OffTrackBetting.com – The G1 Personal Ensign Stakes takes place this Saturday, August 26 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. A purse of $700,000 will be up for grabs for fillies and mares three years old and upward willing to race 1 1/8 miles on Saratoga’s dirt track.
A short but quality field of five will take to the track in the Personal Ensign Stakes – race 6 on Saratoga’s stacked Saturday card. Post time is 2:23 PM. Let’s take a brief glance into the past performances of all five entries for this intriguing G1 stakes – a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Grade 1, Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November.
2017 Personal Ensign Stakes Entries at Saratoga Race Course
Songbird 2-5
Jerry Hollendorfer trained superstar filly and 2016 Eclipse Award winner for three-year-old filly and 2015 winner for two-year-old fillies enters in predictably superb form – a one length win last time out in the G1 Delaware Handicap July 15 followed a nice bounce-back win in the G1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park June 10 and her only career loss – a close second place finish behind the terrific four-time Champion Beholder in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. She won all four of her starts in 2015, the last three in G1 events including by an impressive 5 1/4 lengths in the G1 Del Mar Debutante, the G1 Chandelier Stakes by 4 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita, and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies by 5 3/4 lengths. She has eight starts in 2016 and eight more impressive wins – in the G1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx, in the G1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga, by over five lengths in the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks, by 6 1/2 lengths in the G2 Summertime Oaks, by 3 1/4 lengths in the G1 Santa Anita Oaks, the G3 Santa Ysabel Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths and by 6 1/2 lengths in the G2 Las Virgenes Stakes. She’s posted nine gate-to-wire wins in 14 starts – by a combined 60+ lengths and looks to build on another impressive streak. She has 13 wins and a second-place finish in 14 career starts – ya – pretty good. Mike Smith gets the call on the obvious favorite from gate 2.
Forever Unbridled 7-2
Consistent Dallas Stewart trained mare has six wins, three seconds and four third place finishes in 15 career starts – she was third in this race last year. She enters off a nice win by 1 3/4 lengths after closing from sixth in the G2 Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs June 17 – her only start this year. Before that was a third behind Songbird in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, a win in the G1 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park October 1, an OK third in the 2016 G1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga August 27, a second to Cavorting in the G1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park June 11 and a three-race win streak – the G1 Apple Blossom Stakes at Oaklawn Park April 15, the G3 Houston Ladies Classic January 30 and the G3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct November 28. Before that was a fifth in the G2 Raven Run Stakes in October, an ugly eleventh in the G1 Kentucky Oaks May 1 and consecutive third place finishes – the G2 Fair Grounds Oaks March 28 and the G3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes in February. Forever Unbridled has looked good in her last eight starts overall and hopes to be in the mix again Saturday. Joel Rosario has the mount on the morning line second choice from gate 4.
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Going for Broke 5-1
Lightly raced Chad Brown trained filly has placed in seven of eight career starts – three wins, three seconds and a third-place finish. She enters off an OK second in the minor Shine Again Stakes here August 2 which followed nine months away, a third in the G3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct November 26 and a fifth in the G1 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park October 1. Before that was a respectable second to Songbird in the G1 Alabama Stakes here last August and two straight Allowance scores in the summer of 2016. Going for Broke has been competitive every time out but has yet to post a stakes win in her career. Jockey Irad Ortiz will try to change all of that from post 3 Saturday.
Eskenformoney 12-1
Has 25 career starts for trainer Todd Pletcher with four wins, seven seconds and five third place finishes. She has been decent lately placing in six of her last seven starts overall. Last time out was a second in the G3 Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park July 30 (she was second in the 2016 edition as well), a third in the listed Lady’s Secret Stakes on that track July 2, a sixth in the G1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs May 5, a second in the G2 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park March 10, a third in the G2 Royal Delta Stakes at Gulfstream Park February 18 and a career-best effort – a win in the G3 Rampart Stakes at Gulfstream. Eskenformoney has been decent in her career and will be out to snap a five-race losing streak from the outside post 5 Saturday. Javier Castellano gets the call.
Flora Dora 20-1
Finished second in the 2015 G3 Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct November 4 but has placed in just four of 12 starts since. Last time out was a fourth in the G3 Bed o’ Roses Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park June 9 which followed over seven months away and another fourth in the G3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct November 26. Before that was an OK second in the G3 Turnback the Alarm Handicap at Belmont Park in October, a tenth in an Allowance Optional Claiming last September and a third behind Songbird in the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga July 2. In 2015. She also had a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Belmont Park July 1, a ninth in the G2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico, a fifth in the G2 Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct, a fourth in the minor Busher Stakes on that track in February and, a good win in the minor Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct January 31. Flora Dora has shown form in the past but has looked just average the last couple of years. She looks for a major breakthrough and to snap a 10-race losing streak Saturday with Florent Geroux in the saddle from the rail.
2017 Personal Ensign Stakes Odds & Entries
Race 6 on Saratoga’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 2:23 PM.
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