The Personal Ensign (BC) (Grade 1)- $600.000 Purse
SAR- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
August 28, 2021

It’s Travers Day at Saratoga, but the excitement of this day can also be felt throughout the undercard with many Grade 1 races offering great purses and valuable BC points. I’ll start my look at these races with the Personal Ensign, a stake for older females going nine furlongs that runs for the 18th time. This will be the first time that the conditions are four years old and upward, as last year it was offered for four year olds, exclusively. Prior to that, three year olds were allowed to participate, but now they are kept out. Looking back, this is a race that was won by the likes of Darling Harbour and Mrs Bombastic, and most recently, was won by Smokey Stover’s Z Command. That filly was last seen taking on the boys in the Whitney earlier in the month, and it did not go well. That effort keeps her from being able to try to repeat as the winner here. Her trainer is not left out, though, and should have a great chance to win this year. Altogether, we have a field of eleven for the race. Here they are!

#1- Laffy Crack (Night Rider Stables, ridden by D Davis)- This five year old mare is having a very similar season this year, as she did last year. She is not always going to impress you, but more often than not, she finds a way to be in the mix. The highlight of her season was winning the Grade 1 La Troienne at CD, and she has been part of the exacta four times in her seven races thus far. Last two efforts are not as good, but also not poor and she can bounce back.

#2- Orange Beach (Mb Stables, ridden by Ru Gonzalez)- Another five year old mare, and this one will be making her 24th career start. Overall, she’s won eight and has hit the board in sixteen of her starts. Those positive results are well scattered throughout her career, so she is capable of stepping up and running a big one at any time. Her third place effort in the Pitcher Stakes last month was good to see after her dud in the Phipps.

#3- La Marseillaise (Witeout Stables, ridden by J Rosario)- She’s become the top foal produced by Atomic Twister, with earnings just a few bucks shy of $1,500.000 in her career. A large part of that came last November when she won the BC F & M Sprint. That was an effort that never really got followed up, and during the sprint, she began to be stretched out more. This proved to be a great call, as she won the Grade 1 Beholder. A recent second place in the Phipps, against a few of these that she sees again also creates optimism for her here.

#4- Wbf No Regrets (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by J Lezcano)- This six year old mare is pretty similar in earnings to La Marseillaise and she also earned money in the BC F & M Sprint in 2020, thanks to finishing fourth. Throughout her career, she has run in a variety of condition types with the recent focus being similar to what we see here. Running third in the Phipps, against several she sees here again, shows that she can win against this company, but must be better than her last outing, which was the Pitcher Stakes.

#5- Drink Me Pretty (Mb Stables, ridden by E Jaramillo)- Picked up in private sales for $500.000 in April from Estero Farms, and she has since made three starts in the Mb silks. All three have seen her hit the board, including being third in the Apple Blossom and winning the Grade 2 Santa Maria. With Estero Farms, she had two second place BC runs, first in the BC Juvenile Fillies, and then in the BC Distaff last year. Figures to be one of the top picks for this race as well, but perhaps not the favorite.

#6- Empire World (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by A Cedillo)- As of right now, Empire World does not have the resume where you can talk about past BC starts, but that is probably going to change this November. Right now, she is red hot, winning her last three starts, including a very impressive victory on the first of the month in the Grade 1 Hirsch at DMR. Something has clicked with this horse since the Derby City Distaff. She was always good, but now it seems like she’s on the verge of becoming special.

#7- Dream Woman (Fractious, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- As a smaller trainer, it always interests me to see big stables buy one horse for a big tag and then sell a similar horse in the same division for about the same price. Dream Woman was not bought, but sold, by Mb Stables in private sales, for $550.000 last month after running second in the DEL Handicap. It capped a three race string of runner ups, which also included the Apple Blossom. Her first race with Fractious was the Hirsch, and it did not go according to plan, but the trainer has had time to figure out what went wrong and make the adjustments needed. Might not win or hit the board, but she will bounce back from that effort.

#8- Scarlet And Gray (Nakamura Stables, ridden by J K Court)- One of two entries in the field from Nakamura Stables, and the mare has won eight of her 27 career starts. As I look at her starts, I see a horse that is generally consistent and usually represents herself well in every race. I also can’t find that one start that really excites me. Her career highlight is the Grade 3 HOU Ladies Classic that she won and beat some strong foes, including Drink Me Pretty. But there’s not enough of that, and occasionally being dropped into open allowances is noteworthy, too.

#9- Hallowed Halls (Rock Creek, ridden by J Alvarado)- The trainer picked this one up in the September 2020 auction, and ever since then she has been running on the grass. She wasn’t terrible, but her only win was a $75.000 ungraded stake. Now, she goes back to the main track, which is where she was running before the auction, with three wins in six starts, all being in overnights. It’ll be interesting to see how the transition back will go.

#10- Tenrikyo (Smokey Stover, ridden by J R Velazquez)- A former KYO champion, coming back in 2019, that has continued to have a lot of success. Altogether, she has nine wins in 25 starts, and has made over $2,500.000 for her career. Last November, she was fourth in the BC Distaff, and has continued to run well into her five year old season, scoring a victory in the Grade 1 Vinery Madison at KEE in April. The trainer has backed off from the top competition in her last two starts, but did run second in the Grade 3 Shuvee here last month. This is the type of horse that you can never rule out.

#11- Miss Steel Mazula (Nakamura Stables, ridden by V R Carrasco)- I’m beginning to think now that when you see Nakamura with multiple entries in a race, and Carrasco is on one of them, that that is the horse he feels is the better one. This four year old filly is trying to come through the ranks, and comes off a very encouraging win at MTH last month in the Grade 3 Pitcher Stakes, over three rivals that she sees here again. Since the Cotillion last fall, Miss Steel Mazula has never failed to pick up at least some portion of the purse, but faces one of her toughest fields in a while.

Prediction: 6-5-10-7

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES