Personal Ensign

Personal Ensign made her first start on September 28 in a maiden special weight race at Belmont Park. She trailed the field early but made a strong closing drive to win by 12+3⁄4 lengths. Her time of 1:224⁄5 for seven furlongs was three-fifths of a second faster than the same day's running of the Grade I Matron Stakes, won by Tappiano.[4][5]

Personal Ensign then made her stakes debut in the Grade I Frizette Stakes on October 13. She was the 3-10 favorite in a field that was reduced down to just three horses after the scratches of Sea Basque and Tappiano. Although Personal Ensign was known for her late-running style, in this race she was pushed early to prevent the front-runner Collins from getting an easy lead. She and Collins raced head to head for the final half mile, with Personal Ensign prevailing by a head. "Last time, she won in a gallop," said McGaughey. "This time, she had to belly down and fight."[6]

Personal Ensign was being pointed towards the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, a race in which she would have been the favorite, but became lame after an apparently routine workout on October 26.[7] Tests revealed that she had broken the pastern bone on her right hind leg, an injury that would have been career-ending and perhaps life-threatening just a few years earlier. However, thanks to advances in veterinary surgical techniques, she was operated on by Dr. Larry Bramlage, who inserted five screws into the bone. Bramlage later cited her as one of his personal favorites over his long career. "She was important not only to me, but also to the profession," said Bramlage. "She was really the first prominent horse that showed that not only could you save those horses for breeding if you did a good job with internal fixation but some of them then could come back and perform well."[8]

After recovering from surgery, Personal Ensign finally returned to the racetrack on September 6, 1987 in an allowance race at Belmont Park. Going off as the 7-10 favorite, she won by 3+3⁄4 lengths. On September 24, she won another allowance race, this time by 7+3⁄4 lengths.[4] She then stepped up in class to win the Rare Perfume Stakes on October 10 by 4+3⁄4 lengths.[9]

Personal Ensign made her next start on October 18 in the Beldame Stakes run at Belmont Park over 1+1⁄4 miles, where she faced older horses for the first time, plus several of the leading three-year-old fillies in the country. She was the second betting choice behind the entry of Coup de Fusil, who had won three straight Grade I races, and Clabber Girl. It was the only time in her career that she was not the favorite. In a change from her normal running style, she stayed close to the pace and took the lead after six furlongs, opening the lead to four lengths in mid-stretch. She won by 2+1⁄4 lengths despite tiring late. "I thought she would go a distance, but you don't know until you try it," said McGaughey. "I had no idea how she would run, coming back eight days after the other race. She has never run against this kind."[4][10]

"Riding her is like pushing a button," said Romero. "She is the fastest filly I ever rode. If she gets in trouble, she is so fast she can get out of it."[10]

Her connections considered sending her to the 1987 Breeders' Cup, but ultimately decided against it because the event was held that year on November 21, much later than the usual date at the beginning of November.[11] The decision possibly cost Personal Ensign the title of three-year-old champion filly: she finished second in the Eclipse Award voting to Sacahuista, who won the Distaff.[12]

In 1988, Personal Ensign won all seven of her starts, including the Shuvee Handicap, the Hempstead Stakes, the Maskette Stakes, and the Beldame Stakes —all prestigious Grade I races against fillies and mares. At Saratoga, she defeated males in the historic Whitney Handicap. Her swan song was a nose victory over Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, a race that is often referred to as the most exciting finish in Breeders' Cup history.[3]

Personal Ensign made her four-year-old debut on May 15, 1988 in the Shuvee Handicap at Belmont Park. She went off as the 7-10 favorite in a field of six despite the seven-month layoff and carrying top weight of 121 pounds. She broke slowly, then moved into third along the backstretch. She took the lead turning into the stretch then drew off to win by 1+3⁄4 lengths.[13]

Personal Ensign's next start was on June 11 at Belmont Park in the Hempstead Handicap, a race subsequently renamed in her owner's honor. She stalked the early pace then made a strong run down the stretch to win by seven lengths. Her time for 1+1⁄8 miles was an excellent 1:473⁄5.[14] She then made the first start of her career away from Belmont Park in the Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 4, winning comfortably by eight lengths.[4][15]

She then shipped to Saratoga in upstate New York for the Whitney Handicap on August 6, facing male horses for the first time. The race attracted only two other horses, multiple stakes winners Gulch (Metropolitan Handicap) and King's Swan (Tom Fool Handicap). Over a sloppy track that favored front runners, Personal Ensign trailed the field by about four lengths for the first five furlongs, then started to make up ground around the turn. After completing the mile in 1:353⁄5, she got her head in front and continued to draw away, winning by 1+1⁄2 lengths over Gulch. She completed the nine furlongs in 1:474⁄5. "I can now say she is the best horse I ever road," said Romero. "She ran a great race."[16]

It was her tenth win in a row, matching the streak of Ruffian before the latter filly broke down in her final start.[16] It also moved her to the top of the NTRA polling for Horse of the Year.[17]

Personal Ensign made her next start in the Maskette Stakes over a distance of one mile at Belmont on September 10, where her main rival was Winning Colors, who had won the 1988 Kentucky Derby. Winning Colors was coming off a three-month layoff but was also carrying seven pounds less than Personal Ensign. She was also the only "speed" horse in the field, and as expected went to the early lead. She set a fast pace of 0:451⁄5 for the first half-mile, opening a large lead on the rest of the field. "When she got that far in front," said McGaughey, "I was worried."[18]

Around the turn, Personal Ensign began to close ground and trailed by just two lengths after the six furlongs was completed in 1:091⁄5. In the top of the stretch, she moved alongside Winning Colors but the other filly responded to the challenge. The two dueled for the remaining eighth of a mile until Personal Ensign finally pulled ahead in the final strides to win by three-quarters of a length. "They both made me proud today, especially my filly," said Romero. "A mile isn't even her best distance. I just let her run her race and knew she would get the job done."[18]

On October 16, Personal Ensign entered the Beldame Stakes to defend her victory in the previous year's race. She was "routinely brilliant" on her way to a 5+1⁄2 length win, stalking the early pace and then opening up in the stretch.[19] The fans at Belmont gave her a standing ovation.[20]

Personal Ensign made her final start in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs on November 5. The field included Winning Colors and Goodbye Halo, who had won several major three-year-old filly races while Winning Colors was racing against the colts. Winning Colors went to the lead and set moderate fractions, allowing her to conserve energy. The track was muddy and Personal Ensign did not handle it well, dropping far back and striding cautiously for her footing. McGaughey said to a friend, "Not today... She's beaten."[21]

As they turned into the stretch though, Personal Ensign swung to the center of the track, switched leads and finally hit her best stride. With an eighth of a mile remaining, she was still four lengths behind but Winning Colors was tiring. Goodbye Halo was also moving into contention and the three moved ever closer together. As they neared the finish line, Personal Ensign overtook first Goodbye Halo and then Winning Colors, winning in the final stride by a nose over the latter. The crowd erupted and McGaughey was both jubilant and relieved. "Undefeated," he said. "One of the most courageous performances I've ever seen."[21]

"What's so good about her," said Romero, "she don't want to get beat. She's determined to get the job done, and that's what she did today."[22]

The race drew superlatives from many observers. Edward Bowen, editor-in-chief of the Blood-Horse magazine, wrote, "It was a three-filly finish that left its witnesses uplifted and drained at the same time, a moment that leapt fully grown into history."[23] Steven Crist of the New York Times named it his racing moment of the year, adding "It might be another 80 years before racing offers so stirring a moment."[24] William Nack, writing for Sports Illustrated, called it "one of the most inspired and inspiring moments in recent memory." D. Wayne Lukas, who trained Winning Colors, congratulated McGaughey, saying "That's what it's all about! That's what racing's about!"[21]

Personal Ensign was retired following the Breeders' Cup as the first undefeated champion in American racing in over 80 years.[3] Colin, who raced in 1907 and 1908, was the last such champion, winning all fifteen of his starts.[17]

Personal Ensign was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Female Horse.[25] She finished second in the balloting for Horse of the Year to Alysheba.[26]