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View Full Version : Undefeated Personal Ensign...R.I.P


joanied
04-09-2010, 12:36 PM
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2010/April/09/Champion-Broodmare-of-the-Year-Personal-Ensign-dies.aspx


This one really hits hard. She was a once in a lifetime horse, a true Champion, and beloved by all. My sympathies to everyone that knew her, although she lived a long and happy life, her passing leaves a void and much saddness.

Personal Ensign
:( R.I.P :(

cpitt84
04-09-2010, 12:53 PM
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2010/April/09/Champion-Broodmare-of-the-Year-Personal-Ensign-dies.aspx


This one really hits hard. She was a once in a lifetime horse, a true Champion, and beloved by all. My sympathies to everyone that knew her, although she lived a long and happy life, her passing leaves a void and much saddness.

Personal Ensign
:( R.I.P :(

That's very sad. Horse racing is so heartbreaking at times.

Zippy Chippy
04-09-2010, 12:54 PM
Very sad. Zenyatta will win in PE memory. I get all choked up when he noses out winning. Colors. And they say Personal ensign Has retired undefeated

46zilzal
04-09-2010, 12:55 PM
ah let me interject some reality: horse are lucky to live 25 years as that is the NORMAL life span

ghostyapper
04-09-2010, 01:27 PM
One of my all time favorites. Probably the greatest BC moment ever.

born2ride
04-09-2010, 01:30 PM
This is very sad news. My condolences to her connections. RIP Personal Ensign, you may be gone but you'll never be forgotten. :(

joanied
04-09-2010, 01:51 PM
ah let me interject some reality: horse are lucky to live 25 years as that is the NORMAL life span

Zilly...the reality is that Personal Ensign has passed away...she did live a full life...but it's not about her age...it's about one of our greatest Champions passing.

On side note...horses are living longer lives than ever before...we lost one of ours several months ago at age 32... of the horses we have now, one is 28 and doing very well...he doesn't look his age. Dixieland Band recently passed at age 30.

The age doesn't effect how we feel when a good horse dies.

FenceBored
04-09-2010, 01:56 PM
Rest in Peace, girl. You were a great one.

OntheRail
04-09-2010, 02:11 PM
R.I.P Personal Ensign. She went on her own terms. I'd guess in her sleep dreaming of the joy of running and her spirit took off... still sad to see another pass. :(

I hope when I pass on I get a chance to walk through those green pastures and visit with some old four legged friend. :)

BUD
04-09-2010, 02:40 PM
The age doesn't effect how we feel when a good horse dies.

__________________
joanied


so true

statik27
04-09-2010, 02:58 PM
Personal Ensign was a magical filly, both on the track and in the shed. She wasn't just a nice filly, she was the culmination of 60 years of phipps breeding. A true example of what paticence and practice can accomplish with a breeding program.

I find it both sad and poetic, that on the day when Zenyatta, a mare that closely mirror's her, is trying to join the likes of Citation and Cigar, The Engsin has passed.

Rest in Peace, and with luck, we'll see your like again.

statik

Java Gold@TFT
04-09-2010, 04:20 PM
I am very depressed reading this. The first time I saw her in person was in the Hempstead. She fought through everything with all of those screws in her ankle. She has been one of my all time favorites over the years. There is a picture somewhere on line that Barb Livingston took of Personal Ensign, My Flag and Storm Flag Flying in the paddock at Claiborne. It's precious how mares like her, Miesque and others can pass on those Champions' genes.

RIP you courageous Champion.

Peter Berry
04-09-2010, 05:41 PM
Her son, Baronial, is running in the ninth at Mountaineer tonight.

joanied
04-09-2010, 05:49 PM
I am very depressed reading this. The first time I saw her in person was in the Hempstead. She fought through everything with all of those screws in her ankle. She has been one of my all time favorites over the years. There is a picture somewhere on line that Barb Livingston took of Personal Ensign, My Flag and Storm Flag Flying in the paddock at Claiborne. It's precious how mares like her, Miesque and others can pass on those Champions' genes.

RIP you courageous Champion.

Hey Java G...haven't seen ya here for a while...good to see you back:jump: ...I saw that photo also...and the program Inside Information had a show about them that was wonderful...what an incredible family of mares...and Ensign will forever be remembered as one of our all time greats...she was a true testament to courage and class.
They did a tiny tribute to Ensign on HRTV today...and just watching that run in the BC Distaff got me all choked up...

Personal Ensign... we will never forget:ThmbUp:

joanied
04-09-2010, 06:22 PM
PA...Thank you for putting a memorial tribute for Personal Ensign on the home page:ThmbUp:

PaceAdvantage
04-09-2010, 07:21 PM
She was an awesome, gutsy filly. Hard to believe she is gone.

the little guy
04-09-2010, 07:23 PM
I loved Personal Ensign as much as any horse I ever saw race. Fortunately I saw almost all of her races live, from her debut through the BC win, but my favorite was when she ran down Winning Colors in the Maskette after Winning Colors opened up about five as they headed for home.

We are going to put up as many of her races as possible on the NYRA site...hopefully as soon as tomorrow.

Buckeye
04-09-2010, 07:53 PM
Only one horse (filly or otherwise) WOULD have beaten her and that's saying allot. Unfortunately she died in a Match Race. Tell me about emotions.

SaratogaSteve
04-09-2010, 08:00 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiKpzKRAjTI

only time I saw her live. she's an original, and one of my all-time favorites. Here, she goes up against two of my other favorites on the NYRA circuit...

only11
04-09-2010, 10:17 PM
She was an awesome, gutsy filly. Hard to believe she is gone.
Pa who was her best foal?

PaceAdvantage
04-09-2010, 10:29 PM
Pa who was her best foal?Pick between Miner's Mark and My Flag. MM won the JCGC against a pretty salty group....My Flag won the BC Juvenile and a bunch of 3yo filly races..plus she finished 3rd in the Belmont Stakes...plus she went on produce Storm Flag Flying as a broodmare herself...

bigmack
04-09-2010, 10:48 PM
oILJ6IYoZso

nijinski
04-09-2010, 11:54 PM
Have always adored her , RIP Personal Ensign.

Trotman
04-10-2010, 07:26 AM
Personal Ensign was one of my all time favorites a true
champion all heart and guts :ThmbUp:

mountainman
04-10-2010, 11:56 AM
This outpouring of posthumous respect is well deserved, and I'm sure numerous posters did revere Personal Ensign. Still, the intriguing issue is why she so rarely enters the conversation when all time greats are discussed. I have some ideas on that, but prefer to solicit feedback.

joanied
04-10-2010, 12:56 PM
In discussions of all time greats...her name was mentioned...a lot.
Besides, this isn't about how often her name was mentioned...it's simply a place to show our sympathy and saddness at her passing. IMO, leave it at that.

lilmegahertz
04-10-2010, 01:04 PM
RIP PE....you will always be a legend.

hazzardm
04-10-2010, 02:22 PM
Would she be one of the first ones to thrive after major screw implants? I don't recall much of that process before her.

mountainman
04-10-2010, 08:24 PM
Besides, this isn't about how often her name was mentioned...it's simply a place to show our sympathy and saddness at her passing. IMO, leave it at that.
Excuse me? Are you actually telling me what I can and can't post here on Pace Advantage? And are you seriously saying that it's somehow out of bounds to opine on a thread about Personal Ensign's passing that she deserved more acclaim than she got? This isn't a funeral, it's a horseracing board, and she wasn't some slain head of state, she was a horse that lived a long and presumably happy life. Your post is out of line. Way out of line.

joanied
04-10-2010, 08:34 PM
Excuse me? Are you actually telling me what I can and can't post here on Pace Advantage? And are you seriously saying that it's somehow out of bounds to opine on a thread about Personal Ensign's passing that she deserved more acclaim than she got? This isn't a funeral, it's a horseracing board, and she wasn't some slain head of state, she was a horse that lived a long and presumably happy life. Your post is out of line. Way out of line.

My bad.

Buckeye
04-10-2010, 10:14 PM
Personal Ensign was the first major american horse to retire undefeated in eighty years. She beat Winning Colors in a photo in a remarkable performance. She went on to produce quality offspring as a broodmare. She wasn't the best ever, Ruffian was, and it's a long way back to third.

tzipi
04-10-2010, 10:37 PM
PERSONAL ENSIGN races up at NYRA Youtube. Thanks for the alert Andy :ThmbUp:

mountainman
04-10-2010, 10:49 PM
My bad.

No harm at all. I respect your opinions and have enjoyed our debates.

Buckeye
04-10-2010, 11:00 PM
of course nobody can really prove me wrong or right about this, because that would require a race on a racetrack. Who's third best?

Not Cigar. :)

Secretariat? Kelso? Dark Star? How bout Spectacular Bid, Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra? Smarty Jones? The list is endless.

I believe proving it in a real race is what Personal Ensign did, although she never faced Ruffian, so it remains an open question who would have won.

Man o' War lost to Upset do not forget.

The "problem" with Secretariat was he never raced beyond 3 years of age and also lost a few times. Cigar beat nobody for the most part, Smarty Jones had bad feet, The Bid lost at times too.

Dark Star (foaled 1950 in Kentucky) was an American thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1953 Kentucky Derby, in the process becoming the only horse ever to defeat Hall of Fame horse Native Dancer.
Dark Star finished fifth in the Preakness Stakes. It was later found that Dark Star's ligament had been injured.
He retired to stand at stud in the United States, notably siring Hidden Treasure, the 1961 Canadian Horse of the Year. In 1967 he was sold to Haras du Bois-Roussel in Alençon, France.

Rachel and Z are both still active so it's up to them. The odds are against them both as Ruffian and PE cannot unfortunately respond. Zenyatta is still undefeated but would have to do much more to change my mind. First of all, she must beat Rachel on a racetrack somewhere. Next, she must retire undefeated. We'll see.

tzipi
04-10-2010, 11:10 PM
of course nobody can really prove me wrong or right about this, because that would require a race on a racetrack. Who's third best?

Not Cigar. :)

Secretariat? Kelso? Dark Star? How bout Spectacular Bid, Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra? Smarty Jones? The list is endless.

I believe proving it in a real race is what Personal Ensign did, although she never faced Ruffian, so it remains an open question who would have won.

Man o' War lost to Upset do not forget.

The "problem" with Secretariat was he never raced beyond 3 years of age and also lost a few times. Cigar beat nobody for the most part, Smarty Jones had bad feet, The Bid lost at times too.

Dark Star (foaled 1950 in Kentucky) was an American thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1953 Kentucky Derby, in the process becoming the only horse ever to defeat Hall of Fame horse Native Dancer.
Dark Star finished fifth in the Preakness Stakes. It was later found that Dark Star's ligament had been injured.
He retired to stand at stud in the United States, notably siring Hidden Treasure, the 1961 Canadian Horse of the Year. In 1967 he was sold to Haras du Bois-Roussel in Alençon, France.

Rachel and Z are both still active so it's up to them. The odds are against them both as Ruffian and PE cannot unfortunately respond. Zenyatta is still undefeated but would have to do much more to change my mind. First of all, she must beat Rachel on a racetrack somewhere. Next, she must retire undefeated. We'll see.

Who's third best for what?

Buckeye
04-10-2010, 11:15 PM
don't fully understand your question but I'll take a shot at it . . .

Who's the third best horse ever? Remember this is an academic exercise at best.

tzipi
04-10-2010, 11:43 PM
don't fully understand your question but I'll take a shot at it . . .

Who's the third best horse ever? Remember this is an academic exercise at best.

Wait, who's the third best horse ever and it's between Secretariat,Smarty Jones,Zenyatta, Rachel A, Dark Star,etc!!! Dark Star over SECRETARIAT! Who's one and two? Plus, besides Secretriat none of those are even CLOSE to third best ever. Sec is number one in my book,Man O War is two and Citation is three.

Buckeye: "Ruffian was the best ever and it's a long way back to third" Wow Ruffian was great but Wow. Some funny threads here today.

tzipi
04-10-2010, 11:47 PM
Maybe you're right Buckeye. Dark Star, Smarty Jones(His TC obviously outshined Secretariats),etc were maybe better than Secretariat :lol:

Good laugh for bedtime.

Buckeye
04-13-2010, 06:05 PM
We'll never know will we? Secretariat beat Sham, the Clock and a bunch of nothing really.

He also lost to nobody special-- more than once!. Smarty Jones lost only one race his entire life, and Dark Star beat an otherwise undefeated Hall of Fame horse. Zenyatta meanwhile, has NEVER been beaten on the track. Speaking of which, NOBODY ever beat Personal Ensign on the racetrack.

Nobody beat Ruffian-- while she was still Alive.

Think about it.