (1952, War Admiral–Risque Blue, by Blue Larkspur), bred by Mrs. John D. Hertz: This lovely bay produced a Broodmare of the Year in Key Bridge (Princequillo {GB}), who in turn produced Horse of the Year Fort Marcy (Amerigo {GB}), champion and influential sire Key to the Mint (Graustark), additional GISW Key to Content (Forli {Arg}), and GSW Key to the Kingdom (Bold Ruler). Others tracing to the then-Firenze winner include European champion and MG1SW Silver Patriarch (Ire) (Saddlers' Hall {Ire}), English highweight and G1SW Papineau (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), and Brazilian champion Mensageiro Alado (Brz) (Ghadeer {Fr}).

Rare Treat (1952, Stymie–Rare Perfume, by Eight Thirty), bred by Erdenheim Farms Co: Among her descendants are European champion and G1 Epsom Derby winner Golden Fleece (Nijinsky II); U.S. champion What a Treat (Tudor Minstrel {Ire}); French G1SWs Mandaean (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) and Wavering (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}); U.S. GISWs Victory Speech (Deputy Minister) and Ida Delta (Graustark); and European MGSW Be My Guest (Northern Dancer), England's leading sire in 1982.

Parlo (1951, Heliopolis {GB}–Fairy Palace, by Pilate), bred by William duPont, Jr.: Horse of the Year Arts and Letters (Ribot {GB}), champion Silverbulletday (Silver Deputy), MGISW Waquoit (Relaunch), and Chilean champion All Glory (Honour and Glory) are among the top horses that trace to this diminutive chestnut, who also produced Broodmare of the Year All Beautiful (Battlefield).

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‘Beauty’ To Debut, But Colt She Unexpectedly Foaled At Belterra Remains ‘Mystery’

Three weeks after Rich Strike (Keen Ice) shocked the racing world with an 80-1 upset of the GI Kentucky Derby last spring, winning trainer Eric Reed encountered an even bigger surprise at his Belterra Park barn: A 3-year-old filly he'd been breezing for her first lifetime start unexpectedly gave birth to a foal on May 28, 2022, without anybody being aware she was pregnant.

Now 15 months later, that unraced Gio Ponti filly, Beautyatitsbest, has not only weaned her colt to health, but has overcome medical issues of her own. She returned to training earlier this year, and her owner and co-breeder, Jack Willoughby, Jr., likes the filly's chances in her long-awaited debut in Saturday's opener at Belterra, a $7,500 maiden-claimer.

The racing prospects for her yearling colt, however, are still up in the air.

“He's doing good. He's turned out with the other yearlings from his crop at my farm,” Willoughby told TDN. “He looks like he's going to be big enough to run. But I don't think he'll be able to race. I don't know who his daddy was, that's the thing.”

Without a foal certificate from The Jockey Club, the baby out of Beautyatitsbest lacks both racing credentials and an official name.

Willoughby and his wife, Rachel, who run Stonetown Stables, a boarding, breaking, lay-up, and broodmare service farm on 70 acres in Stamping Ground, Kentucky, have taken to calling the colt “Mystery” while trying to figure out what his future holds.

Unexpected backstretch stall births are not at all common. But maybe once a decade or two anecdotal news of one will pop up at some American track. When the story about Beautyatitsbest and her foal was first reported last year, Reed told The Paulick Report the filly had shown no signs of pregnancy other than she wouldn't shed weight.

Although Beautyatitsbest had been at both Reed's Mercury Equine Center in Lexington at age two and under his Belterra shed row at three, at one point she had returned to Willoughby's farm to recover from bucked shins. Reed told the Paulick Report last year that he believed she got in foal at Stonetown when turned out in a paddock with some male juveniles who had been recently gelded but could have been still carrying sperm before their castrations took full effect.

Willoughby, though, told TDN on Wednesday he's not quite sure that's how it happened.

“I don't think she got in-foal at my farm,” Willoughby said. “I think it happened at Mercury. They had her for about 11 to 12 months. And she was never with any stallion here. So what I'm thinking is, the first 30 days he had her turned out at the farm there, and I'm thinking they put them together thinking the others were geldings, and they weren't.”

TDN asked Shannon Luce, the communications director for The Jockey Club, what rules or guidance the registry might have for an “unknown sire” situation. Luce responded with the following emailed explanation and an offer to help:

“If the colt born at Belterra Park meets all requirements of registration of the Principal Rules and Requirements of The American Stud Book, he is eligible for registration with The Jockey Club.

“In order for the colt to be issued a Certificate of Foal Registration, the correct sire of the foal would have to be determined and the DNA sample pulled from the colt would have to qualify with the sire. To the extent possible, the registry office would help the owner determine the sire,” Luce wrote.

Willoughby said he isn't sure right now if he'll pursue the DNA testing option for Mystery.

Mystery | Jack Willoughby

As for Beautyatitsbest, Willoughby said she “was kind of shell-shocked” in the aftermath of her unexpected delivery–which matched the mood of her caretakers.

“I wasn't sure she was going to make it back. She had a lot of problems. She had a lot of circulation problems and things like that, but she's come through all of it now and she's doing great. She weaned and got to be turned out for about four or five months, just to 'be a horse', before she went back into training,” Willoughby said.

That training, though, hasn't been with Reed. Willoughby changed conditioners for his small racing stable earlier this year, moving from a Derby-winning trainer with 40 years of industry experience to Robert Lee Clark, who has a 6-for-86 lifetime record dating to 2014. Willoughby cited cost as a factor in making the switch.

“I had to go where I could get more bang for my buck,” Willoughby said. “So I've got five or six in training now versus two.”

Clark has had a respectable Belterra meet so far this summer with limited stock, posting a 2-2-1 record from seven starts.

The Willoughbys are an endangered species on a Thoroughbred landscape that once was flush with smaller-scale, family-run farms. They have a broodmare band of five, maybe sell one foal a year at auction, and race the rest of each year's crop wherever the horses fit in. Over the past 30 years, the economics of the bloodstock and racing industries have been brutal on those types of operations. With foal crops declining, farm costs rising, and racetracks closing, it's harder than ever for these sorts of outfits to earn profits on their investments.

“It's tough,” Willoughby acknowledged. “You know, I'm a working man. I have to go out and go get it on every day. I'm self-employed. Run my own businesses. We run a farm, a machine shop, and we do our own horses and everything, too. So we're kind of a special story on all of it, really.”

Beautyatitsbest is dual-entered at Belterra in two versions of the same maiden-claiming condition on Aug. 26 (at a mile) and Aug. 29 (six furlongs). She drew the rail for both races, but the route lured only three other entrants, so that's where Willoughby intends to start her.

“I'll be honest with you: We expect her to win Saturday,” Willoughby said. “She's sitting on a big one. She's doesn't show any excitement. She acts real professional. She's a tiny horse and she's not real big, but she's got a lot of heart.”

The post ‘Beauty’ To Debut, But Colt She Unexpectedly Foaled At Belterra Remains ‘Mystery’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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New York Thunder Takes Perfect Record To GI Jerkens

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Unbeaten and hardly challenged so far through four starts, New York Thunder (Nyquist) will not be an unknown Saturday in his second visit this summer to Saratoga Race Course.

New York Thunder made a grand entry on the big stage at the Spa on July 28 with a resounding victory in the GII Amsterdam S. Sent off at 11-2 in his first race on dirt, he rolled to a 7 1/2-length score under jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Though he was eased up in the stretch when the outcome was no longer in doubt, New York Thunder completed the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.65. His six-furlong split of 1:07.77 was faster than the 1:07.92 track record set in 2019 by Imperial Hint (Imperialism) in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. He got a Beyer Speed Figure of 110.

In the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, New York Thunder will step into Grade I competition for the first time. He drew Post 5 in the field of six and will be flanked by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's runners, Fort Bragg (Tapit) and Arabian Lion (Justify). Both of the Baffert horses are coming off wins at Belmont Park. Arabian Lion prevailed in GI Woody Stephens S. on June 10 Belmont Stakes program. Fort Bragg stumbled at the start of the GIII Dwyer on July 1, recovered and won by a nose over Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming).

If trainer Jorge Delgado had his way, New York Thunder would be a low-profile outsider in the Jerkens. He understands that it is not a likely scenario with a horse that has won his races by a combined 23 1/4 lengths and is now proven on dirt.

“Hopefully, we can stay under the radar and let the horse do the talking for me,” Delgado said. “I would not like too many expectations and just approach the race like we did last time. We didn't have any pressure from the outside.”

“When we were approaching the Amsterdam, no one was actually paying attention to him. When I was in the walking ring, I saw that they were interviewing a couple of other trainers on camera with other horses. With the way he won, I know he's going to be in the spotlight. People are going to be watching him and a couple of other horses. I'm sure people are going to be looking forward to see what he can do.”

Delgado, 33, is the nephew of trainer Gustavo Delgado, whose GI Kentucky Derby winning colt, Mage (Good Magic), will run in the GI Travers S. three races after the Jerkens. Jorge Delgado worked for his uncle in Venezuela and the U.S. before opening his own stable in 2017.

For Jorge Delgado, New York Thunder has been an exciting adventure. Though the colt with a dirt pedigree was bred in Kentucky and was purchased for $130,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, he was prepared for the races in Europe. New York Thunder arrived in Delgado's care last year from the training center with a reputation of being very fast.

“In the very beginning with him we really didn't know what direction to go as far as the surface,” Delgado said, “since he was training in (Europe) and they don't have a main track there to train on. They have grass, and run on synthetic and grass.”

New York Thunder connections | Sarah Andrew

Brazilian-born former jockey Robson Aquiar, was on the team that selected New York Thunder at Keeneland for Kai Joorabchian's AMO Racing USA and did the pre-training.

“Robson told me that he was excellent on both but he liked the synthetic more,” Delgado said. “That was the reason, since I was in Gulfstream in the winter, it makes sense to put him on the Tapeta.”

Delgado was right. New York Thunder debuted on Nov. 27 and scored in a five-furlong race by 6 1/2 lengths.

“He was like 70 to 80% ready for racing and when he wins the way he did it, you think he's a Tapeta horse or a grass horse,” Delgado said. “That's the first thought that comes to your mind.”

One month later, New York Thunder picked up his first level-allowance victory, taking a five furlong turf race by 1 3/4 lengths.

“He won but he wasn't as excellent like he was on the other surface,” Delgado said. “So I spoke to the owner and said, 'let's keep going the Tapeta direction.'”

Joorabchian, 52, is an Iranian-born entrepreneur, who has a long involvement in soccer in Europe and South America. He has been a horse owner in Europe for two decades and has had a North American AMO division since 2021. AMO's first U.S. graded stakes winner was Affirmative Lady (Arrogate), who earned that victory for trainer Graham Motion in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks on April 1. She finished 11th in the GI Kentucky Oaks. Affirmative Lady and New York Thunder came to AMO out of the 2021 Keeneland sale, as did King of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who has emerged as a top 3-year-old in England with a narrow second in the GI Epsom Derby and a win in the GII King Edward II S. at Royal Ascot.

New York Thunder scratched out of the $250,000 Animal Kingdom S. on March 25 at Turfway Park and made his stakes debut on April 30 at Woodbine in the six-furlong Woodstock. He romped by 7 1/2 lengths.

“We won the race at Woodbine and right away, we were targeting a race on dirt,” Delgado said. “The owner was insisting he wants to run back in a graded stakes race.”

Jorge Delgado | Sarah Andrew

Drawing the rail in the Woody Stephens, he was scratched with a foot bruise before Delgado shipped him up from his summertime base at Monmouth Park for the Amsterdam.

“That for some people didn't make any sense,” Delgado said. “To switch the horse's surface in a graded stakes race is not like the best idea always. But it turned out to be something really good. Now the horse has a name. Most people in the country know him. We have received a few offers for the horse and the owner is actually not a big seller, but at least we were sitting in that spot.”

Speedy Ryvit (Competitive Edge) stumbled leaving the gate and New York Thunder was alone on the lead. He ran the first quarter mile in :21.48 seconds and followed that with a 22.08 to reach the half-mile in 43.46. Even-money favorite Drew's Gold (Violence) moved up alongside on the turn, but New York Thunder and jockey Tyler Gaffalione responded quickly to the threat and were gone.

Delgado said that since the Amsterdam and the Jerkens are only 29 days apart, he has been very careful with New York Thunder in the interim. The two breezes have been slow by the colt's standards: four furlongs in :52. Delgado said New York Thunder is showing him that he is ready for another big outing.

“This horse hasn't said no once,” Delgado said. “He hasn't said, 'I'm not eating' or 'I'm not feeling well,' or 'I don't have energy.' He hasn't given any of those signals. He hasn't communicated any of that.

“Actually, he's been the opposite. Since the day he came back, the day after the Amsterdam, he was proud, he was moving around in his stall, he was looking around.

I know it's very tough to repeat the same performance, to repeat the same number, but he's really going to need that and more to win the race. But I believe in the horse, I believe in his heart and I believe in what we do.”

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Summer Breezes: Zverev Looks to ‘Ace’ Saratoga Debut

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at both Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits.

Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the entries for Friday at Saratoga and Del Mar. Ellis Park has rescheduled its Friday card to Monday, Aug. 28:

Friday, August 25, 2023
Saratoga 1, $136k, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:10 p.m. ET
Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze
Feltrinelli (Uncle Mo), OBSAPR, 400,000, :10.1
Consignor: S G V Thoroughbreds (Steven Venosa), agent
Buyer: K Radcliffe for Vekoma Thoroughbreds LLC & Partners

Zverev (Oscar Performance), OBSAPR, 330,000, :10.2
Consignor: Eisaman Equine, agent
Buyer: Cherie De Vaux, agent for Belladonna Racing V

Saratoga 6, $136k, 2yo, 6f, 4:00 p.m.
Wajda (Laoban), OBSMAR, 425,000, :10
Consignor: Paul Sharp, agent
Buyer: John C Kimmel, agent for Sean Flanagan

Del Mar 4, $82k, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 7:29 p.m. ET
Guy Named Joe (American Pharoah), OBSJUN, 100,000, :10.2
Consignor: Wavertree Stables Inc (Ciaran Dunne), agent
Buyer: Dennis O'Neill

Wynstock (Solomini), OBSAPR, 700,000, :9.4
Consignor: Caliente Thoroughbreds
Buyer: Donato Lanni, agent for Dr Ed Allred & Liebau

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