The Personal Ensign (Grade 1) (BC) – $700.000 Purse
SAR- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
August 24, 2019

The sixteenth running of the coveted Personal Ensign takes place just prior to the Travers at SAR, and there will be ten of them going to the gate hoping for the automatic ticket to the BC Distaff. Six older horses will try and break the trend of three year olds winning this race, something that has happened the last four years. One of them, 2017 winner Viking Vania is back to try and pull it off at the age of five. Viking Vania is also one of two horses to win the Personal Ensign and the BC Distaff in the same season. Shadow Of A Doubt is the other. Mrs Bombastic and Darling Harbour have won both races, but not in the same year. This is an exciting field, and a great race is in store for us. Let’s meet the field!

#1- Charo (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by E Esquivel)- The trainer has really done an incredible job with this $10.000 claim from the free track. She has not backed down for the challenges that Team 7 Illusions has bestowed upon her, and has won three of four, including back to back Grade 2’s; the Fleur de Lis Handicap and the DEL Handicap. Those wins could give her a good shot to break the winning streak that three year olds are on in this race. I’m quite high on her.

#2- Viking Vania (Delta Farms, ridden by J Talamo)- Returns to the race for the first time since winning it back in 2017. Her history is impressive, and that also includes a BC Distaff win. A lot of that is, history, though. Recently she has not often been taking on graded competition, since finishing near the back in last year’s BC Distaff. While she has won two of three, each were a four horse open allowance. Never rule out someone who has done it before, but recent speed figures are not that impressive.

#3- Blue Jeans (First Class Stables, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- Winner of the Black Eyed Susan back in May of 2018. That was a while ago, and it represents the last time that Blue Jeans has picked up a win. She has been hitting the board, lately, though, which is a positive, but when running against the best of the division, she is tough to support. Could grab a piece of the purse, but is a longshot to win.

#4- Misty Firefox (Crocker Ggs, ridden by R Bejarano)- This one is continuing to go strong, and should be one of the top threats in this race. She has won her last two, the Grade 2 Santa Margarita and the Grade 1 Phipps, which was a very strong field. Here she will take on a new challenge as she battles horses that are younger then her for the first time. If all were even, she would absolutely be one of the horses to beat in this field, but we have to see how she handles the threes, which can bring down the best of them.

#5- Elegant (Mb Stables, ridden by M J Sanchez)- There aren’t many Grade 1’s out there that Mb Stables has not won, but the Personal Ensign is one of them. It should not be a surprise that he only brings three year olds to the starting gate, and Elegant will be looking for her third straight win. She has already won a big race here this year, taking the Grade 1 CCA Oaks towards the beginning of the meet. That was also the first time Mb Stables won that race, so Elegant looks to pull off another first for him here.

#6- Ghost In The Shell (Spankys Barn, ridden by D Van Dyke)- About a week after Elegant won the CCA Oaks, fellow three year old Ghost In The Shell was on the west coast taking care of the older horses in the Grade 1 Hirsch. She was more of a late bloomer then others that she is racing against here, but the effort she put forth in the Hirsch certainly can get it done here. Seems like she simply needs to be close to the pace early to have her best shot. Spankys Barn will make sure that happens again here.

#7- Ineffable (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by D E Centeno)- The five year old mare had a great spring, and the highlight of that was when she won the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at OP while running as the highweight. Because of that, there should be optimism that she can handle those younger then her in this field. Her last two races are quite concerning, as she was soundly defeated in both the Phipps and the Hirsch. TwinTowers hopes to get that turned around here.

#8- Smile In Victory (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by A Jimenez)- She has only been able to live up to her name once, when she broke her maiden. Otherwise, she has not won anything else in her career. However, that is not something that detracts Team 7 Illusions, and Smile In Victory has productively run in ungraded stakes. Typically, she runs out on the lead, and after a couple races at DMR last week, that might get the attention of some, but I can’t see Charo having any need for a rabbit and actually think it would hurt her, rather then help.

#9- Tenrikyo (Smokey Stover, ridden by J R Velazquez)- The reigning KYO champion seeks to become the first horse to win both that and the Personal Ensign. Since winning that Oaks, the Grandeur filly has struggled to show that same kind of closing kick. That is her racing style, but seems to be too far behind after about six furlongs in her last two races, in comparison to the races in which she won. Perhaps we will see her a little closer to pace here.

#10- Seek Victory (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- The trainer is to be credited with his patience with this one, as she only made her debut in early July, coming at the free track where she won. Later in the month, she was thrust into the Grade 1 Hirsch in what would seem to be an incredible leap forward, but she would turn in a third place finish there. This is a growing horse, and that makes her a contender for as long as that progress persists.

Prediction: 6-1-5-9

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES