2023 Personal Ensign Stakes Preview

Older dirt route fillies and mares take the spotlight at the Spa on Friday in the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign. Covering 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt, the race is a perennial showcase of the best of the distaff division. Even though it is not a Breeders’ Cup automatic qualifier, the race often serves as a preview, with horses such as Malathaat (2022), Forever Unbridled (2017), and Royal Delta sweeping the pair in the last decade.

The 2023 edition of the race drew a field of six. Nest, fresh off a successful seasonal debut in the Shuvee (G2), renews her rivalry with Clairiere, who was second in that race. Last year’s Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath joins the fray as well, and they will face three others who are trying to join the upper echelon of the division.

2023 Personal Ensign Stakes Information

• Race Date: Friday, August 25
• Track: Saratoga Race Course
• Post Time: 5:44 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 ⅛ miles
• Age/Sex: 4-year-olds and up, fillies and mares
• Where to Watch: TVG.com, Fox Sports 1
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

Personal Ensign Stakes Draw and Odds

These are the horses entered in the 2023 Personal Ensign, including post positions, and trainers. Morning-line odds were not available yet, but will be updated once the track makes them available.

Personal Ensign Stakes Prep Race Results

The six runners in the Personal Ensign come out of five different races. The only race with two last-out runners is the Shuvee, from which 1-2 finishers Nest and Clairiere press on to the Personal Ensign. Secret Oath has freshened after a well-beaten fifth in the Ogden Phipps (G1), a race Clairiere won. Idiomatic also comes out of graded company; she most recently won the Delaware Handicap (G2).

Two others come into the Personal Ensign out of allowance-level wins. Sixtythreecaliber won a third-level allowance dirt mile at Saratoga on July 19, while Malloy was last seen winning an off-turf conditioned allowance (third-level condition, or non-winners of four, lifetime) going a mile and 70 yards at Hawthorne on July 13.

Personal Ensign Stakes Contenders

These are the runners in the 2023 Personal Ensign in order of their post draws.

1. Idiomatic: This Brad Cox trainee tries Grade 1 company for the first time after two straight graded-level wins. She wired the Shawnee (G3) two back at Churchill, and then overcame a stumble at the start to win the 1 3/16-mile Delaware Handicap last out. Her tactical speed and ability to overcome difficulty will help her as she faces these tougher horses, and the 1 ⅛-mile distance of the Personal Ensign should be perfect for her. Furthermore, her last two races suggest she is fast enough to contend with the true divisional stars.
2. Malloy: Grade 3-placed as a sophomore, she struggled at age four but seems to be putting it back together at age five. After a third-place finish in a second-level sprint at Turfway in April, she came back in July and dominated a washed-off grass race at Hawthorne last month. It was a positive sign, and suggests the idea of changing her game from sprinting to routing is a good one. But, she would need a shocking step forward in speed terms to be any factor in this.
3. Secret Oath: Last year’s Oaks winner got her four-year-old season up to a sharp beginning at Oaklawn and Churchill Downs, though she disappointed last out in the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park, chasing early and weakening to a well-beaten fifth place. The break might be good for her, though: earlier this year, she won the Azeri (G2) off a layoff. If she brings her best, she can be competitive with the top echelon of the field, though her best-case scenario will be if Idiomatic and Malloy decide to lock up on the front end.
4. Sixtythreecaliber: She made the grade against sophomores in the Comely (G3) last November, though an attempt against this caliber of company in the La Troienne (G1) in May did not go nearly so well. A third-level allowance win at Saratoga last month suggests she likes the footing and may be bouncing back into better form, and that win in the Comely did come at 1 ⅛ miles. Those things, plus her tactical speed, help. But, she needs to be enough of a price to bet she can run her best race against top horses—a concern, especially since horses owned by a micro-share syndicate (in her case, MyRacehorse) tend to be bet down heavily and underlaid.
5. Nest: She won the Eclipse award in the sophomore filly division last year, and despite an eight-and-a-half-month layoff between the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and the Shuvee, she came back looking smart as ever, giving Clairiere no chance to catch her. In a short field, she should be at an advantage again with her tactical speed. Her perfect record at Saratoga also helps make her tough. She will likely be a heavy favorite on the tote, but she also looks like one of the stronger favorites in major races this meet, especially with all the questions surrounding Clairiere.
6. Clairiere: She is one of the best of the distaff division, and on her best days, she has been able to outshine the likes of Nest and Secret Oath. However, She does not always find her best at the Spa, with only one win in five starts there. She is also only one-for-seven at a mile and an eighth. Between these and the fact that this is a short field, she will be an underlay on the win end and is better used underneath only.

Personal Ensign Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the 2023 Personal Ensign Stakes?

A: The 2023 Personal Ensign happens Friday, August 25. The race is scheduled for 5:44 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Q: Where is the Personal Ensign Stakes?

A: The Personal Ensign happens at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Personal Ensign Stakes?

A: Trainers Shug McGaughey and MacKenzie Miller lead all trainers with four wins each. Though McGaughey is still active, he does not have a runner in this year’s edition. Among trainers who are running horses this year, Todd Pletcher leads with three wins, most recently in 2022 with Malathaat. He will try to tie the record this year with Nest.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Personal Ensign Stakes?

A: Off of her victory in the Shuvee last month, Nest is the 4-5 morning-line favorite in the Personal Ensign. Clariere or Secret Oath may take some betting action given their back class, though given both her recent win and her trainer’s shining record in the race, it would be a surprise to see anyone other than Nest as the favorite. Saratoga actually made Idiomatic the 3-1 third choice behind Nest and Clairiere, though given the class she has to prove it would be surprising to see her that close to the top pair in the betting.

Q: Who is the best Personal Ensign Stakes jockey?

A: Angel Cordero leads all riders with eight wins in the Personal Ensign between 1968 and 1989, including victories in both divisions of the race in 1972. Among jockeys entered in the 2023 edition of the Personal Ensign, Joel Rosario leads with two wins, on Close Hatches (2014) and Forever Unbridled (2017). This year he rides Clairiere for Steve Asmussen.

Q: Who won the Personal Ensign Stakes in 2022?

A: The 2022 Personal Ensign was won by Malathaat for the horse racing hall of fame pair, Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez. Pletcher returns in 2023 with Nest, though Velazquez does not ride in the race this year.