Ogden Phipps (1908-1992) was a world-class mover and shaker, the patriarch of the first family of American Racing. Phipps was a founding member of the New York Racing Association and a longtime chairman of the Jockey Club. He bred and owned nine champions, including Hall of Famers Buckpasser, Personal Ensign, and Easy Goer.
Personal Ensign was an all-time great on and off the racetrack. She retired undefeated (13-for-13) following the impossibly dramatic 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), then excelled as a broodmare. Her second career produced Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) heroine My Flag, whose daughter Storm Flag Flying also won that race.
Phipps’ broodmare band excelled throughout the 20th century, so it’s appropriate that a Grade 1 for older females was renamed in his honor. Friday’s 1 1/8-mile Ogden Phipps Stakes at Saratoga will feature standout 5-year-old mares Raging Sea and Randomized, who have a lot in common.
The Ogden Phipps is one of four Grade 1 races on the day before the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes (G1).
Raging Sea and Randomized are trained by future Hall of Famer Chad Brown, and last year, each stunned Idiomatic, the 2023 and 2024 older female dirt champion. Raging Sea upset reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna in this year’s La Troienne Stakes (G1) on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs, where Randomized ran third and the heavy favorite was last. Each of Brown’s mares descends from a classic winner -- Raging Sea is by Curlin (2007 Preakness Stakes); Randomized’s sire is Nyquist (2016 Kentucky Derby). Each has three victories at Saratoga.
Raging Sea won six of her last eight races, all graded events, with the only dud in last year’s Ogden Phipps (fourth to Randomized). Raging Sea (5-2) and top jockey Flavien Prat are favored Friday in a seven-horse field that includes stakes winners Dorth Vader, Dazzling Move, Leslie’s Rose, Candied (the 3-1 second choice), and Tarifa.
“Raging Sea really has proven that she is consistent year to year,” Brown said. “She’s really at her best right now.”
Randomized (9-2) faded to third in the 1 1/16-mile La Troienne after leading by 1½ lengths at the eighth pole in her first start since the Distaff in November. Her last five wins were wire to wire, including the Phipps. It may be difficult to pull off this time because Dorth Vader, Dazzling Move, and Leslie’s Rose also have early speed, but Brown sounds confident.
“I feel like Randomized should move forward off her first race of the year,” Brown said. “That tends to be how she is. In the past, she’s acted like she needed that one race to get going.”
Last year’s Ogden Phipps was Randomized’s second race off a layoff, and she led throughout. Will history repeat, or will Raging Sea overtake her again in the deep stretch?
Post time for the Ogden Phipps is 4:28 p.m. ET.
The field for the $500,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
