Personal Ensign Stays Unbeaten by Running Down Winning Colors

Personal Ensign, regarded as the finest filly since Ruffian, rallied from third place to pass Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors at the 16th pole Saturday, and remained undefeated by winning the $113,400 Maskette at Belmont Park.

Personal Ensign was three-quarters of a length ahead of Winning Colors, making her first start since finishing last in the June 11 Belmont Stakes. Winning Colors opened a five-length lead under jockey Gary Stevens with a half-mile in 45 1/5 seconds. She still led by two lengths after six furlongs in 1:09, but Randy Romero had Personal Ensign in high gear in the middle of the track.

“When Winning Colors got that far in front I was worried,” said Shug McGaughey, Personal Ensign’s trainer. “She was just galloping along. But when my filly started to move on the turn, she just opened up.”

Romero said: “I just let her run her own race. And I knew she would get the job done. At the 5/16th pole I knew I was going to get her.”

For Personal Ensign, a bay daughter of Private Account, the victory was the 11th straight in a three-year span and established her as the leading contender for horse-of-the-year honors. First-place money of $67,080 boosted her earnings to $1,030,440.

Personal Ensign ran the mile in 1:34 1/5 and paid $2.60 and $2.10 as the 3-10 favorite of the crowd of 16,230. Winning Colors, the 2-1 second choice in the field of five, paid $2.10 to place.