There are exactly two 20th-century North American champions who retired unbeaten after full racing careers, and both have had a substantial impact on American breeding. One was the great Colin, who sported a perfect 15-for-15 mark and managed to continue the male line of Domino in spite of subnormal fertility. The other was Personal Ensign, who ran down Winning Colors in a spine-tingling edition of the Breeders' Cup Classic to leave racing with 13 wins from 13 starts.
As good as Personal Ensign was as a runner, she may have been still better as a broodmare. The 1996 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, she is the matriarch of a family that includes two more generations of Breeders' Cup winners and now has a contender for a third such title.
Personal Ensign produced 10 named foals, and three were stakes winners, all at the Grade I level. Neither Miner's Mark (1993 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes) nor Traditionally (2001 Oaklawn Handicap) were of much account as sires in spite of being by the excellent sire of sires Mr. Prospector (though their Grade I-placed full brother Our Emblem sired 2002 American champion 3-year-old male War Emblem). However, their Easy Goer half sister, My Flag, proved a good producer. Herself winner of the 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and the 1996 Coaching Club American Oaks, My Flag produced 2002 American champion 2-year-old filly Storm Flag Flying (by Storm Cat), who sealed her title with a win in that year's Breeders' Cup Fillies. She is also the dam of stakes winner With Flying Colors (by A.P. Indy), who, in turn, is the dam of Grade III winner Teresa Z. (by Smart Strike).
Prior to the birth of My Flag, Personal Ensign had produced the Mr. Prospector filly Pennant Champion, who did not exactly live up to her name although she won or placed in five of her seven starts. Unlike her brothers, Pennant Champion was better in the paddocks than as a racer. She produced 2011 Bourbon Stakes (USA-III) winner Animal Spirits (by Arch) and is the second dam of Grade II winner Interactif and of Grade III winners Divine Oath, Auntie Joy and Ocho Ocho Ocho. A later daughter of Personal Ensign, the 2002 Unbridled mare Salute, also did her bit for the family reputation: After being Grade II-placed on the track, she produced 2014 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (USA-IT) winner Mr. Speaker, now a young stallion at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky, and 2918 Dixie Stakes (USA-IIIT) winner Fire Away (by War Front).
Title Seeker, a daughter of 2001 Kentucky Derby (USA-I) winner Monarchos, was Personal Ensign's last daughter, and she never made it to the track. Nonetheless, she proved her genetic worth by producing 2010 Iowa Oaks (USA-III) winner Seeking the Title (by Seeking the Gold). Seeking the Title, in turn, is the dam of 2017 Clark Handicap (USA-I) winner Seeking the Soul (by Perfect Soul), who earned a "Win and You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic on June 15 by taking the Stephen Foster Stakes (USA-II) over a high-quality field.
Seeking the Soul is probably a longshot to take the Classic, as his record is more hard-knocking than brilliant, but he does already have a runner-up finish in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (USA-I) to his credit and is an honest and consistent runner. If he succeeds in springing the upset, he will add one more chapter to the story of a legendary mare whose banner is already flying high.
As good as Personal Ensign was as a runner, she may have been still better as a broodmare. The 1996 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, she is the matriarch of a family that includes two more generations of Breeders' Cup winners and now has a contender for a third such title.
Personal Ensign produced 10 named foals, and three were stakes winners, all at the Grade I level. Neither Miner's Mark (1993 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes) nor Traditionally (2001 Oaklawn Handicap) were of much account as sires in spite of being by the excellent sire of sires Mr. Prospector (though their Grade I-placed full brother Our Emblem sired 2002 American champion 3-year-old male War Emblem). However, their Easy Goer half sister, My Flag, proved a good producer. Herself winner of the 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and the 1996 Coaching Club American Oaks, My Flag produced 2002 American champion 2-year-old filly Storm Flag Flying (by Storm Cat), who sealed her title with a win in that year's Breeders' Cup Fillies. She is also the dam of stakes winner With Flying Colors (by A.P. Indy), who, in turn, is the dam of Grade III winner Teresa Z. (by Smart Strike).
Prior to the birth of My Flag, Personal Ensign had produced the Mr. Prospector filly Pennant Champion, who did not exactly live up to her name although she won or placed in five of her seven starts. Unlike her brothers, Pennant Champion was better in the paddocks than as a racer. She produced 2011 Bourbon Stakes (USA-III) winner Animal Spirits (by Arch) and is the second dam of Grade II winner Interactif and of Grade III winners Divine Oath, Auntie Joy and Ocho Ocho Ocho. A later daughter of Personal Ensign, the 2002 Unbridled mare Salute, also did her bit for the family reputation: After being Grade II-placed on the track, she produced 2014 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (USA-IT) winner Mr. Speaker, now a young stallion at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky, and 2918 Dixie Stakes (USA-IIIT) winner Fire Away (by War Front).
Title Seeker, a daughter of 2001 Kentucky Derby (USA-I) winner Monarchos, was Personal Ensign's last daughter, and she never made it to the track. Nonetheless, she proved her genetic worth by producing 2010 Iowa Oaks (USA-III) winner Seeking the Title (by Seeking the Gold). Seeking the Title, in turn, is the dam of 2017 Clark Handicap (USA-I) winner Seeking the Soul (by Perfect Soul), who earned a "Win and You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic on June 15 by taking the Stephen Foster Stakes (USA-II) over a high-quality field.
Seeking the Soul is probably a longshot to take the Classic, as his record is more hard-knocking than brilliant, but he does already have a runner-up finish in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (USA-I) to his credit and is an honest and consistent runner. If he succeeds in springing the upset, he will add one more chapter to the story of a legendary mare whose banner is already flying high.
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