Unbeaten filly, Personal Ensign, died Thursday in her pasture at Claiborne Farm of natural causes. She was 26 years old.
Personal Ensign
Personal Ensign was a bay filly by Private Account out of Damascus. She began her racing career as a two-year-old in 1986. Her first race was a typical maiden at Belmont where she destroyed the field by almost 13 lengths and kicked off her legendary career. Her next stop was the Frizette Stakes, which she won by only a head. A fracture to her pastern cut her two-year-old season short just before the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. With five screws inserted into her left hind leg, many people believed her racing career was over.
But Personal Ensign came back at three in September and immediately reasserted herself as a great horse. She returned to racing with two allowance wins at Belmont, the first by 3 3/4 lengths and the second dominating by 7 3/4 lengths. She returned to stakes racing with a win in the G2 Rare Perfume Stakes by 4 3/4 lengths before taking the Beldame Stakes, her longest race yet, by 2 1/4 lengths.
Her best season came at four in 1988. She took the G1 Shuvee Handicap to start the season and never looked back. She dominated the G1 Hempstead Handicap field by seven lengths before leaving her Belmont home track for the first time. She absolutely destroyed the G2 Molly Pitcher Handicap field by 8 lengths at Monmouth. Next she traveled to Saratoga to face down the boys for the first time in the historic G1 Whitney Handicap where she beat Gulch by a length and a half. The history-making mare returned to Belmont for a second attempt at the Beldame. She won by only three-quarters of a length, beating previous Kentucky Derby winner, Winning Colors. Personal Ensign went on to win the Maskette Stakes in her final race before the best of them all.
Personal Ensign's greatest achievement is most likely the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs. There she took on some of the greatest fillies in the world, including Winning Colors. Winning Colors picked up the lead from right out of the gate, running easily just like she did in the Derby. Personal Ensign stalked the pace, forced a little wide in the first turn. Winning Colors drew away to a three length lead with Personal Ensign trailing by nine lengths in the backstretch. As the field rounded the final turn, Winning Colors was still enjoying an unchallenged lead with Personal Ensign behind by five lengths. As Goodbye Halo moved up, it seemed there would be an upset. But then Personal Ensign kicked hard and came up to win over Winning Colors by a nose in the final sixteenth of a mile in one of the most thrilling stretch finishes in Breeders' Cup history.
Video of the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff
Following her Breeders' Cup win, Personal Ensign was retired and became the first major racehorse to retire undefeated since Colin 80 years before. She was named 1988 Champion Older Mare.
It was apparent from Personal Ensign's first foal that she was just as good a broodmare as she was a racehorse. Her first foal, Miner's Mark, went on to become a G1 winner. Her second foal, Our Emblem, also became a G1 winner and sired notable winners such was War Emblem. Her third foal, Traditionally, was also a G1 winner and sire. Perhaps her best foal was a filly named My Flag. If anyone inherited their mother's greatness, it was her. My Flag won 4 G1 races including the 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in a race that was eerily similar to her mother's Breeders' Cup victory. [If you haven't seen it, WATCH IT. My Flag was one incredible filly. I knew she won and still couldn't believe it!] My Flag also went on to become a great broodmare, producing 2002 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner, Storm Flag Flying. This three-generation success in the Breeders' Cup has never been repeated by any mare, and by only one group of stallions. In 1996, Personal Ensign was named Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.
In 1993, Personal Ensign was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame.
In September 2006, at the age of 22, Personal Ensign was pensioned at Claiborne Farm after her breeding to Forest Wildcat didn't take. The mare lived out the rest of her days in the pastures with the other Claiborne mares.
RIP Personal Ensign. You will be missed.
Personal Ensign was a bay filly by Private Account out of Damascus. She began her racing career as a two-year-old in 1986. Her first race was a typical maiden at Belmont where she destroyed the field by almost 13 lengths and kicked off her legendary career. Her next stop was the Frizette Stakes, which she won by only a head. A fracture to her pastern cut her two-year-old season short just before the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. With five screws inserted into her left hind leg, many people believed her racing career was over.But Personal Ensign came back at three in September and immediately reasserted herself as a great horse. She returned to racing with two allowance wins at Belmont, the first by 3 3/4 lengths and the second dominating by 7 3/4 lengths. She returned to stakes racing with a win in the G2 Rare Perfume Stakes by 4 3/4 lengths before taking the Beldame Stakes, her longest race yet, by 2 1/4 lengths.
Her best season came at four in 1988. She took the G1 Shuvee Handicap to start the season and never looked back. She dominated the G1 Hempstead Handicap field by seven lengths before leaving her Belmont home track for the first time. She absolutely destroyed the G2 Molly Pitcher Handicap field by 8 lengths at Monmouth. Next she traveled to Saratoga to face down the boys for the first time in the historic G1 Whitney Handicap where she beat Gulch by a length and a half. The history-making mare returned to Belmont for a second attempt at the Beldame. She won by only three-quarters of a length, beating previous Kentucky Derby winner, Winning Colors. Personal Ensign went on to win the Maskette Stakes in her final race before the best of them all.
Personal Ensign's greatest achievement is most likely the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs. There she took on some of the greatest fillies in the world, including Winning Colors. Winning Colors picked up the lead from right out of the gate, running easily just like she did in the Derby. Personal Ensign stalked the pace, forced a little wide in the first turn. Winning Colors drew away to a three length lead with Personal Ensign trailing by nine lengths in the backstretch. As the field rounded the final turn, Winning Colors was still enjoying an unchallenged lead with Personal Ensign behind by five lengths. As Goodbye Halo moved up, it seemed there would be an upset. But then Personal Ensign kicked hard and came up to win over Winning Colors by a nose in the final sixteenth of a mile in one of the most thrilling stretch finishes in Breeders' Cup history.
Video of the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff
Following her Breeders' Cup win, Personal Ensign was retired and became the first major racehorse to retire undefeated since Colin 80 years before. She was named 1988 Champion Older Mare.
It was apparent from Personal Ensign's first foal that she was just as good a broodmare as she was a racehorse. Her first foal, Miner's Mark, went on to become a G1 winner. Her second foal, Our Emblem, also became a G1 winner and sired notable winners such was War Emblem. Her third foal, Traditionally, was also a G1 winner and sire. Perhaps her best foal was a filly named My Flag. If anyone inherited their mother's greatness, it was her. My Flag won 4 G1 races including the 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in a race that was eerily similar to her mother's Breeders' Cup victory. [If you haven't seen it, WATCH IT. My Flag was one incredible filly. I knew she won and still couldn't believe it!] My Flag also went on to become a great broodmare, producing 2002 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner, Storm Flag Flying. This three-generation success in the Breeders' Cup has never been repeated by any mare, and by only one group of stallions. In 1996, Personal Ensign was named Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.
In 1993, Personal Ensign was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame.
In September 2006, at the age of 22, Personal Ensign was pensioned at Claiborne Farm after her breeding to Forest Wildcat didn't take. The mare lived out the rest of her days in the pastures with the other Claiborne mares.
RIP Personal Ensign. You will be missed.
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