NEWS
Persistently denies Rachel in Personal Ensign
Posted: Sunday, August 29, 2010 6:14 PM
PERSISTENTLY SCORES UPSET IN PERSONAL ENSIGN
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
To view the Personal Ensign Stakes, click here.
by Mike Curry
Phipps Stable’s homebred Persistently closed from off the pace under Alan Garcia in the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) on Sunday at Saratoga Race Course and reeled in Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the closing strides of the 1 1/4-mile race.
Winning the race provided a unique thrill for the Phipps family and trainer Shug McGaughey, the connections of unbeaten champion Personal Ensign.
“We’re just tickled to death to win the race, particularly with it being the Personal Ensign,” McGaughey said. “My hat’s off to Rachel Alexandra. She runs her heart out every time. She made a beautiful presence in the paddock today. We were just lucky enough to pick up the pieces.”
Rachel Alexandra went right to the front and was pressed throughout by Grade 1 winner Life At Ten, who brought a six-race winning streak into the race and challenged the pacesetter through a half-mile in :47.73 and six furlongs in 1:12.02.
Rachel Alexandra put away Life At Ten entering the stretch and opened up a clear lead under regular rider Calvin Borel, but the Medaglia d’Oro filly shortened stride in the final furlong in her first attempt beyond 1 3/16 miles and 21.50-to-1 longshot Persistently powered past for a one-length win in 2:04.49 on a track rated as fast.
"We are disappointed in the result, as we are sure her countless fans are, but we are certainly not disappointed in her,” said Jess Jackson, who owns Rachel Alexandra along with Harold McCormick. “She is still a superstar in our hearts and minds. The old sports adage applies: ‘On any given Sunday, anything can happen.’ "
Grade 1-placed at two, Persistently earned her first career stakes win. The four-year-old Smoke Glacken filly entered off a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming win on July 30 at Saratoga, where she has won three times in as many starts.
“I thought that [Rachel Alexandra] might be a little vulnerable going a mile and a quarter,” McGaughey said. “I knew we would run a mile and a quarter. Her female family runs a long way.
“Obviously, with a filly like Rachel Alexandra in the race, we knew we were a longshot. But we did think she’d run a mile and a quarter. It was Mr. Phipps’ decision. He said to me, ‘If it’s going to be a short field, I’d like to give it a try.’ The only time she had ever run two turns on the dirt was when she won here earlier in the meet. It’s one of those things that pays off. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. But today it did.”
Kentucky-bred Persistently improved to four wins, four seconds, and four thirds from 14 career starts and boosted her earnings to $491,256. She is the first starter out of the winning Deputy Minister mare Just Reward, a half sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Good Reward and Grade 2 winner and sire Pure Prize. Persistently’s second dam is 1994 champion three-year-old filly Heavenly Prize, by Seeking the Gold.
Garcia rated Persistently in fourth, 15 lengths behind Rachel Alexandra after a half-mile, and asked her to pick up the pace on the far turn. She responded eagerly, swept into the stretch less than four lengths behind the reigning Horse of the Year, and collared 0.45-to-1 favorite Rachel Alexandra for the breakthrough stakes win.
“She had a very good trip all the way behind the leaders. At the three-eighths pole, I knew I had to move, and she did it,” Garcia said. “I knew she was doing this well.
"It's very exciting for these guys, Shug and Mr. Phipps. I'm very excited.”
Rachel Alexandra was 10 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Life At Ten. She has won twice and finished second three times in five starts this season, a fine campaign by most standards but a dropoff from her unbeaten Horse of the Year season of 2009, when she defeated males three times, including a classic win in the BlackBerry Preakness Stakes (G1) and a victory over older males in the Woodward Stakes (G1).
“The winner won the race and I don’t want to take anything away from that,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “In a five-horse field, you can’t complain about where you are. It is what it is. I thought [Rachel] put a very good mare [Life At Ten] away. It obviously took more out of her on the front end than we would have hoped for.
“I’m very disappointed that she lost, but I am always very happy with Rachel. It hurts to lose and you’re disappointed for it, but if that’s the case, just think about how happy she’s made you and all the things she has done for us. She’s a tremendous mare. If she isn’t exactly where she was last year, hopefully she can get back there.”
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Mary, Humbug, KY on September 03, 2010 at 12:29 PM
Jethro from Ky, don't be telling the one's that bet $2.00 to show to go take their money to a casino, let me remind you if they do that you won't be called a horsemen any more because you won't have a job, instead they will be calling you a wantabe cowboy that never grew up. Don't bite the hand's that feed you. Us poor handicapper's and worse losers as you call us are the ones as to why you have a job. Don't bite the hands that feed you and most of all QUIT EMBARRASSING THE TRUE HORSEMEN OF THIS WORLD, if your so bitter quit your so called job you have and get a real one, your just upset because you don't have $2.00 to bet to show YOU HORSES A$$..........
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Posted by: John, Seattle, WA on September 02, 2010 at 07:09 PM
Afleetalexforever,
You quote Shug McGaughey as the trainer of Personal Ensign. You also forgot to mention that he trained Easy Goer, as horse that was beaten by Sunday Silence in three of four races they met.
And to this day Shug McGaughey still thinks Easy Goer was the better horse.
Fact is that Rachel Alexandra ducked the Travers because both Quality Road and Kensei were in that race alongside Summer Bird.
Rachel Alexandra also ducked the Breeders' Cup Classic even though she had already won a race on a synthetic racing surface.
And Rachel Alexandra also ducked the Apple Blossom, because, face it, Zenyatta would of clobbered her.
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Posted by: Sabrina, Port Charlotte, FL on September 02, 2010 at 04:04 PM
I didn't think she would get a mile and a quarter. So the results do not surprise me.
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Posted by: Kissmy, New York, NY on September 02, 2010 at 12:54 AM
Kudos to Jethro of Ky! Well said. Just a couple of years ago, wasnt evryone thanking the Jacksons for not retiring Curlin and letting us all watch him race another season and risking his stallion's career? Oh yeah, thats right, some of these same idiots out there making these asinine comments, are also the same ones you hear slandering owners/tariners/jockeys accusing them of "stiffing" a stallion in a grade one race. I remember hearing a breeder explain how it works to one of these guys in an attempt to "educate" him. If you breed a stud lets say Storm Cat, @ $500,000 per mating,to a book of 100 mares, thats $50,000,000 per year. And if you bred that stud at that rate for 10 years, that equals $500,000.000.00!
Mr. jackson didnt have to put Curlins winnings all back into the pot, but he did when he antied up for Rachel. I for one, am grateful there are people like him to help keep racing going. Who cares if he wasnt there for her race. Who knows what a man of his magnitude had scheduled for that day. Sometimes previous matters are of more importance. People like him didnt make there money in horses to begin with, they are usually very smart and lucky businessmen.
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Posted by: jethro, humbug, KY on September 02, 2010 at 12:32 AM
Not that suprised that the winner comes from one of america's "first families" of racing/breeding. They've only been at this for over 100 years now. The proof is in the puddin! All you experts out there lack the experience it takes thru generation after generation of breeding and racing horses, to truly understand how hard it is to have a horse who can win a Grade 1 race at 1 1/4 miles. I was suprised she hung in there as far as she did. Nothing disgracful about her performance. All this Jackson and Moss bashing going on out there by you haters is a joke. Thank God we dont have to put up with your likes in our actual racing communities. You wouldnt last minutes with us sodont give up your day jobs. Your all just poor handicappers and even worse losers. Do us horsemen a favor and take your $2.00 show tickets and bet them at a casino instead.
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