Sheer Drama pulls off Personal Ensign upset

Content to sit a patient third throughout the early stages of the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga, Sheer Drama let top fillies Untapable and Stopchargingmaria duel each other into submission. At the top of the stretch, Sheer Drama then blew past those two fillies to win in clear fashion.

Straight out of the gate, Untapable and Stopchargingmaria went straight out for the lead. Stopchargingmaria grabbed the early advantage while Untapable took up position just to her outside. Sheer Drama settled into third a couple lengths behind the leaders with the rest of the field bunched up behind her.

With no one else pressuring them, Untapable and Stopchargingmaria took the race to each other straight out of the gate. Running at each other early and often, the two fillies put on a display reminiscent of their last matchup in the Shuvee Handicap. The fractions, however, were not fast. The duo put up the opening quarter in :24.06 and the first half in :47.72.

In the far turn, Untapable stuck her nose in front, but behind her, jockey Joe Bravo had pushed the “go button” on Sheer Drama. Spinning for home, Sheer Drama had pulled abreast the two leaders and seized the lead. Not yet done, Untapable continued to battle on for the lead with Stopchargingmaria right there still, too.

Inside the final sixteenth, Sheer Drama put away the dueling early leaders for good. Separating completely, Untapable then put away Stopchargingmaria to be a clear second. She would not retain that placing, however, as Got Lucky had finally found her best stride and was coming like a freight train. As the wire flashed overhead, Sheer Drama crossed first as the winner by 1 ¼-lengths in a final time of 1:49.05. Got Lucky snatched second away from Untapable by a neck, who in turn was 1 ¾-lengths ahead of fourth place finisher Stopchargingmaria. America and Tiz Windy completed the order of finish.

Winning jockey Joe Bravo was giddy to win such a big race for trainer David Fawkes. “I tell you, it’s nice when you’re able to win for a friend,” he enthused. “David [Fawkes] and I have been friends for a long time, but when you have a special horse, it’s pretty cool. This horse has just really been stepping up and getting better and better. Today was a true test for her. I mean, the best fillies in the country were here against us, this is Saratoga Race Track and wow, you couldn’t have scripted it any better before the race. I’m just thankful to be a part of the team, to be honest.”

Winning trainer Fawkes was just as enthusiastic. “Joe [Bravo] rode a perfect race, which I asked him to do. I told him that most likely those two horses [Stopchargingmaria and Untapable] would go and to please sit behind them. It couldn’t have gone any better,” he concurred. “When I saw that neither of the other two was getting away from the other, it made me comfortable. I loved the fact they were doing all of the work and that’s how I hoped it would go. The stretch drive didn’t make me nervous because I know how she is. She’s kind of a grinder. When I saw where she was at the quarter-pole, I was really happy. I was happy as soon as they broke. It worked out perfectly. She’s getting better as she’s getting older. She’s maturing. She does everything right.”

As the 3-1 third betting choice, Sheer Drama paid $8.80/$4.40/$3.40. Fourth betting choice Got Lucky returned $6.60/$3.10, and Untapable returned $3.10 for the show. The $2 exacta paid $46.00, the $2 trifecta returned $152.00 and the $2 superfecta was worth $210.00.

By Burning Roma and out of the Notebook mare Riveting Drama, Sheer Drama improved her career record to 19: 6-8-1 for total purse earnings of $1,318,840. Today’s Personal Ensign was the mare’s second straight Grade 1 victory; she took down the G1 Delaware Handicap in her prior start. In defeating Untapable and Stopchargingmaria, Sheer Drama also made a solid argument for why she should be considered among the best of the distaff division.

As a “Win and You’re In” race, Sheer Drama punched her expenses paid trip to Keeneland. Still riding his victory high, trainer David Fawkes stated, “We got our ‘Win and You’re In’ and hopefully, we’re on our way to Keeneland now. Do I hope Beholder goes against the boys [in the $5 million Classic]? Absolutely. But if I’ve got to [beat] her too, I’ll do it.”