Flashback: Personal Ensign and other female Whitney winners

The Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga has come a long way since its creation in 1928, rising to become one of the most prestigious races for older horses in North America.

Through the years, a few talented fillies and mares have taken the spotlight in the Whitney, winning half a dozen renewals. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and recall the exploits of these fabulous (and fast) females.

Black Maria (1928)

The inaugural running of the Whitney saw the tough-as-nails 5-year-old mare Black Maria claim victory in her final season of racing. Winner of the 1926 Kentucky Oaks, Black Maria was no stranger to beating up on male rivals — in 1927, she won the 1-mile Metropolitan Handicap in 1:37.40, just 0.40 off the stakes record.

But in many ways, the Whitney was Black Maria’s signature triumph. The daughter of Black Toney was required to face a small but stellar field in the Whitney (originally held over 1 1/4 miles), including 1927 Kentucky Derby champion Whiskery and 1927 Belmont Stakes winner Chance Shot.

After tracking Whiskery’s early pace, Black Maria made the first move, sweeping to the front with Chance Shot in close pursuit. Though Chance Shot had defeated Black Maria in the Saratoga Handicap earlier in the meet, Black Maria refused to yield in the Whitney and fought on to prevail by a bit less than a length in 2:06.00, a triumph that helped establish her as the champion handicap mare of 1928.

Bateau (1929)

Bateau might not be a household name today, but back in the late 1920s, the daughter of Man o’ War was among the most accomplished fillies in training. A stakes winner at age 2 and 3 — counting victories in the Coaching Club American Oaks, Gazelle and Selima among her successes — Bateau peaked during the summer of 1929, beating males in the historic Suburban Handicap before heading to Saratoga for the Whitney.

Like Black Maria, Bateau encountered a small field at the Spa, squaring off against the 3-year-old Comstockery and the 1926 Preakness champion Display, in the twilight of a career that saw him finish first, second, or third in 75 of his 103 starts.

Display blew the break so badly he never had a chance to contend, but Bateau received a stiff challenge from Comstockery. Winner of Saratoga’s United States Hotel Stakes as a juvenile, Comstockery pressed Bateau every step of the way and threatened to run down the favored filly in the final strides. But Bateau held on tenaciously to win by a head in 2:09.40, which helped propel her to recognition as the champion handicap mare of 1929.

Esposa (1937)

Competing in the Whitney was hardly a one-off event for Esposa. The extraordinarily durable mare competed in four consecutive editions of the Whitney, finishing second in 1935, 1936, and 1938 while competing against future Hall of Fame inductees Discovery and War Admiral.

Fortunately, Esposa caught an easier field in 1937 and managed to claim a Whitney victory of her own. Fresh off winning three straight stakes at Saratoga, Esposa carved out all the pace, then dug deep down the homestretch to prevail by a head over 1936 Pimlico Futurity winner Matey, with the others well behind.

It wasn’t an easy victory, but Esposa’s winning time of 2:05.20 compared favorably with previous editions of the Whitney. Later in the year, Esposa defeated Seabiscuit in the Bowie Handicap at Pimlico, cementing her status as the champion handicap mare of 1937.

Gallorette (1948)

Cut from the same cloth as Esposa, Gallorette campaigned almost exclusively against males over the course of five seasons and 72 starts. Best known for her battles with fellow Hall of Fame inductee Stymie, Gallorette’s final career victory came in the 1948 Whitney, where she was favored at 9-10 while facing three rivals.

It was a testament to Gallorette’s talent to see her start at odds-on against the likes of Loyal Legion, a four-time stakes winner in 1947; Natchez, winner of the 1946 Travers; and Miss Grillo, a two-time winner of Saratoga’s Diana Handicap. But Gallorette made her supporters proud, settling in third place over a good track before rallying confidently in the stretch to beat Loyal Legion by three-quarters of a length in 2:05.20.

Gallorette eventually retired with earnings of $445,535, a record at the time for fillies and mares. In 1955, Delaware Park polled members of the American Trainers Association to create a list of the 10 best fillies or mares ever to race in North America, and Gallorette ranked on top by a wide margin over 1945 Horse of the Year Twilight Tear and 1915 Kentucky Derby winner Regret.

Lady’s Secret (1986)

Nearly four decades passed between Gallorette and the fifth female winner of the Whitney. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has always been game to run talented fillies and mares against male rivals, so during the summer of 1986 it wasn’t especially surprising to see him enter six-time Grade 1 winner Lady’s Secret in Saratoga’s signature race for older horses.

It proved to be a smart move. Splashing her way over a sloppy track, Lady’s Secret led by daylight for most of the journey and pulled away easily in the homestretch to win by 4 1/2 lengths, stopping the clock in 1:49.80 for 1 1/8 miles. (The race was shortened in 1955.)

Some talented horses finished behind Lady’s Secret in the Whitney, including 1985 United Nations (G1) winner Ends Well and 1985 Haskell (G1) champion Skip Trial. But Lady’s Secret never gave them a chance to threaten, and memories of her effortless Whitney romp helped propel the daughter of Secretariat to 1986 Horse of the Year honors.

Personal Ensign (1988)

Much like Lady’s Secret, the undefeated Personal Ensign had little difficulty conquering male rivals in the Whitney. Though two capable challengers turned out to oppose the 4-year-old filly — namely, two-time Metropolitan Handicap winner Gulch and 10-time graded stakes winner King’s Swan — Personal Ensign was favored at 4-5 and lived up to expectations with a comfortable victory.

With regular rider Randy Romero in the saddle, Personal Ensign trailed the field early on over a sloppy track, then advanced to challenge at the top of the stretch. Gulch tried to give her a fight, and Romero had to go to the whip, but Personal Ensign was always moving strongest of the pair and edged clear late to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:47.80, then the fifth-fastest Whitney ever run.

In a way, Personal Ensign’s Whitney triumph foreshadowed her famous rally over a muddy track to defeat Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, the defining moment of her 13-for-13 career. Needless to say, Personal Ensign was voted champion older female at the 1988 Eclipse Awards.

J. Keeler Johnson is a writer, videographer, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. You can follow him on Twitter at @J_Keelerman.