Horse Racing Roundup : Phipps’ Filly Is Winner of Whitney

Ogden Phipps’ Personal Ensign, with Randy Romero riding, took a giant stride toward horse-of-the-year honors Saturday with a 1 1/2-length victory in the $270,500 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 4-year-old daughter of Private Account and Grecian Banner remained undefeated with her 10th consecutive victory, including her fourth of 1988. It came in her first confrontation with male rivals, where she was given a sex allowance by carrying 117 pounds in the three-horse field.

Gulch, carrying 124 pounds and ridden by Jose Santos, led to the stretch but was unable to withstand the filly’s strong finish. Gulch finished 17 lengths ahead of King’s Swan, carrying 123 pounds and ridden by Angel Cordero.

“I think it came down to the weight difference,” said Wayne Lukas, trainer of Gulch. “It came down to the seven pounds, plus with the mud it’s more.”

Personal Ensign covered the 1 1/8 miles on a sloppy track in 1:47 4/5. The favorite of the crowd of 28,756, Personal Ensign paid $3.60. There was no place or show betting. The winner earned $162,300 to increase her career total to $963,360.

Armbro Goal led wire to wire in both races to win the 63rd Hambletonian, the second jewel of trotting’s triple crown, at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J.

John Campbell became the first driver since Bill Haughton in 1976-77 to win successive Hambletonians. Last year, Campbell drove Mack Lobell to victory.

“I wasn’t going to take any chances letting anybody go,” Campbell said. “There’s an old saying, ‘if you’re going to go down, you go down shooting.”’

Armbro Goal took the first mile heat--which included the fastest first quarter in Hambletonian history, :27 2/5 seconds--in 1:54 3/5. The record of 1:53 3/5 was set last year by Mack Lobell. The 3-year-old favorite paid $3.20, $2.60 and $2.20. Rule The Wind finished second and returned $6 and $3.60. Firm Tribute paid $3.

Armbro Goal won the second heat by 4 lengths in 1:55 1/5. He paid $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10. Firm Tribute was second, paying $2.60 and $2.10. Bolla returned $2.10.

Armbro Goal earned $578,400 of the $1,156,800 purse.

Southern Newton, winner of the Yonkers Trot, the first race of the triple crown, was not nominated for the Hambletonian or the Kentucky Futurity, the third leg.

After the race, Armbro Goal was sold to Tomas Bertmark of Sweden for $2.5 million. He takes control of the horse after the Breeders’ Crown in November.