Let’s not forget about the day before the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, the biggest racing day of the summer season featuring five, yes five, Grade 1 stakes.
We won’t because Friday’s card features the prestigious $500,000 Personal Ensign (G1) for older fillies and mares. The 1 1/8-mile race once again will showcase the top female horses in the country, with reigning 3-year-old champion filly Nest and four-time G1 winner Clairiere going at it again, along with 2022 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Secret Oath. Also entered are Malloy, Idiomatic, and Sixtythreecaliber.
Nest- Photo Credit Coglianese Photos
This one shapes up as another showdown between Nest and Clairiere, both daughters of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin. Nest, the 4-5 favorite, got the best of Clairiere last time out in the Shuvee (G2) on July 23, winning by 2 ¼ lengths off an eight-month layoff. Last year, Nest won the Ashland (G1), Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), and the Alabama (G1), and ran second in the Belmont Stake (G1) to stablemate Mo Donegal.
Clairiere, meanwhile, has won the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) and the Ogden Phipps (G1) in her 5-year-old campaign, along with runner-up finishes in the Azeri (G2) to Secret Oath and in the Shuvee to Nest. She is the 5-2 second choice.
Nest in champion form
The return of Nest came well after she finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) — Clairiere was third.
“It was all the way from the Distaff, and it was a delayed start. Running a mile-and-an-eighth against a mare like Clairiere was asking a lot,” Pletcher said. “But I was impressed by the way she did it and even more impressed by the way she came out of it and the way she’s trained since then.”
As for her racing style, Pletcher said: “She has that rare ability to quicken at the end of a dirt race – you don’t see a lot of horses show that display of turn of foot at the top of the stretch like we see her do,” Pletcher said. “She’s just a very, very special filly … She’s shown that ability to get stronger the further she goes.”
Skinny on Clairiere
Clairiere, trained by Steve Asmussen, has earned more than $3.1 million with a record of 20-8-6-3.
“Obviously, Nest is a very tall order,’’ Asmussen said. “We’ll see how we do, but we couldn’t be happier with Clairiere going in.”
Secret Oath, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, won the Oak by two lengths over Nest, and is coming off a pair of runner-up finishes in the Apple Blossom and La Troienne (G1) and a fifth in the Ogden Phipps.
‘Don’t discard Idiomatic
Idiomatic, trained by Brad Cox, is a horse to take seriously as she comes into the race off a win in the Delaware Handicap (G2) last month after stumbling at the start. The 4-year-old – also a daughter of Curlin – is 3-1.
“I like her a lot. Obviously, she’s a Juddmonte homebred and you’re not lacking on pedigree there,” Cox said. “I think she’s a big, strong Curlin that should like this surface up here. We train her across the street (on the Oklahoma), and I love what we’ve seen from her so far.”
The picks: Nest, Idiomatic, Clairiere
Post time for the Personal Ensign is 5:44 p.m. ET
The field for the $500,000 Personal Ensign (G1), from the rail out, with jockey and trainer:
1. Idiomatic (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox), 3-1
2. Malloy (Dylan Davis, Wayne Catalano), 50-1
3. Secret Oath (Luis Saez, D. Wayne Lukas), 8-1
4. Nest (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Todd Pletcher), 4-5
5. Clairiere (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen), 5-2
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
