Close Hatches romps in the Personal Ensign

Joel Rosario wanted the lead for Close Hatches from the opening bell of the Grade 1 Personal Ensign, and his classy mount was more than willing to oblige. Making every pole a winning one, the daughter of First Defence skipped out to the lead on the muddy Saratoga track, and never looked back on her way to her an easy five-length victory in the $500,000 Friday feature.

Showing speed was not unexpected from Close Hatches, as she has wired races before, but today’s race looked a little different. "I did not expect it to be wire-to-wire. It looked like another horse was going to go to the lead,” said Rosario. “It looked like Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] took a little hold [of Antipathy] and I just took my position.”

Taking full advantage of things to make the lead going into the first turn from her #6 post position, Close Hatches quickly opened up a daylight lead before the field of seven had reached the backstretch. Neither of her top two contenders going in, Princess of Sylmar, nor Antipathy, fell too far behind, but Close Hatches threw down the early gauntlet and looked good winging it out on the lead in the mud.

Throwing down solid early fractions of  :23.05 and :46.61, Close Hatches maintained her working margin into the far turn through three-quarters in 1:11.12. Behind her, challengers were jockeying for best position to make a move on her on the turn, but their advances made no real impression on Close Hatches. As the field came spinning out of the turn, it was clear that Rosario was still sitting on a ton of mare, and had yet to ask for the race favorite’s best. From there it was just a chance for the Saratoga crowd to watch in appreciation as the four-year-old filly galloped home a dominant victress in the track’s premier race for older females.

Fiftyshadesofhay ran the best of the rest to finish a clear second. Stanwyck got up for the show, with the third-choice Antipathy a non-threatening fourth. Princess of Sylmar was the race disappointment, as the 2-1 second choice struggled home in fifth, while Belle Gallantey and Majestic River rounded out the order of finish. The final time for the nine furlong affair was 1:50.62.

By First Defence and out of the Storm Cat mare Rising Tornado, Close Hatches is owned by Juddmonte Farms and is trained by Bill Mott. Today's important victory improved Close Hatches’ career tally to an impressive 12-9-2-0, and the lion's share of the Personal Ensign purse bumped the attractive dark bay over the $2.6 million mark in career earnings.

"She's already a Grade 1 winner, and she just carried on that tradition today," remarked winning trainer, Bill Mott after the performance. He also mentioned her next expected race, which  should set her up for another trip to California. "Our plan right now, and has been since Keeneland went back to dirt, was to go to the Spinster [Grade 1, October 5]," added Mott.

Undefeated in 2014, Close Hatches now looks in great shape for an Eclipse Award as we inch closer to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. As a win and you’re in event, Close Hatches emphatically punched her ticket to the year end championships with today’s big win. She previously had won the Grade 2 Azeri and the Grade 1 Apple Blossom, both at Oaklawn Park, and the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park in her latest start. The perfect record in four graded starts, including three grade ones, places her firmly on top of the older female division, and it would be no stretch to say that she is now in the discussion for Horse of the Year.

Sent off as the 9-5 favorite, Close Hatches paid $5.90/$3.30/$2.70 to her happy backers. Long shot  Fiftyshadesofhay returned $11.00/$5.60 off 15-1 odds, and Stanwyck’s third place finish was worth $4.00. The $2 exacta paid $75.00, the $1 trifecta returned $180.75, while the superfecta paid $74.40 for just a dime.